Westvleteren 12 (XII)

Brewed by Westvleteren Abdij St. Sixtus
Style: Abt/Quadrupel
Westvleteren, Belgium

Serve in Trappist glass

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330ml bottle, 2010 bottling. Pours a deep copper, with a thin beige head. Malty, spicy aroma, light phenolic yeast notes, caramel, apricot, almonds, dried fruit, cloves, orange peel. Off-dry, medium bodied, low to mid bitterness, slightly low CO2. Malty, spicy, mature taste, caramel, light chocolate, apricot, almonds, marzipan, nuts, yeast, phenols, cherry pits. Elegant, balanced - a classic. (2013-05-03)

Westvleteren 12. What to report about this widely acclaimed trappist of the St Sixtus Trappists. One thing is certain, he is good and complete. Is he the best? Trial and judge for yourself.

Sampled at DLD 2013. It pours a mahogany color with a tan head. The aroma was of dark fruits, caramel, toffee, and hints of spices. The taste was of dark fruits, spices, caramel and toffee, and hints of coffee, leather, and tobacco. Very, very good.

brown, hazy, mild aroma reminding me of honey and also a bit of coffee, slightly oily palate. one can feel the alcohol in it. what I like the most is that it’s well balanced in taste. a bit of caramel. very pleasant sweetish finish. really happy that I found it in one touristic shop in BXL. better than the wv 8

Bottle. Pours dark brown with a small beige head. Sweet aroma of caramel, dark fruits, banana, florals and a touch of alcohol. Somewhat sweet but well balanced flavor of caramel, dark fruits, light chocolate, florals, light banana and more. Tasty.

Bottle bought at the Pigs Ear festival in 2007. Pours dark brown with a moderate off-white head and plenty of carbonation. Aroma of candy sugar, wood, Bovril and leafy hops, with a slightly vinous fruit edge. Big, heavy mouth feel which coated the tongue with flavours of brown sugar, savoury malts, red currants and hint of roast, leading to a slightly dry, lingering finish. A very complex beer, but perhaps age had dulled things somewhat, particularly on the aroma.

330 ml bottle at blind tasting. An opaque, orangeish brown ale with a nice white head. Aroma is prune and grapes. Flavor is lots (actually, make this tons) of grapes, along with dark prune. Flavor is grapes, red wine, prune, caramel, vanilla. Finish has some tartness, a touch of earth, and definitely more grapes. Sticky mouthfeel, somewhat light body. Average level of carbonation. I can see why it would be so popular - but I personally think it was way overpriced.

330ml bottle at the Beer Temple Amsterdam. Aroma is light fruity, malty and dark chocolate. Appearance is very dark brown, almost black with a light foam. Taste is very sweet, a little bit like champaign. Very complex, winey, some coffee and yeast. Leaves a very nice sweet and light dry mouth feel. Awesome Trappists Beer.

I’ve been loath to rate this because I know I won’t quite find the right words. Bottle from the U.S. release. Pours caramel and ruddy in color with a slight lacy head. Aromas are rich. Toast, hay, spice, plum -- all of which can be found on the palate with the addition of an unctuous quality that is part umami and part brut champagne. Wonderfully complex, simultaneously light and dense, easy to drink and impossibly long on the finish. There can be no marks against this beer, one of the finest I have been lucky to experience.

UPDATED: MAY 9, 2013 The aroma is boozy, fruity, bready, spicy. The appearance is hazy yet slightly translucent red/brown, fluffy off-white head. The flavor is nice, yeasty, spicy, fruit, bread, caramel. The finish is peppery, yeasty. Medium in body. Waited a long time to try this. Very nicely crafted beer, but hardly up to its hype, imho. I certainly enjoyed the Rochefort 10 and St Bernardus 12 as much, if not more.