Westvleteren 12

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

Serve in Trappist glass

Bottiglia. Un’altro capolavoro dell’arte birraria belga. Profumi di frutta rossa matura speciamente prugna. Invade la bocca con un equilibrio incredibile ed una leggera speziatura.

Servida en The Drunk Monk (Mataró). La verdad es que hacia tiempo que iba detrás de “este mito cervecero” y al final pude probarla. Y la verdad es que cumplió con todas las expectativas de largo. Excepcional cerveza se mire por donde se mire.

33cL bottle from specialty shop in Brussels. Pours a dark cola/caramel brown. Has a bit of a brown sugar look. Aroma is of brown sugar, yeast, and molasses with some hints of dark fruit -- a bit of malt, not a lot of spice. Foams in the mouth initially, then smooth into the finish. Not thick -- feels very light, like floating on air. Taste is quite elevating -- some brown sugar, alcohol (which gives rise to a very noticeable warming sensation), yeast, malt, dark fruits, caramel, and some maple syrup. Also some spice, though not much. There is a slight bitter note that comes out in some layers, which is usually complemented by brown sugar, but there is one layer in which the bitter is slightly overpowering for a brief time. The flavor is very intense yet smooth. Overall, predominantly malty with a bit of caramel, brown sugar, hops, and slight spice. Finish is sweet brown sugar and alcohol and slightly dry -- light and sweet. Simply exceptional, though hard to say whether the 12 is better than the 8.

Bottle 330ml @ Zoney
[Trade by fonefan] Pours dark brown with a off-white head. Aroma has notes of dried fruits (prunes, raisin), alcohol and brown sugar. Taste is medium sweet and light bitter. Body is full, texture is oily, carbonation is soft.

Bottle from 2005. An excellent brew that lives up to the hype. Very much like its slightly lower gravity cousin, the extra 8, but obviously just a hair bigger. I’m not sure, but it tastes like the same recipe, just a little more of everything. I actually found the 8 to be just a hair better, as the hops were a little more perceptible and cut the sweetness just a bit which I liked. This beer comes in which an instant rush of fruit and spice. Cloves, coriander and cardamom with bubblegum and bananas. Hint of smoky, roasted nuts. Slight tannic quality. Little to no head. Probably from the extended aging. What little there was left a remarkable lace. The yeast formed about an inch thick cake on the bottom, and the pour was quite clear as a result. I drank half, then poured some of the yeast into the next half, because I like the associated change in taste. Of course, after adding the yeast the clear brown became completely opaque. The yeast lent a breadiness to the beer that I found quite favorable. Very drinkable for such a big beer. With all the malt sweetness, it has no perceptible alcohol. Mouthfeel is rich, thick, almost viscous. Overall an excellent beer, this and the 8 are the number 1 and 1B beers in the world, in my opinion, and definitely one should not miss out on any chance to try this.

bottle, brown dark hazy coloured, rocky head, brown foam, medium bitterness, heavy cloying sweetness, nice warmy taste, full body, slick feel, creamy, thick feel, lively, long finish, roasty, bread, caramel, very nice trappist beer, I feel gingerbread sweet xmas cakes,

A beautiful looking beer, with a great lively white head. The alcohol is very warming in the throat. It has a sweetness that is more from grapes and spices, maybe cloves. Palate is creamy and beautiful. Got this from my friend Joel as my 500th Ratebeer beer.

Does "Heaven in a Glass" serve as a critique? Pours dark; Great head that last; Flavorful til the last drop. Malty; special; dances on the tongue; pleasant upfront and after. Absolutely a dream and everything I hope it would be. Couldn’t bring it back home as it wasn’t available. Went back two days in a row just to have it when I could.