Westvleteren 12

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

Courtesy of a good friend, and shared with one as well. Aroma is full of ripe plums, brown sugar, apple and malt. Light head in my pour, but nearly opaque, except for the light around the edges. Flavor was thick and layered, with rounds of brown sugar, plums, raisins, almonds and molasses. The palate finally revealed some alcohol, and was lively overall. Believe the hype.

Dark brown, lightly hazed. Little vanishing head. Very floral nose, ethilic, fruity, sweet malt, honey & spicy. Absolutely smooth and right bodied, balanced, warming yet with no traces of that 10 %, an explosion of honey and molasses, figs and dates. An epiphany.

Bottle. Dark, dark brown body, almost black. Small off white head. Complex aroma, sweet fruits, roasted malt, dried fruits, spices and citrus. Heavy flavour, sweet and warming. Coffee and licorice. Well balanced and full bodied. The alcohol is impressingly well hidden. Long bitter and sweet finish. (Gollem, Amsterdam, 08.12.08)

Rating #1000 Bottle generously donated to "the cause" by mreusch. Pours a deep mahogany with a creamy, beige head. The nose is of dark fruit, red grapes (grape skins) spicy/peppery yeast and light alcohol. The mouthfeel is very nice: on the medium side of full-bodied with a soft creaminess that transitions to a spicy, slightly warming finish. Dark fruit, subtle brown sugar, spicy red wine and a slightly woody, lightly drying spiciness at the subtle yet lingering finish. An exercise in balance and beautifully blended flavors, this beer disappeared from my glass far too quickly. A beer truly worthy of all the accolades that it has received, I can’t thank you enough for the bottle, Matt. Amazing stuff.

tried this alongside the westy 8 and blonde dark brown pour, thin off white head aroma is sweet, raisin-y, lot of white wine, not much malt flavor is fairly sweet, but well-balanced, strong alcohol flavors, estery, figs somewhat chewy, with a dry, very long-lasting finish, but not as dry as the 8

[Bottle] Shared with MatSciGuy - Pours a murky brown with some fermenation floaties. Lasting tan head that nicely laced the glass. This beer is complex and for me there was a pronounced raisin aroma and flavor mixed with malt, dark fruits and caramel. Smooth, medium body mouthfeel. It was a truly wonderful beer and I am appreciative of the chance to give it a try. Thanks man.

Bottle shared by alexadad06. Poured a cloudy brown color with a large frothy brown head that lasted with excellent lacing. Moderate to heavy dark citrus, ginger and caramel aroma. Medium to full body with a smooth sticky texture and flat carbonation. Heavy bittersweet flavor with a heavy sweet finish of moderate to long duration. This is a standout complex brew.

I waited a lot of time for this and I found it in the beautiful Brugges... Appearance: Dark brown color. Great head, beige, rocky, with good adherence at glass and very lasting. Aroma: complex-ripe fruity aroma, several fruits in my nose like, plums, cherries, prunes, figs..... Underlying caramel notes, vinous and with reminiscences of tart and marmalade. Flavor: vinous profile and caramel malts in the start, that vinous touch never disappear and remember me a carmenere and, perhaps, a sweet rose. The fruitiness is even more complex that in the nose with the same reminiscences as well of cassis, blackberries and semi-fermented red apples. Woody touches and a very slight hot note similar to chocolaty tobacco. A lot of secondary notes like marmalade, roasted sugar, vanilla and lightly is possible to feel the hops given even more balance. Palate: medium to full body; semi-oily and silky texture. Low carbonation. Remark: this is a excellent beer with a lot of attributes and complexity, but in spite of that complexity and variety of flavors is incredible its balance, in fact for me four adjectives resume the Westy12: "noble, harmonious, very balanced and elegant".