Westvleteren 12

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

Serve in Trappist glass

33cl bottle from 2008. Was a bit of foamer, nice white bubbly head, reduces to a light lacing. Perfect aroma of belgian yeast, bread, dried fruits, no alcohol. Creamy, smooth, mellow and highly carbonated on the palate, sweet from the fruits, fresh at first and the complexity just keeps on building throughout the finish. Need to do a side by side with Rochefort 10 but pretty sure its my favourite trappist. Ages beautifully - becomes more mellow, the alcohol is muted, and the fruit and yeast shines.

UPDATED: OCT 30, 2011 11.2 oz. bottle, sent generously from Glouglouburp (thanks so much for the opportunity to try this, Dany), pours dark amber with a beige head. Intense aroma of raisins, plum, dark currants, some molasses, burnt caramel and yeast. Absolutely exquisite. Complex barely begins to describe this - raisins, dark currant, caramel, with an alcohol burn towards the end, more raisins, without too much sweetness, very warming. Not the #1 beer I’ve had, but pretty stunningly fantastic.

We were in Belgium & made a special drive to this monestary. It was honestly the best beer I’ve ever had.

Saved this rate for the number 300!! Had this piece of art at Au Bon Vieux Temps in Brussels. Served in a St. Bernardus glass pours a deep brown colour with a frothy tan and depending of the serving, profuse head that stays there for a while. Fresh aroma with notes of roasted almonds and maybe some raisins and herbs. Malt aromas and some yeast are present also. Fresh malty taste with a light remisence of yeast. Smooth, marked sweet taste resemblieng caramel and very well balanced with some bitterness. The high level of alcohol is not perceptible in the taste but appears a little bit on the palate. Still very drinkable. Some silky bitternes in the after taste and a nice creamy feeling. Full body, soft carbonation, long finish. To be frankly, I was expecting something more complex. But, still one of the best products I’ve ever drank. It’s very good.

Not too much to add to all the reviews below. Just that this beer is much better with some age than fresh (already a single year of aging improves the beer dramatically). Fresh average, bit of age, worldclass.

Split a 12 oz bottle with Ben4321 and dbarnold, that ben4321 provided. Even with just four ounces, this beer was amazing.

Bottle shared with LeopoldStoch. Pours dark brown with creamy tan head. The aroma is bready/doughy with a bit of earthiness and some sweetness. The flavor is dark fruits, candied sugar, and a very small amount of alcohol (nothing that comes close to hinting that this beer is 10%). The beer is very well balanced. This is a beer that actually deserves every bit of hype it gets.

24.09.11 stamped on the cap. I think that means bottled in 08 but I’m not sure. Pours a very dark chestnut brown/plum color with slight murky cooper brown edges and a one finger frothy beige head that slowly fades into a thin lasting cap. Sporadic spots of lace left behind. Spicy, estery aroma with lots of vinous dark fruit, zesty pepper and earthy hops. Very complex nose with lots of plum, grape, raisin, fig, date and dark cherry. This is complimented by a nice roasted malt presence with hints of chocolate and caramel and subtle earthy pine. Peppery with coriander and cardamom as well as hints of yeast/bread, phenol and licorice. This beer smells exceptional. Medium bodied with a perfect balance of sweet, vinous dark fruit, eatery yeast, zesty spice, earthy hops, roasted malt and sweet alcohol. Soft carbonation up front with a heavy spice profile. Lots of zesty pepper and coriander that lingers throughout over the complex body into a sweet yet dry finish. This is quickly countered by a delicious dark fruit presence with hints of plum, grape, dark cherry, fig and raisin. The sweetness from the yeast is complimented perfectly by a prominent malt character. Fuller bodied than other beers in the style with a slightly roasted character giving off hints of chocolate, toffee and caramel. In addition to all of these flavors, there is a subtle earthy hop presence that adds more depth, balance and complexity. It’s not overpowering, providing just enough bitterness to balance things out a bit. Toward the end of the swallow there is some sweet alcohol phenols and subtle heat but the ABV is excellently masked with little to no warmth in the finish. This beer is dangerously drinkable at 10.2%. Overall, this beer incredibly complex, delicious and extremely quaffable. The best example of the style that I’ve tried and one of the best beers I’ve ever drank.