Westvleteren 12

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

Serve in Trappist glass

It takes time to find out why this is so incredibly good. The aromas only develop after a short while, so to be enjoyed when you have time only.

Appearance: Dark brown, slightly translucent around the edges. Pours with a 2-inch head that eventually settles to a quarter-inch. Very good head retention, a trait I’ve noticed amongst most Trappist beers. Aroma: Dark dried fruits, figs, candi sugar, slight alcohol. Very aromatic. Taste & texture: Very fruity initially, though not overly sweet. Takes on a rum cake quality toward the middle. The finish leans more on the dry, herbal and hoppy side, though it retains a trace of sweetness. Notes: I compared this side-by-side with St. Bernardus Abt 12, and while quite similar, I slightly prefer this. I found it more aromatic and slightly more balanced. In contrast, St. Bernardus is a bit more dry and bitter in finish, though both beers are excellent. While I approached this with as much cynicism as I could muster, it really is great, and largely worthy of the praise it receives. Hard to call it the best beer ever, but I’m not sure I could say that about any beer. Nonetheless, it’s well worth trying.

In De Vrede. Westvleteren Abdij St. Sixtus. June 2010. I drank this beer at the cafe at the abbey itself in Belgium. No doubt that the surroundings influenced my impression of the beer. If you are planning a trip to Belgium, be warned that this place is TOUGH to get to without a car. There are no buses or trains that go directly to the abbey, and a 10 km walk from Poperinge almost thwarted my efforts... but I made it, tired and thirsty, to the cafe In De Vrede! A. The beer came to me poured, although still from a bottle (unlike some other Trappist ales, that can be found on tap). It maintained a head, light tan, and darker than that of the 8. Small bits of sediment could be seen bouncing off the bottom of the glass as it bubbled (which it did with fervor). The beer was served with the only real label-the cap. (the picture on ratebeer.com is a post-sale label, not from the abbey) S. The nose of this beer is strong, but not over-powering. More depth than the 8, with more intense, not really even hints, of prunes, raisins, fermented fruits and brandy. Underneath the formidable scents of fruit, there is a musty, woody, base. All of this clears out of the nose and leaves hints of grassy smells, likely from the hops, used almost exclusively for preservation. T. The initial sip instantly reveals sweetness and dark fruit flavors uncommon even among Belgian beers. It is big, simply put. Overwhelming flavors of syrup and brown sugar, balanced by fermented cherries and bourbon. There is definitely heat from the alcohol, but the taste and smell are not invaded by this characteristic too much. More subtle flavors come through after the initial shock wears off. Wood, a little spice (grains of paradise? nutmeg?), and a clean dryness finish the flavor off. M. Bubbles all over my tongue swept the thickness of the beer away well. I was plagued with the "scrubbing bubbles" image as i tried to sift through the carbonation to pin the taste and viscosity of the beer down. It was difficult to do, but the beer has a syrupy consistency that is still not as thick as the flavor would suggest. Fun, tough to grasp, and playful, the mouth feel may have been the best part! D. Surprisingly refreshing and fleeting, this beer was great, even on a hot and sunny Belgian afternoon. The alcohol is 10.2%, but it did not feel anything like that (until i stood up). It was easy to drink and doesn’t want to quit, which must make it especially difficult for the monks to drink only one! I finished it with a dish of chocolate ice cream made at the abbey, and they paired wonderfully. The dryness on the back end really stood out against the hedonistic sugar and cream in the dessert. It would be perfectly at home with anything from beef stew, to grilled and saucy meat, to sweet desserts of chocolate or fruit. A versatile and edgy beer, given the mystery surrounding it and the age of the brewing tradition from whence it comes. Not my favorite beer, but worth a trip to its home. Definitely in my top 10!

Pours brown/red with a tan head. Aroma is unremarkable. Mainly candi sugar, some dark fruits and a bit of mustiness.
Flavour is more remarkable however, rich and complex malt and yeast characters mingle flawlessly. Dark fruits and a lingering bitterness on the finish top off a hedonistic mouthful. Musty aged character is there too, works well.
A very nice quadrupel, probably the best I’ve had. But not the best beer I’ve ever had...

Murkey brown hue. Not much head. Milk chocolate, brown sugar, some autolysis. Bready yeast. Overall a very well rounded palate. Very nice.
Wow, that is delicious! I was expecting it to be rather average, but I’m wrong. Lots of alcohol, spice, chocolate flavours. Some cinnamon. Lots of candy sugar, but it’s really mellow.
The finish is dry, rather hoppy. Lasting flavours, but still very crisp and drinkable. Very drinkable.

Rating # 100! Bottle pour to Trappist glass. Dark brown color with small beige head. great lacing. Aroma outstanding with malts and dark fruits. taste dark fruits and malts, didn’t really get any chocolate. Palate smooth and bubbly with medium-high carbonation. Finish just a touch bitter and prolonged. Alcohol well disguised. Very good beer, I have one more which I’ll cellar for a while. I was expecting a little more complexity but still a really good beer.

Bottle 2006 vintage. Pours dark brown/red with little off white head. Aroma is almost wine-like with notes of grapes and dark fruits. Flavor is mostly dark fruit with notes of caramel, prune, raisin, and cherries. Medium/heavy mouthfeel with effervescent carbonation and a sweet finish. Definitely a must try for anyone.

Well worth the trip out to Abdij St. Sixtus. There is a lot of hype associated with this beer some of which is due to that it is hard to get. I tried to not give it to the hype but when I first tasted it, I could not stop a smile from creeping across my face as i knew, I couldn’t pretend that this wasn’t world class. Serving: Bottle