Westvleteren 12

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

Tap at in the Vrede. Wow, now I know what all the hype is about. Easily the best example of this style that I ever tasted. Pours with a fairly dark color and a nice head. Aromas of figs and plums. Wonderfully smooth, great flavors of plums, caramel and other dark fruit, nice sweetness to it, alcohol not really noticeable. Very chewy but not cloying, outstanding. Addendum: Same day I went to the Kulminator and had a bottle of 12, with the yellow cap, from 2004. Completely different from the one described above. The aroma was totally dominated by malts, cloves and spiced fruit. The fruitiness - mainly cherry- was still there in the flavors but malts were more prominent. Even more chewy, almost overwhelmimg flavor profile. The rating is for the draft version by the way.

As usual I don’t see what all the fuss is about. Dark brown, lasting beige head. Light fruity nose. Tingly mouthfeel decent lacing. Brown sugar start, lighty tart and fruity.Whiskey overtones, medium alcohol heat/bitterness in the finish

i enjoyed this wonderful beer out of a great divide yeti glass. this beer appears to be a dark brown with a toffee colored head with excellent lacing. the smell is malty and chocolaty and toffeeish. belgian candy as well. you can smell the alcohol in there, but it’s a wonderful smell. this beer tastes wonderful. belgian candy... taste consistant with the smell. also a hint of spice. the mouthfeel is thick & sticky with medium carbonation. what a wonderful beer this is. superbly drinkable. i’m glad i have a few more of these laying around.

Aroma: Cookie dough and cereal grain aroma, distinctive. Cherry aroma emerges as it warms. Some fringes of an odd but pleasant orange-like aroma. Appearance: Holds thin wispy head on surface the whole time. Dark, cherry wood color. A little cloudy. Flavor: Sweetish, big malt dominates. Bready, cracker like grain with some warming alcohol. Deep, caramel and sherry malt flavor. Orange-like flavor as in aroma. Palate: Alcohol warmth, but very drinkable. Not harsh. Overall Impression: Excellent beer, but IMO not deserving of the hype. I brought this home from Belgium on a recent trip, paid about 7Euro for it.

Thanks to Fraker for sharing this rare treat with me. Bottle - Pours a fantastic dark ruby-brownish with nice tan head. Aroma is definite dark fruits, vinous qualities, spices, yeast, and earth. Flavor is much the same, very nice with dark fruits, Belgian candi sugar, slight hops, and breadiness - This beer is easily a little over-rated - but it’s not the flavor that makes it so fantastic. It’s the balance in the flavor, this is easily the most complex and balanced beer I’ve ever had -That’s what makes it so good to me. Also it’s incredibly smooth, perfect carbonation, still flavorful, and 10.2% alcohol - that alone makes it incredible. Hugely Recommended.

BOTTLE: room temp, goblet. Drank on the night my 3rd child was born, this fabulous beauty of a beer is about the highest I’ve rated although I’m not sure it’s the best beer in the world (how can that judgment really be made until all other beers have been tried!?). But I digress.. appearance is perfect with nice beige, bubbly head and dark body. Aroma is fruity, like a wine. Flavor is complex, strong, fruity, alcoholic presence is definite but not overpowering and in the definite quadrupel style. Palate is lively yet smooth, clean and crisp with a medium-long finish. Overall it is a wonderfully complex brew full of taste, palate and style. Never turn one down if you get the chance to try it, even for $20 a bottle.

A dark brown color which pours a nice foamy head. Aroma is full of spicey scents. Tastes sweet with a hint of fruit and still some spice, but finishes so smooth -- it is a joy to drink. Truly one of the finest, if not the finest, beer in the world.

As perfect as a beer gets. Caramel, alcohol, malt, hint of hops all smoothly blended together. Have had it a few times and it never disappoints. A beautiful beer that I have never seen adequately duplicated.