Westvleteren 12

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

A-Pours a deep, cloudy violet color with little to no head, perhaps because the pour wasn’t very aggresive. S- Smell is amazing. Deep dark fruits, raisins, hints of plum, with a deep yeasty earthiness that is hard to describe. boozy. T- Taste is extremely balanced and minimal yet overflowing with complexity. Starts off just as in the nose with deep dark fruits, moves into a bit of an acidic bite which mingles with a hop bitterness joined with a spicy flavor. There is a deep breadiness all the way through and booziness at the end which tops it off perfectly. M- Thick, low on carbonation and fairly dry. Lingers on the palate for a while. D- I wanted to dislike this beer, I really really did. I told myself I would rate it like any other and try to play down the hype but it just didn’t work. The only way I can describe how good this one goes down is the spicy, warming sharpness of the finish of a good big red wine. Because of the price I won’t actively seek this one out again but if i’m ever in europe and I see one you can bet that’s what i’ll be drinking. I usually dislike quads but this one seemed so laid back, it was a delight.

This beer was simply amazing. It’s only appropriate, I suppose, for it to be my first "official" rating on here. A friend and myself enjoyed it thoroughly and have both agreed that it is a simply amazing beer overall. In my opinion, it wasn’t too much or too little, but rather just right. I’m not sure I can accurately describe it. But I loved it. I’m glad I was able to enjoy what I could, but only wish there could have been more!

Many thanks to my friend Troy who brought back two bottles of this from a recent trip to Belgium and was gracious enough to share. Poured a rich, dark brown color into a chalice. However, when the light hit it just right, it had a deep ruby/garnet glow. Wasn’t a huge head, but stayed around for a while. Also, we were sharing this among several people, so pouring this bottle into multiple glasses may have affected the head size as well. Aromas were good, but nothing really stood out. Rather fruity, like plums and brown sugar, with some sweetness as well. The taste was excellent. Lots of dark fruits, honey, some spice, and also a bit of alcohol bitterness. Mouthfeel was exceptiona, like drinking velvet. Just a tingle of carbonation to keep the palate fresh. Overall, this was a great beer. Did it live up to the hype--could it live up to the hype? Hard to say. I would love to have another full glass rather than the portion I had in order to really savor and explore this beer. But I can’t say that I was dissappoin

Bottle: Pours a deep brown with a large, thick, lasting, and creamy beige head. Easy 5. Here we go best beer in the world! Aroma is mild, but satisfying. Fruity, malty, toffee, and hints of alcohol warm the nose. Before I notice the flavor, I am taken back with the extreme creaminess and richness of the palate. A ’pure’ 5 here. Flavor is blended and balanced so well that nothing takes over. An excellent blend of malts, toffee, chocolate, dark fruits, raison, and spices. Immaculate taste. Easily a top of the world brew. Thanks to jjpm74 for hookin me up with this prize!!! <P> Re-rate on 3/14/09: Less intensity in the aroma tonight. Still fruity, toffee, and sweet candied sugar, but not as rich as I had remembered. Flavor profile is not as deep as the first time I had this. More fruity and candied sugar notes, but lacking the dark fruits, chocolate, and leathery feel of before. I’m basically re-rating because I feel that my original rating had to much awe factor involved...

the best beer in thr world. it starts with a strong aroma of dark fruits and candi sugar. Pours a reddish-brown with a dusting of tan head. The flavor is amazing. Slight sweetness, with some apple notes and cinnamon. Long slightly peppery finish.

Compliments of JerC from his trip to the happiest place on earth.. This is my first taste of Westy and was an admittedly small sample in a wee wine sample glass. There was also some question as to the authenticity of the bottle as JerC remembers some discrepancies from previous samples. At any rate, It poured a lovely dark almost roasted coffee brown with a moderate head. There was a very malty aroma with just the finest hint of chocolate coming through at the end. I was very disappointed in the degree to which the alcohol cut through the beer though. I got a faint hint of anise floating around somewhere in the background but it almost tasted like someone had spilled cheap vodka in my beer. I can see that there is an incredible beer hiding in there and I am more than willing to chalk it up to a spurious sample and perhaps even some palate shock but I was very disappointed with m firs (and hopefully not last) meeting with Westy..

Dark brown body with an amber hue, thin light brown head. Aroma of yeast and old port wine. Spicey palate of dried fruit, quince, biscuit and caramel. Soft carbonation. Hard to rate objectively due to the hype, but this is easily in my top few - an exciting drinking experience.

Smooth, mild, not an agressive beer with a beautiful dark brown appearance, a top quality, complex aroma and flavour of the dark ales with coffe, chocolate, some tobacco and raisins. Complete mouthfeel. Wonderful harmony( with god?) But what a photo? The beer hasn’t got any labels!!! So, i have a crate of this, i have a big mercy:) You must call the beer-phone to catch some Westvleteren, you can find it at the webpage!!! Good luck!