Westvleteren 12

Courtesy of Diane and CJ (thanks guys!). They thought this was at least 2 years old but weren’t really sure. I found it a bit thinner than I’d anticipated, I guess a byproduct of aging. Of particular note there was little to no head here. But the aroma, full of grapey fruitiness, promised something special. And indeed the rich plum, fig, raisin character was especially enjoyable. Smooth and clean. I think this beer does benefit from its own mythology and lack of availability, but it is quite good. (#3358, 3/28/2008)

Rating #100! Cap: 20.11.10 - I debated whether #100 was a worthy milestone for a Westy 12, but I couldn’t wait any longer damn it! I took over almost an hour and half to savor this little beauty. Aroma: Nose is figs, raisins, sugary candy, toffee and a touch of cherries. Appearance: Pours a cloudy caramel color with some floaters. 2 finger beige head initially that fades into a constant 2 cm topper. Lots of carbonation, though not much lacing. The head just slides off the glass. Flavor: This one is complex to say the least. Vanilla, dried dark fruits, caramelized sugar, bready yeast, all spice. Wow – it keeps changing like a Willy Wonka Gobstopper. A little hoppy alcohol burn in the finish to level out the sweetness. Palate: Creamy bubbly/tingly mouth feel. Coats your entire mouth like latex paint. Overall: An excellent complex Belgian. You could take a day trying to figure out the different flavors as it warms up. A notch or two above Rochefort 10 in my opinion, but with the availability of the latter, I’ll most likely stick with it rather than mail order from Belgium again. However, it certainly is worthy of its legendary status and a must try on your list.

This one really lives up to it’s hype. I have tasted 1, 2 and 3 year old version, and the last one (vintage 2004, sampled in 2007) just knocked me complety over. It is muddy brown with a lot of sediment, and has a fantastic aroma of berries, overripes fruits, toffee and caramel. The flavours are everything at once: sweet like caramel, fruity bitter and complex spicy. Finally the palette has a history of it’s own, being creamy and full bodied with a lively but refined carbonation and a finish that makes you wanna fill out the application form for the trappist monastary. Heavenly silence should be the canonized words for such a grand experience.

What an incredible beer, brewed by incredible people, in an incredible place. We visited St. Sixtus recently and it is well worth the visit. At Peace, the little pub on the monestary site itself serves the beer for a pittance and it is a wonderful place to sit and enjoy beer brewed with care and tradition. Do yourself a favor if you visit Belgium and go and visit this very special place.

Fredagsbaren på Biologi, Aarhus Bottled Complex - with balance of bitterness and malt Fruits and vanilla Creamlike palate and notes The alcohol is occasionally too dominant

Not sure what the fuss is all about - this one is overrated. Sure, it’s tasty but didn’t live up to the expectations I got from this site. I’ll take a Saint Bernardus Apt 12 over this any day. I suspect the score is heavily influenced by the rarity and hype. Must I have another? Nope, not when I can pick up an Apt 12 just down street. At least I got it out of my system, had to try it.

Pours a very dark brown with a light tan head. Nose is sweet with lots of malt, fruit and, spice. Has some fruity chocolate, malt and a little bitterness in the flavor with some alcohol that lingers in the finish. It’s a very nice beer but I wasn’t overwhelmed with it.

Pours a very dark chocolate brown with a fair amount of tan head that dissipates to tan lacing. The aroma is buttery sugar with notes of toasted nuts and malts and spices (vanilla). Flavor is rich and nutty with notes of vanilla and caramel. Body is a bit thick and creamy with just the right balance of carbonation. A very balanced rich beer. Quite quite delicious.