Westvleteren 12

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

Wonderful beer with great aroma when served at the right temperature. It’s flavors blend into each other smoothly and the nice dry aftertaste stays for a comfortable time. I also like the little kick it gives when swallowing.

Appearance: poured a dark brown with a nice fluffy, off-white head. It’s been sitting for 2 minutes and the head has shown no sign of getting smaller. it’s about 1inch from a nice slow pour. Aroma: Spicy/fruity yeast aroma. Full and handsome. Flavor: Oh, good lord. I didn’t think it could really live up to the hype. i was dead wrong. As you take a sip the fluffy head coats your tongue, then the beer pours over that coating and just envelopes your mouth. Absolutely amazing flavor.. Roasted hits about halway through a sip... it’s a smoky roast flavor in a way. Very hard to describe. Bitter dark chocolate, residual sweetness, sweet dark cherries... not sensing any tart. Holy shit this beer is amazing... the flavor is so complex. it’s really hard to describe. I’m actually getting some hop bitterness, but no flavor or aroma from the hops. As the beer is warming, there’s a vast array of new flavors blooming. In the front is white and red raisons. Bubblegum? ... good lord. I think I’m gonna keep all 30 beers. Overall: It’’s absolutely amazing how the aroma and the flavor are so different, but go together so well. Head lasted the entire beer. i can’t say enough about this beer. It easily lives up to all the hype. I recommend going to http://shop.belgianshop.com and picking up some from this batch immediatly! You ahve to place a minimum of $50 order, so go ahead and grab yourself some glasses and maybe a lambic or saison while your at it. Flannagan http://www.homebrewchatter.com

I recently tried this beer in Bruges, Belgium and was blown away by the smell and smooth flavor. It is a very complex beer and much different than my favorite style (German Hefe) but I would have to say it is the best beer I have ever tasted. To be fair, I haven’t tasted hundreds of beers, but I have tasted many of the ones that rate highly on this site and others. It is worth the cost (it is even hard to find and expensive in Belgium) and effort. I would suggest all beer lovers to at least try one of these!

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.

Bottle at Kulminator in Antwerp. It’s been a few months, but this beer stayed with me. Thought I would never find this bar, but a local took me after Holland beat France in Euro 2008. To the beer. Pours a very rich mahogany-brown with a yellow-beige head that lacks no staying power. Lacing was fantastic, but no better than the 8. Nose was of earthy fruits, figs, prune and raisins. Akin to a fine port but so much better. Flavor starts with rich fruit and spice with noticeable yeast. I paid a little extra for the 2006, so the alcohol settled a bit in the finish, but it was still there. This was my first experience with a Westy (We had the 8 too) but it met all of my expectations, and considering the setting, it has been the finest beer experience of my life to date.

Bottle 33cl. I managed to get a hold of one of these in Antwerp Belgium. I was very surprised to see it in the first beer shop I walked into so I was very pleased. Pours a clear red/brown colour. Has a great size head and good carbonation. Smell is chocolaty and can also make out raisen and fruits, excellent balance. Smell is very enrichning and satisfying on it’s own, just smelling this is a treat. Taste is very complex, but perfectly balanced, the many fruits can be found again, as also some nuts and the yeast with a lovely alcohol finish. Lies great in the mouth. Must say this rates up there with the Rochefort 10 and I have to say that it is slightly better even so!

Dégusté le 3 décembre 2006 avec french tickler lors de sa 100e bière sur ratebeer. Sur des chants grégoriens de CARL ORFF, ERA et EMMA SHAPPLIN nous profitions d’un moment exeptionnel de plénitude. Du vieillissement en cave de plus de 6 ans au service dans un verre trappistte de chimay et à la température d’une cave de 14 degré, tout avait été mis en oeuvre pour exploiter au maximum cette denrée rare. L’ors du décapsulage il y était inscrit meilleur avant le 07/09/04 avec un pourcentage d’alcool de 10,6%. Depuis ce moment, l’objet de convoitisent: (le yellow cap) fait parti de mon porte bonheur. Pour débuter l’apparence de cette bière est dans l’ensemble déjà impressionnante avec une séparation bien marqué de deux produits distincts: La bière de couleur brune orangé rougeâtre et d’un dépôt acqueux brun foncé ambré. Une fois les deux liquides mélangés, je n’ai pas besoin de vous dire la sensation déjà installée, elle nous promettait de l’exception! En débutant avec l’arôme nous en sommes venu à un concensus assez rapide; elle dévoillait continuellemment de nouvellent saveurs. En plus de la musique choisis pour ce moment, notre âme était ailleurs, nous ne pouvions plus se permettre d’évaluer cette bière. Nous nous sentions imputables d’entraver le respect que nous donnais cette fontaine de jouvence. De la bienséance était désormait obligatoire car nous étions certains à ce moment qu’elle était la meilleur bière au monde. Un simple regard suffit au moment de joindre à nos lèvres se divin liquide pour comprendre que le silence était requis; La seul personne autorisé à communiqué avec nous était monsieur westy........Cette boisson est beaucoup plus qu’une bière elle est l’expression d’un symbole pour tous un peuples. Comparativement au vin ou aux spiritueux, il n’est pas question de prix mais de passience et mérite. En bref, il faut se préparer à recevoir ce liquide divin içi sur terre car apparemment au ciel il n’y à pas de bière sauf celle-çi.....

This is not a beer, it is a mystical experience. We must thank and to infinitely bless the inventor of this wonder of colors, aromas, taste and the whole rest. Cheers to everybody.