Westvleteren 6

Formerly brewed at Westvleteren Abdij St. Sixtus
Style: Belgian Ale
Westvleteren, Belgium

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

12 oz bottle generously brought back from scotttron and ontbeermaker. i believe this is from a 1995 batch. the aroma was a little faint, maybe because of the age. still got some raisins and dates though. deep brown pour. strong flavour of raisins, dates, yeast, peaches and plums. the best part was 5-10 seconds after the sip you get hit with a strong raisiny aftertaste. really great beer.

1999 vintage bottle in terrific like new condition, reportedly from the last batch ever in 1999. courtesy of ebay, lol! poured into my lost abbey snifter. bottle was stored at a 30 degree angle for weeks, then opened and poured without straightening the bottle to make sure i got the clearest pour possible for this whale. however, there was about 1 inch of sediment in the bottle, a massive amount, and i still got several small floaties. pours a very murky opaque muddy brown with an nice light tan head that stays around due to slowly bubbling sediment chunks. the aroma has a ton of welches style grape juice, light dark pitted fruits, a slight smokey or salty profile faintly poking its head in. the taste is similar but much bolder. im surprised at the huge flavor and thick body of this beer. very chewy mouthfeel, oily, terrific carbonation, similar to 12 and 8. there is just the slightest hint of cardboard in the aftertaste of the beer, just the tiniest amount of oxidation. un noticable in the main body and only an experienced nitpicker would find it. i was very pleasently surprised with how this has held up considering some of the other accounts of severely oxidized bottles. good ebay score for sure!

Compared to a Westy 8 (2000). Transparent red-brown, thin white head that lingers as a creamy ring. Sugary nose of raisin, dates, and alcohol, bit empty considering how dominating the sweetness is. Flavor is raison and cardboard, nutty paper in the finish. Thin, lightly hot, bit more green than the Westy 8 of similar age, which was dryer, less sweet, and a bit hotter than the 6.

Bottle shared by Forgetfu about 1986 vintage poured a clear reddish brown with a lingering ring of tan foam. Aromas of tobacco, carmel, fruitines and maple. Palate was light bodied and smooth. Flavors of carmel, tobacco, light fruitiness and light maple with a smooth lingering carmel finish. Obviously past it’s prime but held up amazingly well for such a low alcohol beer.

Bottle 33 cl @ Akkurat. Pours hazy deep mahogany with a small tanned head leaving some lace. Fresh berry, fruity, malty and sweet aroma. Velvety fruity medium mouthfeel. Flavor is vinous, fruity, raisins, fidges, a bit acidy, malty and pleasantly hoppy bitter. Very nice balance. Medium bitter fruity palate. Finishes fruity bitter and a bit malty.

Schokoladiger Geruch, leicht säuerlich, malzig, sehr aromatisch. Der Geschmack ist leider weniger komplex, man merkt die Älte des Bieres. Lascher Antrunk, weitgehende Aromen fehlen. Leicht würzig, im Nachgeschmack wird das Bier besser, leicht röstmalzig, herb und leicht bitter erscheint es hier. Test vom 21.4.2007, Gebinde: Glasflasche Noten: 10,9,9,9,-,9 - 9,10

Ya know, I was there too. Thanks Dave! What a great day to have this and share with my friends! I can’t describe how special this was. Who ever kept this and cellared it , really did a great job! No oxidation at all. It was still well carbonated. A clean brandy sweet malt nose. Yeasty malt flavors. A mild richness with milk chocolate. Well blended. Can’t believe it!

It is indeed a rare treat when one has the opportunity to taste an aged Trappiste ale, especially one that has been retired. Such was the case recently, when I tasted my first Westvleteren 6 (red cap). The "6" was discontinued in the late ’90s (1998-99), so this particular bottle was at the very least, 12-13 years old, perhaps older. 330ml bottle courtesy of dcschiller from Alpar. Pours a brownish-ruby color, with a smallish creamy head that quickly diminishes. Aroma of dark fruit brandy, abundant malt and a hint of butterscotch. Taste is sweet, with faint chocolate and brandy. Finish is clean and smooth, with little, if any hop presence, likely due to age. This was a wonderful ale from start to finish. A relic from a bygone era, that has stood the test of time. A tribute to those who brewed it, and to those who cellared it so well.