 yngwie (3394), Kristiansand, Norway
Mar 6, 2006
Bottled. Rating #500. I’ve waited quite patiently for this one. It has been in my cellar since september, and I decided when I bought it that I should save it for rating #500. I think I have entered my 499 beers quite rapidly, just over six months, but the waiting has been way to long, and the beer has been staring at me every time I went to get another beer in the cellar. Now, as I am to open it, I am a little bit nervous. It’s not my virgin-sample of a Westy 12, I’ve had it two or three times before, I am just nervous that it might be bad in any way, or that I might get disappointed. After all, my taste-buds has evolved a little since my first rating. It has a BB date of 28.02.08, so it is ok in that way, hope it is in any other way too. Well, off goes the cap. The first aroma is very vinous and oaked. Then, when it’s poured, black currant, caramel, dried fruits, light alcohol, spices and a light yeastiness comes through. You don’t get it much more complex than this. It looks gorgeous, dark reddish-brown and sparkling, and with some sediments if you prefer that. It has probably the most dense, lasting head that I’ve seen so far, beige in color, and huge. The flavor is rich, with caramel, candi-sweetness, malt, spices, bitterness, cherry and alcohol. Too much alcohol, I think. There are lots of other beers masking the 10% ABV much better, but it is not an unpleasant alcohol-level. The body is full and it has a sweet and bitter finish that is quite long. The flavor and finish is rounded of as the beer warms up, and my starting temperature of 10°C was too cold, especially for the finish to step forward. It turned out I had no reason to be nervous, the beer probably deserves its first place on Ratebeer, but I expected that I could give it a higher score. A beer that matches aroma and flavor even better will hopefully come my way some day, and then maybe the perfect 5 will be given. (060306)
Beerman6686 (654), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
Aug 19, 2008 Poured a hazy brown color with a tiny off white head. Aroma was of a lot of dark fruits, caramel, nuts and some alcohol. Flavor was lots of caramel, and some fig and dates, and some grass with a nice alcohol warmth and thickness in the swallow. Pretty good, but I would prefer a Rochefort 10
uhre (231), Denmark
Aug 18, 2008 The beer is dark brown with a tone of red, and a huge head. Aroma of caramel, alcohol, prunes and cherries perhaps - sweet. The flavor is of dark fruit, cherries, caramel and a bit of burn from the alcohol to balance the sweetness.
nbutler11 (108), Phoenix, Arizona, USA
Aug 14, 2008 Sincere thanks to ajm for leaving this in my fridge. It would have been better shared, but there’s no way I could keep staring at this one. Poured a robust/murky brown from the bottle with a thick tan head of foam. Notes of lemon zest, almost like a pilsner, in the nose as well as some hazlenut. Very unsuspecting until the molasess, caramel, apple, hazenut, and smoke slam your palette. Aggressive, yet sweet, with mild carbonation. Distinctly German. Plenty of sediment. Certainly a treat, but not quite the Holy Grail of Beers.
nhorween (502), New York, New York, USA
Aug 12, 2008 Thanks cmubeerman, side-by-side with Westy 8. 2+ years old. Creamy head with a mahogany-chestnut body. Almost minty aroma, cherries, dark fruit, anise, cloves, coriander, cardamom. Much more complex, fruity, and boozy than the 8. Flavor is malty, smooth, and complex. Round, bitter, and boozy finish.
badlizard (1430), San Diego, California, USA
Aug 10, 2008 Bottle from ebay. Dark brown with a garnet tint and no head. Raisin, fig, and brown sugar and grain aroma. Initial taste has some wine like character with raisin and dark fruit flavors, mild spice, brown sugar, and subtle vanilla followed by a sweet oat and cereal grain taste with some perceptible alcohol in the finish. Quite complex, subtle and delicately balanced flavors. It’s quite good, but it’s not an over the top aggressive beer, which is what I prefer. Nevertheless, it probably deserves it place at the top.
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