Westvleteren Extra 8

Brewed by Westvleteren Abdij St. Sixtus
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Westvleteren, Belgium

Bottle. Pours with a brownish color, and a larger head with lots of carbonation. Aromas of raisin, plums. Flavors of dark fruit, molassess and a bit of a bitterness in the finish. Also some alcohol hotness, it could mellow a little.

the appearance was brownish in color with a hint of red to it. the head is creamy and thick with beautiful lacing and great retention. noticibly carbonated. the smell is where it’s at with this beer. at first it was less than expected, but the smells really came out as it warmed. the smell was big on the caramel and toffee end for me. the alcohol really settled into the smell over time as well. the taste is of caramel, chocolate, toasty and malty. i’d best describe it as a chocolate covered cherry maltball. the mouthfeel is creamy and thick with great carbonation. i loved the taste this beer. well balanced and not too much alcohol taste.

Bottle 22cl. A brown beer with a rich and thick beige head. aroma is very fruity and floral, notes of chocolate and candy sugar. Taste is amazing. rich maltiness. Noes of coffed, candy sugar. alcohol is very well hidden. Lots of spices. Full body and very nice aftertaste.

Dark brown body, maroon hue. Pine, malt aroma. Herbaceous, fruity flaurs and a suprisingly dry, hoppy finish.

Bottle. Brown sugar, dark coloring. Date, raisin, sugary, overly so in my view. Roasted, burnt sugar hints. Somewhat stale in aroma oddly. Extraordinarily smooth and not tart as I expected. Easily a good to great pour - my lack of preference for trappist ales hinders me here. Thanks to Whaleman and Capone’s for hooking me up.

Dark copper color, nice foamy beige head. Spicey aroma of nuts, chocolate and toffee. In the flavour are some raisins, toffee too, roasted taste and soo many more aroma together with a fine alcohol what warm me up. Thick body, complex texture and a wonderful mercy...I am waiting for the twelve...

So glad to finally be able to try this beer (and some of the other Westies). Pours a dark brown with a tan head. Amazingly balanced and it just goes down smooth. Has a silky feel to it. Nice flavor with a little bit of dark fruit and some caramel...I just wish I could get this more often. Thanks to Jerc for the bottle.

Rating #700 Bottle generously donated by theisti toward my continued journey down the rabbit hole. The cap is dated with what looks like "09.03.11". Pours a dark brown with a thin beige head that diminishes to a thin skin at the surface. When held to light, it shows reddish-brown highlights and some light sediment as evidence that I might have wanted to pour this bottle a bit more carefully. The nose is a vinous blend of raisin, toffee, light brown sugar, cocoa, and almonds. The mouthfeel is on the light side of medium-bodied and silky with a lightly spicy alcohol warmth at the finish. It’s a bit thinner than I would have imagined, but it’s a nice sipper. Toffee, raisins and spicy alcohol dance together with lighter notes of leather and tobacco coming forward in the aftertaste. Exceptionally smooth, all the components of this beer are solid, in their own right, but when they come together the results are definitely greater than the sum of those parts. If it weren’t so difficult to come by, this would be an excellent beer to keep on-hand for experimentation with various food pairings. Thanks a million for this bottle, Tim!