Westvleteren Extra 8

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

Strangely, the dominant flavor is Smarties candy. Definite bread. Sweet, but not sugary. Finishes moderately dry. I can’t describe the flavor any better than Smarties, but it’s a pretty explosive combination of sweet fruit flavors. Doesn’t at all come off as artificial, more like magical. Couldbe described perhaps as a mix of strawberry, prune, cherry and maybe even others. Palate is dense and heavy, but not overwhelming and thick. Kick ass beer just begging me to drink it, but I’m trying to slow down and enjoy it. Impressive. Now I can’t wait to try the 12.

Very good mix of flavors. Darker in color and lighter in taste than the #12 it’s an outstanding brew. Sour tastes are a lot more pronounced than in #12, while still retaining the characteristic trappiste sweetness.

Bottle through trade with Sephiroth, no clue what vintage. Thanks Hans. After having the Westy 12 with jarspag a while back, I knew I had to get my hands on an Extra 8. Pours a deep mohogany color with an absolutely fantastic appearance! Huge pillowy head that cascades around the edges and forms laces all around my Trappist glass. Somewhat similar aroma to the Westy 12, with more emphasis on the sweeter fruit notes, like pear, ginger, butterscotch and banana. Flavor is uniquely complex; great combination of rich malts, more banana, pear and cinnamon notes, candy sugar and Belgian yeast. Then came the familiar Westvleteren-style palate, just like the 12. I honestly don’t know what the monks do to this beer, but the mouthfeel is truly unbelievable. Fantastic. Tingly and everlasting flavor on the back of the tongue. Can’t wait to get more of this great stuff!

Bottle @ In De Vrede, Westvleteren. It’s very different from the 12, but in a great way. The 8 has a darker hue and the aroma is a mix of the Trappist "funk" with spicy and fruity notes. The tastes range from fruity to slightly acidic, with the still-high alcohol content not masked quite as well as it is with the 12. However, this was still an outstanding brew. It’s still complex, though not in the subtle, dancing way its older brother is, and the flavors are fantastic. Great brew, I just wish they were selling it while I was at the abbey.

Wow, just finished a Westy 12, now into the 8. Monumental evening. More dense maple garnet hue. Layer of clinging light beige head. Musty bready aromas. Super sweet creamy caramel cinnamon nose. Dried dark fruits and cinnamon bread. Full bodied with moderate effervescence. Big fruity flaovrs. Lingering tingling acidity. Sharper, and not as well integrated as his big brother. It’s no slouch, but this is in a genuine comparative basis. Big citrus cocoa mixture. Flavors overlap and meld together. Blending is sporadic. Beautifully crafted brew. Flavors of toffee and grapes/ Figs and wood. Bigger raisins and citrus acidity. Lesser burn. Note truly lessor, just smaller.

For my 100th rating I wanted to open something special...Poured into Trappist glass. Dark brown with ever so slight red hue. Hint of dark fruit, plum and cherry with suggestion of chocolate and caramel. Alcohol well hidden. I can see why this is in in the Top 50.

Beautiful, thick garnet hued pour. Resilient crown. Aroma is quiet at first. Hints at honey, raspberry and vague pit fruits. Cinnamon dusted apple crisp and a kind of hazelnut mocha tone. Late whiff of alcohol. A juicy burst of black cherries leads the flavor and never quite fades. Bananas, rum, nutella, chocolate raisins. Dynamic, nutty finish that slowly whisks away every drop of moisture from the mouth, leaving its sweet and dry glaze to coat the mouth. Rather indefinitely. It has moments of transcendence, when it begins to shift shape between each foray into its nuances…but these are less dominant than a somewhat singular berrylike character. Undeniably solid, nothing unique. Thanks Keith!

Courtesy irishboy. Pours a cloudy caramel brown with a medium bubbly light brown head. The aroma was awesome, grapes, dark fruits, caramel, and a little Belgian candy sugar all blended to perfection. Taste has big sweet caramel, delicious malts, cinnamon, and dark fruits. Much like the smell. Flavors just dance on the tastebuds. Prefectly balanced with a lovely sweet aftertaste left on the lips. Absolutely fantastic for rate # 500!