Westvleteren Extra 8

500th rating, 5.5 year old bottle, stamped 07.09.03. Poured into Corsendonk tulip glass, murky brown body with slightly copper tranlucent edges. Head is medium fluffy soon settles into a moderate lacing. Aroma is simple amazing, strong. First you get the sweet Belgian yeast molasses/brown sugar/butterscotch but then come these playful light fruity aromas. I get hints of sweet cherries, some faint citrus a la tangerines. Even some mild roastiness all the way in the back. The meld so well and play off of each other nicely. This is really an amazing aroma, no hint of any age on it at all, still vibrant and alive. Taste is similarly malty sweet, the dark plum/raison sweetness starts off, then come in the light fruit aspects, and finish off with a a chocolatey, dark malt, just strong enough but not oer the top sweetness. Leaves an extremely long and full sweet aftertaste. the body is nice and full and is greatly counterbalanced with a strong, spritzy carbonation. The feel is almost syrupy but is adjusted for by a carbonation that tickles the tongue and uvula. Almost makes one want to pour this beer on vanilla ice cream. Really amazing and more than I could have hoped for.

Spicy, herbal, sweet aroma. Great taste. Fruity, spicy, sweet taste with plums raisins, malt and hops.

(Bottle, Man in the Moon, Stockholm) Dark brownish ruby colour with thick, but brief, beige head. Malty, spicy, slightly vinous nose with notes of marzipan, caramel, brown sugar and dark fruit (raspberries, blackberries). Malty, spicy taste with notes of brown sugar, cold bitter coffee, dried figs and dates, dark chocolate fudge and a long, bold, bitter-sweet finish. Slightly vinous mouthfeel, giving it a warming touch. Slightly drier and less powerful then the Abt, but still an awesome brew that stands out with pride. Majestic!

Beer 8 of O’brien’s Trappist Tasting 2/3/07. I’m not sure if it is a conicedence that the bottle was the 8th beer of the night. Tom brought out a few bottles one had a label on it from the brief time it was imported, and quickly took it away for himself, but who could blame him. This was an 2002 bottle, poured brown with lots and lots of sediment and no head, just a thin outer ring that took the place of real head. The taste was sweet and strong and airy. Also it feels quite potent and has a really nice big flavor. Really really nice.

10.8.06 on the cap. Pour is great, dark amber with a good sized light tan head. Smell is a touch lighter then expected, but that might be the only semi-negative of this brew. Taste is great, full bodied and smooth to drink with only a hint of alcohol coming inat the end.

Bottle (Sydney Summer Gathering 2007): At last!! Long have I dreamed of the time when I would sip form the cup of Westvleteren, and verily it was filled with goodness and grace. Hazy mahogany with a thick off-white head. An assertive, homely, and inviting nose of Christmas spices and sweet doughy, bready notes. In the mouth delicate spices and sweet breads dance patterns of extreme complexity. Thick and delciously drinkable (it really is liquid bread). Just lovely.

Bottle brought back from Belgium and stored for some years. Deep dark brown colour with a nice big creamish off-white fully lasting head. Aroma of lots of dark fruits, dark malts, yeast with good sweetness. Great mouthfeel! Smooth sweet very fruity flavour with raisins and plums, malty breadiness and yeast, toffee, good spices, some alcohol. Nice dry finish. Amazing tasty brew!

Black/brown with a nice and lasting head, that leaves a solid lace. The aroma has a lot of dark fruits, roasted malt and alcohol. The flavour is sweetish and very complex with notes of dark fruits, spice, citrus, caramel, hoppy bitterness and alcohol. It’s full-bodied, nice and complex, and this one is 7 months old. I re-tasted one from the same batch at the age of 17 months, yeah right: the beer - not me!!! The flavour hasn’t changed, but the alcohol notes has disappeared from the aroma, not from the flavour though. A nice beer, but I think it can become even nicer, if it gets even older. I have one more left to try!