Trappist Westvleteren 12 (XII) - Brouwerij Westvleteren (Sint-Sixtusabdij van Westvleteren)

Zimbo

United Kingdom (Scotland)

4.83/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Drunk this, the Stanley Cup of beers, to celebrate the Bruins Stanley Cup win. And I love how the crown cork is black and gold. Coincidence? I think not.

But you know, I am sort of skeptical of all the reviews of this beer on BA. Not that I believe that this beer is over rated. Not at all. It definitely deserves its status. Its just that I can't see how everyone understands this beer after just one bottle. Westy 12 just way too complex for that.

Pours a lovely deep mahognay colour maintaining a creamy full thick head which leaves sticking drifts of foam all over the glass.
Taste is where its complexity really comes in on the tongue. There is earth, toffee, dark chocoate and a cutting form of sweet, fine and fairly intense custard cream richness. There's a deep thick oakiness there too especially with the body. An unbelievably complex balance of strength, finesse and complexity. Aftertaste is very very long and has left an impression on my taste buds like no other beer.

Despite its religious inspiration this really is a beer that strikes at your intellect and curiosity more than the heart. For me this is what makes it so inspiring. I'm still very much just beginning to understanding Westy 12 but I can recognise its genius which would have totally missed me had I drunk it as a beer rookie many years ago. And this is what makes me think that people here award it top marks based on reputation alone. Either that or BAs really have some of the most sophisticated and perceptive palates you'll find anywhere.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2011 22:38:24 | More by Zimbo

Dave_Treat

Virginia

4.5/5  rDev -3%

05-20-2013 11:06:23 | More by Dave_Treat

Kmat10

Alberta (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev -3%

05-20-2013 03:23:31 | More by Kmat10

gfx

North Carolina

5/5  rDev +7.8%

05-20-2013 01:26:25 | More by gfx

bcuz7

Florida

4.5/5  rDev -3%

05-19-2013 21:41:35 | More by bcuz7

BeerGut4Life

Indiana

4.25/5  rDev -8.4%

05-19-2013 21:18:29 | More by BeerGut4Life

TreeBeard

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev -3%

05-19-2013 20:35:44 | More by TreeBeard

Kreko7

California

4.75/5  rDev +2.4%

05-19-2013 16:20:35 | More by Kreko7

ShawnMH

Indiana

4.25/5  rDev -8.4%

05-19-2013 15:52:35 | More by ShawnMH

haknort

Illinois

4/5  rDev -13.8%

05-19-2013 03:27:40 | More by haknort

robwestcott

Indiana

4.75/5  rDev +2.4%

05-19-2013 00:28:18 | More by robwestcott

SightinColor

Missouri

4.5/5  rDev -3%

05-18-2013 23:19:17 | More by SightinColor

jonmikel

Spain

5/5  rDev +7.8%

05-18-2013 20:17:52 | More by jonmikel

travismiller80

Tennessee

5/5  rDev +7.8%

05-18-2013 17:20:09 | More by travismiller80

eyeenjoybeer

Indiana

4.75/5  rDev +2.4%

05-18-2013 16:43:38 | More by eyeenjoybeer

mattvandyk

Michigan

4.75/5  rDev +2.4%

05-18-2013 15:12:41 | More by mattvandyk

NJB145

Michigan

4.75/5  rDev +2.4%

05-18-2013 12:11:08 | More by NJB145

Mscarpen

Tennessee

4.75/5  rDev +2.4%

05-18-2013 11:19:06 | More by Mscarpen

polloenfuego

Ontario (Canada)

4.95/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

330 ml bottle, poured into a Westvleteren chalice. Bottle cap stamped 25-05-15

A: A beautiful hazy ruby or deep maple colour. A small tan head of about 1 finger appears, but some halo sticks around for your enjoyment the entire time.

S: The first smell I pick up is the yeast. It is gentle and pleasant. Dark fruits are there as well as hints of caramel and yes a bit of alcohol.

T: Carrying over from the smell, the dark fruits come to the fore on this beer. It is fantastically flavorful with so much going on. What jumps out at me is the fact that the yeast is somewhat hidden in the taste.

M: Incredibly smooth. Carbonation is perfect and there is little boozy finish on this. The beer leaves a lovely memory in your mouth with a great warm finish.

O: This is a superior beer. I hemmed and hawed as to whether I should actually pay the price for this, and in the end, it was well worth it (and quite reasonable considering). I prefer Belgian quads and tripels so to me this is like nirvana. What was surprising and pleasant was the complexity of the smell/taste. The fruitiness hid the yeast and the alcohol stayed in the background until the end. I've had Rochefort 10 and St. Bernardus Abt. 12 and Westvleteren just reaches above those making it well worth the chase.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 11:00:16 | More by polloenfuego

GinsuDave

Michigan

5/5  rDev +7.8%

05-18-2013 01:08:30 | More by GinsuDave

EricClayton

West Virginia

4.75/5  rDev +2.4%

05-17-2013 18:57:36 | More by EricClayton

darvinlikemarvin

Iowa

4.5/5  rDev -3%

05-17-2013 18:13:51 | More by darvinlikemarvin

slemkuil

Illinois

4/5  rDev -13.8%

05-17-2013 16:40:48 | More by slemkuil

athesing10

Ohio

5/5  rDev +7.8%

05-17-2013 13:37:43 | More by athesing10

BillyHayes

California

5/5  rDev +7.8%

05-17-2013 06:41:36 | More by BillyHayes