Trappist Westvleteren 8 (VIII) - Brouwerij Westvleteren (Sint-Sixtusabdij van Westvleteren)

tjthresh

Indiana

3.75/5  rDev -17%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The pour is very dark brown with some garnet highlights when held to light. The head started bit and fizzy, then settled to around a quarter inch of khaki foam. My first impression of the nose is cherries. A touch of chocolaty raisins. Some dusty yeast character. Very subtle flavors here. Light cherries, banana chips, roasted nuts, raisins. Hell, lets just call this liquid trail mix. Medium body. High carbonation. Creamy. Well, this is certainly a good beer, but it aint all that.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2008 11:23:30 | More by tjthresh

alcstradamus

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -17%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Pours an extremely dark brown with a massive four finger head that camps out forever and leaves thick lacing down the glass. Smell is grapes, orange peel, spice, clove, and rubber. Taste is rubber, apple skin, and lots of spices. Medium to full bodied with soft but plentiful carbonation. This one has a little bit of an alcohol burn which hurts the drinkability.

Well, I guess I have come to the conclusion that dubbels just are not a style I can enjoy. This is the highest rated dubbel on BA, in the top 10 overall, and possibly the best one I have had yet I still can't bring myself to give it more than a 4 for taste. I was hoping that this one would break the streak and stand out like its big brother #12 does, but alas it ends up being just a "good" beer for my palate

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2009 04:45:06 | More by alcstradamus

IPA4LIFE

United Kingdom (England)

3.75/5  rDev -17%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Deep ruby, almost brown. Thin brown head with decent retention when swirled.

S- Rich earthy notes. Brown sugar, spicy Belgian yeast characteristics. A bit dull for what I expected, but not bad by any means.

T- Pretty complex. Spicy champagne-like characteristic up front, with a surprisingly strong oak note in the mid palate, mixed with some caramel and brown sugar. A little fig and more oak in the aftertaste. Pretty good, but not the best dubbel I have ever had.

M- Carbonated and spicy. Not bad.

O- Not quite as amazing as I had expected, but that is a common problem with these types of beers- they tend to be a bit over-hyped. I may have had a bad bottle, but this just didn't blow my hair back like I expected.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2012 11:24:29 | More by IPA4LIFE

Hoppsbabo

United Kingdom (England)

3.74/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 3.75

My bottle is dated February 2014, one year from now, so I guess it's a couple of years old.

A: A dulled bottle brown body with a creamy light beige head which clings to the sides of the glass.

S: Mildewy dried prunes/figs/dates and Cointreau. Nothing else.

T: Not registering any big flavour up front but it's quite crisp. Initially dry but sweetens up slightly. A tad bitter but pleasantly so and gets better with warmth but really there's not a lot to it. No interesting fruity esters, bubblegum or marzipan. Just a very fine balance of modest, conventional Belgian dark ale flavours, just like in the Westy 12. I can pick out a bit of sherry, a bit of mildew or something like an old wine cork flavour. Alcohol is very well hidden. Virtually no aftertaste. Verging on blandness if not for the crispness.

M: The balance and mouthfeel are the centrepiece. Beautifully creamy and silky and yet crisp at the same time. Also a bit sticky.

O: I thought I'd missed the point with the Westy 12 but now I've been similarly underwhelmed by the 8. If my bottle was a typical example of a two year old bottle then it tastes very ordinary with a bit of age. I'd love to try a fresh one because all these people can't be wrong.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2013 01:59:12 | More by Hoppsbabo

grandq

New York

3.73/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Big ol' thanks to pimpp for the twofer of the 8 and 12. Pours a deep reddish brown, thick, billowy head. Smelling apples, raspberries, and mulberry. On first sip, I find the initial carbonation really jarring. Takes a bit of warming and swirling until it gets down to a less distracting level. Getting alot of raspberry on the tongue, plum, cherry, a faint hint of caramel and toffee in the middle of the very mild malt, some spicy yeast/hop notes follow. The water this is made from may have a bit of mineral bittering, but not as strong as a Burton. Nothing is to pronounced and the light mouthfeel lets one explore all the flavors, but I didn't feel it was all that well balanced - perhaps as a result of the aforementioned carbonation.

On the positive side, the finish isn't overly dry, and despite being so sweet this leaves nothing unwanted or too forceful on the tongue as it evaporates. Liking the earthy, barnyardy notes on the very tail end.

Overall, there's some interesting flavors and its no doubt well crafted, but there's nothing really grabbing me here. I'll give this a re-review if I make my way to Belgium one of these days but don't think I'll go to the trouble of tracking down another bottle state-side. Not my favorite dubbel.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2008 19:36:03 | More by grandq

kbutler1

Minnesota

3.73/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle. Cap has 2.05.13 on the cap, reviewed on 2/2/11. Poured into a tulip glass a clear, deep ruby red brown color with a large fluffy 3 finger light tan head that slowly recedes. Head leaves some nice lace as it settles. The aroma is pretty nice with a subtle dark fruit smell along with some banana. Medium/light mouthfeel with some good carbonation. First taste yields flavors of dark malt, dark fruit, and some alcohol notes. Some lingering bitterness as well. The taste is actually a little more subdued than I thought it would be. The carbonation seems a little high for me as well and detracts from the flavors. Overall, I'm just ok on this beer, it isn't exactly what I thought it would be and isn't as good as I wanted.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2011 01:50:31 | More by kbutler1

PittBeerGirl

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Got this in a BIF - my last of the main Westvleteren lineup to try. 3.12.12 on the cap

A- Body is a cloudy dark brown hue. Pours with a foamy 1-2 finger eggshell head. This retains nicely at 1 finger and leaves behind little lacing in the glass.

S- Nose is moderate to strong in strength. Cola, raisins, and a mild to moderate alcohol strength.

T- Dry raisin and plum flavors upfront with a very mild bready backbone that has a hint of peppery spice. The spiciness slightly intensifies for the finish as the other flavors fade minimally and a bit of alcohol astringency comes through for the finish as well as a hint of cola. Left to linger are hints of plum, raisin, spice, and a big alcohol heat.

M- Medium to high carbonation and a medium weight body with a mild breadiness as well as a mild alcohol consistency.

O- 12 and 6 were fantastic, 8 is well done; but its not as good as I was expecting. It reminds me of the Rochefort lineup.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2011 04:02:23 | More by PittBeerGirl

sheikyerbouti

Connecticut

3.7/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On a recent travel to Belgium, I smuggled home some Westy 8 and 12. Both of them are wonderful on tap and about 15% different in the bottle.

At In de Vrede, I tried all three Westy beers, the blonde is nothing special, the 8 is exceptional and the 12 is very good. Since most consider the 8 a double, I will rate it as such. Typically, doubles have a fairly alcoholic flavor, which the westy 8 discretely masks. Westy 8 has a fair amount of chocolate/roasty notes, while still being very light and digestible. Its aroma is extremely clean with just a hint of fruity esters. The finish is very pleasant and moderately dry, and although you know you are drinking a hefty beer, it is not overwhelming.

I find Westy 8 to be the finest offering by this Trappist Monestary and one of the best examples of the belgian double style around.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2010 22:07:31 | More by sheikyerbouti

aaronh

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -18.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Cloudy, dark chocolate colored beer topped by a thick head that looks like spray-foam insulation. Aroma of plums smothered in dark chocolate, with a hint of bready yeast and a slight spiciness. Complex yet clean. Surprisingly, there is a noticeable bitterness in the flavor. A sweet malt and alcohol backdrop support the fruity notes and a decent amount of phenols. Lingering bitterness with a slight sugary sweetness. The mouthfeel is decent, but perhaps a bit on the thin side. Drinkability is good, although I'm not sure I'd want to drink this one very often. This is a decent beer, but there are many, many better in my opinion. This one's pretty to look at, but nothing special to imbibe. So let's see, a bottle of this or a sixer of SNCA? This will stay on the shelf almost every time.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2003 00:05:57 | More by aaronh

cpetrone84

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -18.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Re-review from bottle at Akkurat summer of 2011

Pours a murky brown, ruby red edges with an off white creamy head. The nose is lightly nutty up front, sweet caramel, lightly toasted, cherries, light sherry and very fruity in the back. The taste is sweet, sugary caramel, roasted nuts, berry fruits in the back with slighlty paper oxidation falling off a bit in the back. Full body, syrupy feel, decent carbonation, thin in the back.

***
4/18/10
A-gushes upon opening. pours a creamy bubbly tan head that fizzles away slowly and leaves a soft creamy coating on the side of the glass. The liquid is a cloudy dark reddish copper color that doesn't really allow light to pass through. There are some lighter orange edges with light shined upon it.

S-the nose is fair in strength, light notes of darker malts, toffee and a hint of chocolate. Soft fruit sets in with notes of rum. Peaches and the nose of a screw driver. Tartness in the back.

T-the taste is similar to the nose but slightly muted. Toffee, slightly toasted malts, and notes of chocolate are up front yet subtle. Sweet soft fruits lie in the middle, again peaches with orange juice and vodka. The booziness is stronger in the taste than the nose. Hints of warming and a fair amount of tartness come in at the back with a touch of cherry. The finish does have notes of an herbal hop presence to provide a nice balance. It opens up a little as it warms with the toffee, chocolate, and cherry in the back.

M-very smooth and creamy with a good medium body. The carbonation is fair in strength and hold up the finish. Slightly crisp but still smooth.

D-this is a very tasty beer with some interesting things going on. Great mouthfeel but a little boozy in the taste compared to what I had expected with such a renowned nectar. Still extremely good!

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2012 19:45:13 | More by cpetrone84

IntriqKen

California

3.65/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured a dark copper amber...very dark...impressive white head that melts very slowly and leaves a delicious sticky lace as it melts.

Aroma is subdued buttery caramel malts...very smooth...wonderfully toasted and sweet.

Taste is toasted amber malts with a burnt characteristic that mellows into a slight hop finish. Nice double however...not as impressive as the 12 is for a quad.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2008 01:47:42 | More by IntriqKen

ccrida

Oregon

3.65/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 3.5

33cl bottle served in it's logo chalice at Cambrinus in Brugge, Westvleteren 8 is a murky brown with a very tight, creamy sand head leaving light lace.

Smell is soft, doughy yeast.

Taste is very smooth and balanced, very light caramel and toffee malt, some clean heat on the otherwise rapid finish. Pretty simple, it's honestly a bit bland, and disappointing. My general impression is a very yeasty beer, which reminds me of how St. Bernardus Abt 12 sometimes, but not always is. Perhaps there is similar inconsistency here, and I will be wowed by the bottles I brought home sometime in the future...

Mouthfeel is by far the best characteristic, supple, creamy and light.

Drinkability is pretty good, as it's easy to drink. On the other hand, it's not that interesting, and, in my humble opinion, unnecessarily rare and expensive.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2009 04:42:13 | More by ccrida

emerge077

Illinois

3.63/5  rDev -19.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Blue 8 cap dated "19.11.13", if this is the best by date, 3 years from bottling, it's a little over a year old. Fond memories drinking this many years ago at Delilahs. Thanks Denise for this bottle straight from Belgium!

Into a Moinette chalice, it pours a tawny dark amber, crystal clear with rapid carbonation visible at first. Lasting veil of velvety foam, that remains for the duration of the glass.

Vinous aroma, dried fruit sweetness, yeasty doughiness.

Extremely creamy feel, medium bodied, fine carbonation. Some oxidation notes, rather bitter and oddly metallic. Some nutty malt flavors linger, bitter walnut and grassy herbs. Taste seems a bit of a letdown from what I remember years ago. Very dry and attenuated, with an overt alcohol presence. Probably won't seek out again unless it's known to be very fresh.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2011 01:25:33 | More by emerge077

pepsican

Iowa

3.58/5  rDev -20.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

I figured I should pop open something decent for my birthday, and I figured this would do. Pours dark brown with a thick head. Grape, caramel malt, candi sugar, and tobacco nose. Flavor was very similar, lots of dark fruits come out as well. Finish was thick, lots of stuff going on but not something I really cared for.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2010 22:12:25 | More by pepsican

MiScusi

California

3.55/5  rDev -21.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

31.10.10 on the cap

A- reddish brown with red highlights, off white foamy head that is very easy to generate. Liquid is clear but fairly dark.

S- grape candy. really one dimensional to me.

T- Dark grape sugar, like a grape otter pop.

M- medium in body and finishes pretty dry as well.

This beer just didn't seem to have a whole lot going on. It was sweet and it tasted like the artificial grape flavoring you get from candy. It wasn't overwhelming to make it bad, but the beer just didn't impress me a whole lot. That doesn't mean I didn't like it but it was just weird.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2008 05:24:47 | More by MiScusi

Prufrock

Massachusetts

3.53/5  rDev -21.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

blank 11.2 oz. bottle poured into a rochefort goblet.

murky maroonish brown with half an inch of tan head that falls quickly, leaving nice webs of lacing.

tart apples, dry white wine, belgian yeast and a touch of cola sweetness in the nose.

more tart, almost sour apples in the flavor. bready malts and a crisp, dry, champagne-like feel. alcohol and sour in the finish, which is a touch unpleasant. surprisingly straightforward, as i've come to expect a lot more complexity from the trappists. then again, i far prefer the rochefort 10 to the 8 or 6; maybe the westvleteren 12 will also far exceed its lesser brethren.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2006 03:42:27 | More by Prufrock

hoppymeal

Michigan

3.53/5  rDev -21.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a ruddy brown color and murky with a large tan head that barely budges. Aroma is very light and has traces of ripe fruit, sweet caramel malt, and belgian sugars, a little bubble-gummy. Taste shows some of the sweet candy sugar and fruit flavor up front along with a little rich tobacco like flavor, these are cut mid taste by a small roasty twang and a decent pepperiness. There is some alcohol flavor and some tingly carbonation along with the pepper and then a decently dry finish. This beer improved vastly as it approached room temp. The aroma and taste were very subtle and only when it became fairly warm did the flavors start to come out. Still were subtle, but a nice drinkable beer, great mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2006 03:25:13 | More by hoppymeal

Jwale73

Rhode Island

3.53/5  rDev -21.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle procured from the Struise Yeast Shop. Best by 27.01.13 indicated on the label. Pours a muddy plum color with a hazy clarity. Head was a rocky and cream-colored and half an inch in height. A couple large swaths and a few residual spots of lacing adhered to the sides of the glass during the tasting. Head was refreshed with a swirl. Big yeasty nose with a figs, prunes and a bready quality following behind. Taste follows nose; completely style consistent, but a bit dull. There's also a slightly herbal/chemical character present, probably attributable to the yeast strain. The mouthfeel kills this beer for me. Carbonation is very aggressive and the burn lingers between quaffs. Consistency is light-medium (but closer to light) and finish is semi-dry. I have to say that I was expecting a bit more from this beer. Perhaps it could stand some aging, and I will definitely procure another bottle if the opportunity presents; however, the carbonation completed detracted from the experience. It did improve slightly by gently swirling the glass to dissipate the gas, making it an almost pleasant sipper; however, I suspect it might be too young.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2011 23:37:27 | More by Jwale73

BeerRun13

California

3.4/5  rDev -24.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pors a hazy, dark, brown caranberry color. A thick, uniform, dark eggshell heaad sits on top.
Candi sugar and clovelike aromas.
Candi and some spice character. Maybe some hop balance in therer. Fruity with some alcohol... nothing like it's bigger brother. Slightly funny twang in the aftertaste.
Medium bodied and highly carbonated with a super dry finish. Warming for sure.
Rather unimpressed with all the hype, but it's still pretty good. The dryness makes it easy to drink despite the alcohol.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2007 22:08:48 | More by BeerRun13

papat444

Quebec (Canada)

3.4/5  rDev -24.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Big thanks to tprokop7 for helping me knock off another holy grail. Makes a while i've been holding on to this so very happy to try it. Shared this with my wife while in the background the Thirsty Traveler was playing on TV and, you guessed it, he was visiting Belgium so kind of appropriate don't you think?

Best before Sept. 22, 2010.

Poured from their standard blank bottle (11.2 oz maybe?)

Appearance: Dark mahogany brown body with tiny flecks floating in the body. A tiny bit amber in the pour. Thick off-white/beige head, easily 3 fingers.

Smell: Fruity at first with some zest. Cloves, herbs and my wife smells rosemary also.

Taste: Big time herb presence with lots of spice and some dried fruit. The spices are a little overpowering, dry and a little rough. A little harsh, almost like eating a stem or some herbs. As it warms, it calms down a little at least and has some sherry presence but i still find it a little unbalanced for my taste. Not at all what i was expecting. Where's the malt presence & the sweetness?

Mouthfeel: Fair amount of carbonation but bitter on the palate. Again, better as it warms and a small improvement but it is still impeded by the taste.

Drinkabilty: Average, not too high. The harshness & bitterness of the herbs/spices was a little too much. I would give it another chance and it wasn't a chore to drink but wasn't a complete pleasure either.

Overall: A let down for me. A good beer but not an outstanding one from my point of view. It really felt like i was drinking liquid herbs (no other way to explain it) and really over-powered any other flavor that might have been there, not too pleasant. Still, i would like to try it again to give it another chance.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2009 11:43:44 | More by papat444

beerluvr

New Jersey

3.38/5  rDev -25.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours with a light cream-colored head over dark hazy brown liquid with some particulate matter floating about. Nose is of raisins, a little port wine, dark fruit. Taste is quickly sweet with some phenolic character present. Then a bit of fruitiness followed by hop bitterness and an alcoholic note. Finishes more sweet than bitter. Nice, but not worth the $6 I paid for it.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2003 22:21:35 | More by beerluvr

Floydster

California

3.35/5  rDev -25.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle purchased from Ebay for about twenty dollars, not even close to being worth the money in my opinion, I hope Westvleteren 12 is better because this one did not live up to all its hype

Best before date of August 2008, but could have probably gone for much longer if I left it in the cellar

Poured into my Trappist Westvleteren chalice with a deep brown color that had a dark red tint when held up to the light, the head was white and lumpy, and over an inch which was impressive, left chunky lacing, expected this one to be darker and have a fuller body

Smell was fig, roasted malt, some roasted nut and barley, apple, and , definitely seemed oxidized, so maybe I did not have a good bottle of this stuff, pretty weak aroma overall and just seemed generic of a dubbel

Taste was decent but nothing to get all excited about, definitely got better as it warmed, wish I would have drank this at room temperature originally, got much easier to drink as it got warmer as more sweetness came out, surprisingly hoppy and left a dry and bitter aftertaste at the beginning, some nice apple and dark fruit at the end of the glass, reminded me of a nut brown ale when its temperature was cool, could taste small amounts of licorice and sweet cherries, this one could have used some more sweet malt unfortunately, wish it had more complexity which I expected, pretty good taste when it is all said and done but certainly not the best trappist or dubbel out on the market

Not much carbonation and the body was nothing to brag about, average mouthfeel with a taste that did not linger around too long

At eight percent, it is pretty drinkable, but it does get heavy at times and the taste gets old after a while, not bad for a beer of this style though, could drink two or three bottles of this with no problems

This was the first beer I have drank and said to myself that it was way overhyped, I understand the beer's rarity, but there is harder to find beers out there, this is actually quite easy to get now in online auctions, I much rather drink a Rochefort or St. Bernardus, especially for the amount of money you have to fork out to get one of these, it is a good beer but does not deserve to be in the top five in my honest opinion, will try this again in the future to see if I just had a bad batch, and will update my review if anything changes, other than that I recommend it if you are extremely curious like I was, but you will most likely leave disappointed

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2007 07:26:13 | More by Floydster

ibbjamin

California

3.3/5  rDev -27%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Paid $27.99 for an 11.2 oz beer from Perry's Liquor in Livermore, CA. This is the last of the Westy line that I've tasted and my estimates put this beer as being about half a year in age. I pour into a chalice to review.

Watchout this one is a mild gusher. Have your glass ready immediately! Very fizzy and carbonated, it leaves a half inch off light beige head. Dark brown raisin color. Minimal head retention. Some sheets of lacing.

Dark fruits, red grape, belgian spice and mild yeast tones in the nose. Seems to be somewhat of a simple, yet effective formula for an overall pleasant aroma.

The fruitiness from the grapes comes more to the forefront and seems to dominate the taste. Taste is sweeter than the nose suggested.

Mouth is quite fizzy and carbonated. Medium body. The high carbonaiton/fizzy mouthfeel keep this one in the sipper category for me.

Well I picked this one up because they were selling it, but I think I should have just bought another bottle of the Westy 12 which is volumes better than this brew. Either way, for me personally, the price these bottles achieve it too high. The hype and exclusivity keep the ratings high. Don't get me wrong, they are excellent Belgian beers, but a Rochefort 8 or Abt 12 is on the same caliber for 1/3 the price.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2009 03:25:02 | More by ibbjamin

BeerAdvocate

Massachusetts

3.28/5  rDev -27.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Review from Inaugural Issue of Beeradvocate Magazine.

Four-year-old bottle--a gift from a friend. Poured into a silver-rimmed Westvleteren chalice, a nearly opaque, dark, rusty brown, with shimmering ruby hues, a tightly-laced creamy beige head atop, and a settled, healthy, ringed lace. Toffee in the nose, along with a suggestion of dates. On the palate, very dry up front, and incredibly complex beneath. Powdery malts, dextriny notes of carob, honey, and a spike of sherry. Similar malted milky sweetness profile found in the Blonde, but with more depth. Soft prune, date sugar, hint of anise, slightly roasty around the edges, carob and a brush of toffee. Light phenols, herbal. Slightly fumy alcohol on the breath. Dry, powdery finish.

Westvleteren 8 is fine aged, but it's become a bit too dry and muted for our liking. Delicious fresh, and arguably better than Westvleteren 12 in drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2008 18:32:01 | More by BeerAdvocate

TexIndy

Texas

3.2/5  rDev -29.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Got from Belgium Shoppe earlier this year and have been aging it for special occasion so opened for birthday and 250th review. Poured from a 33cl bottle with 26.08.09 on the cap. It was a dark ruby color with lots of yeast bits. It had a small head that quickly dissipated. The smell was sweet malts and dark fruits. Not very strong. The taste was even weaker - almost watered down. It didn't really have any dominant traits and for a dubbel was surprisingly bland. Really had no bite at all. Maybe something happened to it during shipping but this one is definitely overhyped and not worth the high scores. I got the 12 in the same shipment and it was really good so surprised by how bland this one was. Will try again during my trip to Belgium next year just to be sure but for now won't be ordering any overseas again. (3, NA, Tie, N)

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2007 03:40:50 | More by TexIndy