Westvleteren 12 vs Rochefort 10 and Bernardus 12

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by bochman, Mar 15, 2013.

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  1. wesbray

    wesbray Initiate (0) Feb 29, 2012 Canada (AB)

    Pannepot.
     
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  2. digita7693

    digita7693 Initiate (0) Jan 19, 2010 Germany

    I definitely agree that having Westvleteren at the cafe is magical, however! It is not on draft, bottles only, at least every time I have been there.


    Re: which is better, I've done te blind taste test several times w different people and Westvleteren has always come out on top. They are all great, but for me Westvleteren with 2yrs on it blows away the same aged rochefort and st. Bernardus, fresh it is a lot closer, but I find st bernardus a bit sweeter/gingerbready, and rochefort is a lot spicier.
    La trappe I find to be a lot thinner and way behind, but the ba la trappe is quite nice.
     
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  3. Beerdudenumberone

    Beerdudenumberone Pundit (972) Dec 9, 2012 Indiana
    Trader

    Just did this last Friday. The order is just like you have in the title westvleteren 12, rochefort 10 and last but still awesome abt 12
     
  4. LiquidCourage

    LiquidCourage Initiate (0) Nov 1, 2012 Rhode Island

    I did this exact taste test three week ago. I had Rochefort 10 as my winner. The other two guys had Westvletern 12.
     
  5. MrRockstar

    MrRockstar Initiate (0) Sep 9, 2006 Pennsylvania

    If you like the regular La Trappe, you need to find the oak barrel aged versions, Batch 8 is especially excellent.

    BATCH 8 (blended in October 2011):
    Barrels:
    Whiskey - 70%
    New Fr. Oak Medium Toast - 30%
     
  6. YogiBeer

    YogiBeer Initiate (0) May 10, 2012 Illinois

    Pannepot (and pannepeut) are both much better than any of the others, IMHO.
     
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  7. pixieskid

    pixieskid Initiate (0) Jun 4, 2009 Germany

    No disrespect, but La Trappe Quad is an overly-cloying p.o.s. quad and as such I dont agree with your verdict...
     
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  8. pixieskid

    pixieskid Initiate (0) Jun 4, 2009 Germany

    Oddly enough, I am enjoying a Pannepeut 2010 as I type this...

    but imo, abt.12 and westy 12 are one in the same, as they should be given the history.

    Rochefort 10 is a delicious beer that more than sets the standard for the style.

    Other-wise, I dont know what else to suggest in regards to said style...
     
  9. GennyCreamAle

    GennyCreamAle Initiate (0) Feb 25, 2009 New York

    Which one, Pannepot, Reserva, or Grand Reserva? I have only had Grand Reserva and it is not as good as Rochefort 10.
     
  10. CaptainPiret

    CaptainPiret Zealot (576) Oct 5, 2009 North Carolina
    Trader

    When I lived in Belgium a friend and I did a blind tasting of Westy 12, Rochefort 12, Abt 12 and Saint Amatus (since that seemed to be De Struise's version of a quad).

    We were able to identify each pretty quickly. And both of us agreed Saint Amatus and Westy 12, although quite different from each other, were our two favorites, followed by Rochefort 12 and Abt 12.

    Having said all that, Pannepot — in whatever incarnation — is my favorite out of all of those.
     
  11. TongoRad

    TongoRad Grand Pooh-Bah (3,848) Jun 3, 2004 New Jersey
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Ditto this. These beers really do change quite a bit with age. Westvleteren is becomes sublime with a few years on it, though quite enjoyable fresh. The Het Anker Van de Keiser Blauw absolutely requires a few years; not so good fresh. But I agree with the poster above that Rochefort is best when it's fresh. And so on... A level playing field really is necessary before any declarations are to be made.
     
  12. drgarage

    drgarage Initiate (0) Aug 19, 2008 California

    Ever heard of bottle variation?

    This thread happens ever week, and it's never interesting.
     
  13. digita7693

    digita7693 Initiate (0) Jan 19, 2010 Germany

    Yet you were intrigued enough to open the thread and somehow compelled to reply to it. Was it your insatiable desire to point out redundant threads or an excessive need to post something whilst deriding others about their opinions and what constitutes a quality thread?
     
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  14. BenZ

    BenZ Initiate (0) Nov 11, 2004 Virginia

    Abt 12 maybe uses the old westy strain, but now westy gets its yeast from one of the other brewers.
     
  15. coachdicarlo

    coachdicarlo Initiate (0) Apr 20, 2012 Missouri

    There is a Rochefort 12??
     
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  16. Premo88

    Premo88 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,486) Jun 6, 2010 Texas
    Pooh-Bah Society

    I watched this one. Mostly I kept thinking: I want three goblets full of quads in front of me like that one day ... (and quads aren't even a personal favorite -- but I'd still drink all that beer!).
     
  17. Nectar

    Nectar Initiate (0) Jan 17, 2013 New Jersey

    Recieving a box with a few Westy 12 tomorrow. Ill try to do a blind review. I love rochefort 10 so we'll see. I know when trading I paid for the experience of trying westy.
     
  18. theCoder

    theCoder Initiate (0) Oct 24, 2011 Minnesota

    We did this a few weeks ago as a pre-tasting to my winter tasting I host. I invited 4 others and another friend who also got a 6 pack of Westy. We had 2 Westy's, 2 Rochefort 10's and an ABT 12. All as fresh as we could get them. This was the results
    3 picked (including me) Westy > ABT 12 > Rochefort 10
    3 picked Westy > Rochefort 10 > ABT 12.

    Then I decided to bust out a bottle of cellered Rochefort from my cellar. My friends said if that was the Rochefort we had it would have changed entirely. One would have picked Rochefort over Westy over ABT. The others still thought Westy as best and if aged then Rochefort and last ABT (I was in this boat as well I like my Rochefort cellered).

    I'd be interested to throw in Chimay Blue.
     
  19. MooseBoose

    MooseBoose Initiate (0) Jun 6, 2007 Wisconsin

    Rochefort 10 blew my mind. I've had it a few times since the first, and had Abt 12 twice. I think Rochefort 10 is superior.

    I have also had the Prior 8 three times, and I have to say I think the Prior 8 is as good as the Abt 12. Maybe not as complex but still awesome.

    Almost bought a bottle of Rochefort 8 tonight but didn't pull the trigger and this thread is really making me wish I would have......
     
  20. eatabagofbooger

    eatabagofbooger Initiate (0) Mar 27, 2009 Oregon

    I've recently gone through the full Rochefort and St. Bernardus lineup. I was dissapointed with the Pater 6, but the Prior 8 is, indeed, freaking awesome (maybe not quite as good as the Abt 12, but dang close!). I also would say that I like the Rochefort 8 at least as much as the 10, maybe even more. Whichever you like better, I'd say the Rochefort 8 and Prior 8 are both phenomenal beers that are unfairly overshadowed by their larger cousins.
     
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