Trappist Westvleteren 12 (XII) | Brouwerij Westvleteren (Sint-Sixtusabdij van Westvleteren)
Brewed by:
Brouwerij Westvleteren (Sint-Sixtusabdij van Westvleteren)
Belgium
sintsixtus.be
Style: Quadrupel (Quad)
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 10.20%
Availability: Year-round
Notes / Commercial Description:
(Yellow Cap)
Added by BeerAdvocate on 11-12-2001
HISTOGRAM
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Ratings: 6,496 | Reviews: 1,903
4.79/5 rDev +4.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
4.45/5 rDev -3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
4.78/5 rDev +3.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
4.61/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
3.87/5 rDev -15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4.9/5 rDev +6.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
A - Nice deep, rick mahogany with all of that nice sediment that I like. Nice thin head that stuck around.
S - Dark fruits, plums, raisins, figs. Awesome Belgian yeast notes. Maybe a little caramel. Some level of spiciness.
T - Just like the nose. Throw in some leather too. The spicy notes were unexpected, or stronger than expected, but they were perfectly balanced as well.
M - Well carbonated, mouthfeel is just perfect.
O - Overall this was an excellent quad. That being said, it is definitely -not- worth the pain of obtaining it. Rochefort 10 and Abt 12 are within a hair's breadth of the quality of this brew (maybe better), but the latter 2 I can pick up anywhere. I would take all of these that someone would sell at retail price, but I will never pay a big premium over these 2 other superb and readily available competitors.
842 characters
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
A - Nice deep, rick mahogany with all of that nice sediment that I like. Nice thin head that stuck around.
S - Dark fruits, plums, raisins, figs. Awesome Belgian yeast notes. Maybe a little caramel. Some level of spiciness.
T - Just like the nose. Throw in some leather too. The spicy notes were unexpected, or stronger than expected, but they were perfectly balanced as well.
M - Well carbonated, mouthfeel is just perfect.
O - Overall this was an excellent quad. That being said, it is definitely -not- worth the pain of obtaining it. Rochefort 10 and Abt 12 are within a hair's breadth of the quality of this brew (maybe better), but the latter 2 I can pick up anywhere. I would take all of these that someone would sell at retail price, but I will never pay a big premium over these 2 other superb and readily available competitors.
842 characters
4.25/5 rDev -7.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.78/5 rDev +3.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 5
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 5
4.42/5 rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4
I read about this beer. I had a trip to Belgium n picked up a case. A really nice taste, not boozy. Too much foam but does disappear quick to a nice head. Complex flavor. The lacing is great. Flavor changes as it warms. Better than st Bernardus 12. An outstanding beer but not necessarily the worlds best beer. Seek it out if you can
333 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4
I read about this beer. I had a trip to Belgium n picked up a case. A really nice taste, not boozy. Too much foam but does disappear quick to a nice head. Complex flavor. The lacing is great. Flavor changes as it warms. Better than st Bernardus 12. An outstanding beer but not necessarily the worlds best beer. Seek it out if you can
333 characters
4.78/5 rDev +3.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
4.68/5 rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
4.53/5 rDev -1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Pours murky brown. The tan head is pillowy, but less pronounced than other quads – maybe a finger and a half in the Rochefort (forgive me) chalice. Sat on this one for a year, so Merry Christmas to me. This contemplative time calls for casting a blog post out into the great wide sphincter of the web.
Rating this, it’s true – the hype colours my opinion, for better or worse. Having tried the Blonde, 8, and 12, the word I keep coming back to with the Westys is 'subdued'.
I'll come clean – that's pretentious English for 'not as tasty as expected'.
These are obviously complex flavours that mingle to create something unique, cohesive, and of course, oft-mimicked. But in a world where incredible brews are becoming more accessible with each passing day, these holy grails from a romanticized era of monks and secret yeasts are built to disappoint.
Still, I kept it for a year, took it from the cellar at just the precise time, took a couple of silly photos, cut a slice of Christmas pudding, and tucked in. Lo and behold, it was great! It maintains a deeper character than other quads, forgoing syrupy sweet fruits and sugars to ponder leathery fig and cherry. The spices recall cigar paper and toffee, and, of course, there is zero alcohol whatsoever.
But then, constantly on the periphery of booze and jolly times, there’s St. Bernardus – brown robed, chalice aloft. I can grab his abt. 12 from 4 or 5 different liquor stores in the area, and am yet to have a straight-up bad or tainted experience. Is the Westy really as superior as the comparative hassle of acquiring it would suggest? No, not really.
There’s also Rochefort 10 – definitely a favourite of mine. Each bottle has slight variances, but what beer doesn’t? I’m sure the Westy does, despite its deified status.
But which is better? Well, I'm no expert. Who's to say my pour or temperature control wasn't off? Maybe my tastebuds weren’t working at 100% efficiency. When I make it to Belgium, I’ll be sure to try them side by side. It’ll be fun.
Then, for all I drone on about the market being saturated with young breweries jumping in to imperial stouts and unnecessarily aged quad-wannabes, there’s something like Copperhead’s quad, Medusa. Is it superior to the originals? Well, no. But it *is* a half hour drive and 5 bucks away, and I can get it straight from the tap. Probably some nice conversation, too.
So, what's the lesson here? Well, time to go dark on hype. No more Facebook circlejerks telling me what it is the local community should like; no more avoiding things because untappd decided it’s only worth a 3.8 (I mean, Gulden Draak? Common guys!); no more hoarding bottles for the sake of hoarding.
I’ll probably get excited for the odd interesting-sounding limited release, but let’s see what’s on the doorstep before I get blueballs for the next Best Beer in the World™. Cheers, everyone! Happy New Year!
2,943 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Pours murky brown. The tan head is pillowy, but less pronounced than other quads – maybe a finger and a half in the Rochefort (forgive me) chalice. Sat on this one for a year, so Merry Christmas to me. This contemplative time calls for casting a blog post out into the great wide sphincter of the web.
Rating this, it’s true – the hype colours my opinion, for better or worse. Having tried the Blonde, 8, and 12, the word I keep coming back to with the Westys is 'subdued'.
I'll come clean – that's pretentious English for 'not as tasty as expected'.
These are obviously complex flavours that mingle to create something unique, cohesive, and of course, oft-mimicked. But in a world where incredible brews are becoming more accessible with each passing day, these holy grails from a romanticized era of monks and secret yeasts are built to disappoint.
Still, I kept it for a year, took it from the cellar at just the precise time, took a couple of silly photos, cut a slice of Christmas pudding, and tucked in. Lo and behold, it was great! It maintains a deeper character than other quads, forgoing syrupy sweet fruits and sugars to ponder leathery fig and cherry. The spices recall cigar paper and toffee, and, of course, there is zero alcohol whatsoever.
But then, constantly on the periphery of booze and jolly times, there’s St. Bernardus – brown robed, chalice aloft. I can grab his abt. 12 from 4 or 5 different liquor stores in the area, and am yet to have a straight-up bad or tainted experience. Is the Westy really as superior as the comparative hassle of acquiring it would suggest? No, not really.
There’s also Rochefort 10 – definitely a favourite of mine. Each bottle has slight variances, but what beer doesn’t? I’m sure the Westy does, despite its deified status.
But which is better? Well, I'm no expert. Who's to say my pour or temperature control wasn't off? Maybe my tastebuds weren’t working at 100% efficiency. When I make it to Belgium, I’ll be sure to try them side by side. It’ll be fun.
Then, for all I drone on about the market being saturated with young breweries jumping in to imperial stouts and unnecessarily aged quad-wannabes, there’s something like Copperhead’s quad, Medusa. Is it superior to the originals? Well, no. But it *is* a half hour drive and 5 bucks away, and I can get it straight from the tap. Probably some nice conversation, too.
So, what's the lesson here? Well, time to go dark on hype. No more Facebook circlejerks telling me what it is the local community should like; no more avoiding things because untappd decided it’s only worth a 3.8 (I mean, Gulden Draak? Common guys!); no more hoarding bottles for the sake of hoarding.
I’ll probably get excited for the odd interesting-sounding limited release, but let’s see what’s on the doorstep before I get blueballs for the next Best Beer in the World™. Cheers, everyone! Happy New Year!
2,943 characters
4.5/5 rDev -2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.71/5 rDev +2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
4.68/5 rDev +1.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
11.2 oz. bottle with a date code of 07.12.19 on the cap
Pours cloudy opaque reddish dark brown with a dense creamy light khaki colored foam head. Smells almost like a smooth sherry wine with apples, pear, grapes, some dark fruit like plum and cherry, dried fruit, raisins, some apricot, honey, caramel, toffee, toasty bread, mild chocolate, tobacco, slight funk, a hint of spice, with floral earthy herbal grass. Tastes very complex with some of the aforementioned notes of slightly oxidized sherry wine, dark fruits, dried fruit, plum, cherry, dried figs, raisin, grapes, apple, pears, apricot, caramel, dark toffee, mild chocolate, rich roasty toasted bready malts, some tobacco, slight funk, a hint of spice, with floral earthy herbal grass. Feels medium bodied, soft and creamy with smooth moderate carbonation. Overall a real great Belgian quad.
851 characters
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
11.2 oz. bottle with a date code of 07.12.19 on the cap
Pours cloudy opaque reddish dark brown with a dense creamy light khaki colored foam head. Smells almost like a smooth sherry wine with apples, pear, grapes, some dark fruit like plum and cherry, dried fruit, raisins, some apricot, honey, caramel, toffee, toasty bread, mild chocolate, tobacco, slight funk, a hint of spice, with floral earthy herbal grass. Tastes very complex with some of the aforementioned notes of slightly oxidized sherry wine, dark fruits, dried fruit, plum, cherry, dried figs, raisin, grapes, apple, pears, apricot, caramel, dark toffee, mild chocolate, rich roasty toasted bready malts, some tobacco, slight funk, a hint of spice, with floral earthy herbal grass. Feels medium bodied, soft and creamy with smooth moderate carbonation. Overall a real great Belgian quad.
851 characters
4.5/5 rDev -2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.54/5 rDev -1.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
4.82/5 rDev +4.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Sensational beer, but it's good to know that St. Bernardus 12 is basically the same beer, yet much more available and cheaper.
126 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Sensational beer, but it's good to know that St. Bernardus 12 is basically the same beer, yet much more available and cheaper.
126 characters
4.35/5 rDev -5.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.38/5 rDev -4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Trappist Westvleteren 12 (XII) from Brouwerij Westvleteren (Sint-Sixtusabdij van Westvleteren)
Beer rating:
4.6 out of
5 with
6,496 ratings
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