Where does everyone get their Westvleteren 12 from?

man you must have hated that beer

 

I can't say enough great things about that place. Anyone heading to In De Vrede should really spend a couple of nights there and explore Watou and Popering.

 

Wow when you say aged you don't mess around. I was thinking more along the lines of 3-4 years. Many beers seem to start falling apart at 10 years. Still nice to know, so did they seem to have fallen apart or were they still good, even if they weren't as good as fresh?

 

I got my first from a bar/café in Philly called Monk's Café. No label blank gold cap, $16+ in 1997/1998? They were serious Belgian guy's at the time (I don't know if they are still around) and sent someone to the Abbey and managed a case or two. Rochefort 10 is better by a mile. I can't remember where I got these two caps? What was a Brick? The La Trappe Quad cap is from the original Abbey brewed version, absolutely awesome. The newer version was absolute crap...


GB

 

stille nacht! I would much rather try that beer than westy!

 

I've had Westy and Rocquefort of all different ages. Personally, I think the beers are better fresh. Stille Nacht, oddly enough, was on a different level and was better aged than fresh. It has been a long time since a Belgian Strong blew me away like that.

 

I strongly prefer St Bernardus 12 to Rochefort 10. Don't have access to Westy, but can anyone tell me which of the previous two Westy is closer to in taste?

 

Bernardus. I've had shit loads of bottles of Abt. 12 and Rochefort 10 over the years and St. Bernardus is very close to Westy 12. St. Bernardus actually uses the same original Westy recipe that Westvleteren used to use, before they changed yeast varieties. You could almost say Abt. 12 is more "genuine Westy 12" than Westy 12 is.

Anyway, to the OP - Belgium In A Box. Shipping is very expensive, but Kurt always packs so securely that you could drop it off a building without breaking a a bottle.

I treat myself and order bottles for Christmas, I have 10 2013 12's in my fridge right now... along with 4 bottles each of the Blonde and 8. Good times.

By the way, I got a brick when they went on sale last December and I didn't notice any difference at all between those brick bottles and any other bottles I've ever had (apart from the physical bottles that is, the ones in the brick had awesome gold painted logos, as opposed to their usual bare look.)

 

I just wanted to second this opinion. The first time I had it, it was from a brick pack that went on sale in Belgium (about a year before going on sale in the US, IIRC). Since then I've purchased cases from the Abbey, six packs from the cafe (same visit), and tasted one from a US brick pack that a friend saved for me when I visited him. They all tasted more or less the same to me. Some are really "hot" - alcoholic - and some aren't, but I've notice the same variation in the cases that I bought from the abbey.

 

I just got lucky, won a brick in a $5 raffle last year at a charity fund raiser. Have not opened yet, waiting for a very special occasion. I am more of a wine guy, so this is new to me. Thoughts on best way to store the bottles? Right now the brick is in our cool basement, is that a good idea or does it need refrigeration at some point?

 

The cellar is a fine place for it, so long as your cellar stays cool (65 F or below ideally, even better 55- 60) year-round. It will age and mellow out as the years go by (not that it'll last that long before you lose willpower and drink 'em), and would do so for literally decades upon decades. The only reason to put it in your fridge is if you wanted to slow down the aging process to such a degree that it would virtually halt. Whether or not you prefer it fresh or aged is a matter of personal taste, but a properly cellared bottle that is, say, a decade old is much more expensive than a fresh bottle. Quads, unlike stuff like very hoppy IPA's, age very well and many prefer them that way.

 

We have an office in the Netherlands and one of the guys found a six pack in Belgium for me. I've only had one, but it was darned tasty...

 

This ol' guy? Found it in a "mix and match your own 6-pack" section at Costco.

 

You're not cool

 

Oh yeah?

 

You can get Westy 12 at most high end beer stores in the lowlands of Europe. Recently I was at De Bierkoning in Amsterdam and the beer shop of De Molen Brewery in Bodgraven Holland & both places had ample amounts of Westy 12. If you cannot make it over the pond, you can always substitute St. Bernardus Abt 12. Other than a different water source, the beer is nearly identical to Westy 12...

At anywhere between 10-15 Euros for a 33 cl Westy at the above locations, the St Bernardus is easier to find & much cheaper!!! Cheers

 

I wOuldn't think the trade value would be too high anymore.

 

You can order it from BelgiumInABox right now, I believe.

 

The only difference between aging/cellaring beer and wine is that typically you want to store the bottles vertically (the exception to this is lambic).

 

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