Westvleteren XII Box

I'm not familiar with that beer specifically, but for a quad I'd imagine it's probably past its peak. Knowing the reputation i would guess it would still be an OK beer though.

How did the box manage to go unopened for 9 years?

 

So you're saying that my 11 year old bottle is in similar dire straits??

Mine is a purely accidental aging, all in the fridge. I had several & it dwindled down to that single bottle & kind of disappeared into the pile at the back. I'll get to it eventually. No hurry now!

 

I had my last 2012 Westy 12 about 6 months ago. I thought it was still pretty decent. Very different than it was fresh and I would say not as good, but absolutely still drinkable.

Crack em open!

 

Quads are good aging candidates. Patrick Dawson, in his fine book "Vintage Beer", writes:

Exceptional examples have been known to drink well for up to 30 years, but 5 years is generally optimal.

I agree with @Beersnake1. Try it! Could be amazing. Might be meh. Sounds like a fun experiment.

 

I didn't care for it when it was fresh. St. Bernardus Abt 12 is very similar and better, in my opinion.

 

...and Rochefort 10 is better than both...in my opinion.

 

|I still have several from that box set release. |I guess I should get to them.

 

Westvleteren 8 and 12 do not degrade over time, not after 2-3 years and not even after 10-15+ years. There is no such thing as "past its peak" IMHO.
In fact, Westvleteren 8 and 12 are tasted when still being to young due to its popularity. They need at least 1-2 years to get the bottle refermentation started.
St. Bernardus Abt is very similar to Westvleteren 12 although the malt 'soup' is thicker for Westvleteren and St. Bernardus Abt has a touch of anise. My favorite is Rochefort 8.

As far as Westvleteren XII is concerned: a trustworthy source informed me that it was brewed at Westmalle since Westvleteren did not have sufficient brewing capacity. The recipe for Westvleteren XII was of course genuine but the water and brewing installation are Westmalle's. Sorry for the partial disappointment that Westvleteren XII is not Westvleteren 12. On the other hand, those who still have Westvleteren XII can be proud they sponsored the new building in Westvleteren.

 

Good to know, I still have a couple hanging around from that box. I figured they would be holding up just fine, I'll have to crack one open soon.

 

Also have an unopened box that needs some attention soon!

 

I have liked aged Belgian beers, and would love to try one of those westies.

 

My experience with aging Westy 12 has been favorable. Here's my "next to last" bottle a couple of years ago alongside a fresh Rochefort:



The Westy blew away the Rochefort, much more complex maltiness and not a hint of oxidation/degradation. I have one bottle left which is approaching 11 years old . . . just waiting for that special occasion.

 

I've aged a fair few W12s over the years, from different batches brewed in different years. The salad days for the most part were 1-5 years old, still pretty special up to 7-8 years, and after that they are worth trying but it's more of a ghost than the beer itself, as far as 11-12 years. Get in there and see what you have!

 

Do any bottle shops in the US ever get Westy? I've wanted to try it for quite some time now

 

Not really. St-Sixtus intends to make their beer available to individuals only, they prohibit resale. To pick up an order requires a reservation and a trip to the brewery:
https://www.wanderlustingk.com/travel-blog/westvleteren-beer
https://www.trappistwestvleteren.be/nl/bierverkoop

I've heard of individual bottles available in shops in Europe (very expensive) on the gray market. Never seen or heard of anything this side of the pond.

The most surefire method is a trip to the cafeteria across the street (In de Vrede) which is delightful. Just be aware their hours may be erratic.
http://www.indevrede.be/home.php?lang=en

 

Not legally since the one-time release of the 2012 "bricks".

There have been some "gray market" websites that will ship.

 

When I was in Belgium a few years ago I didn't get out to the Abbey, but the bottles that were in bars and bottle shops in Bruges were not terribly overpriced. Maybe 8 or 10 euro is what I paid.

 

Thanks for the advice gents!