There are beers, and then there's Westvleteren 12. Brewed by the monks of the Sint-Sixtus Abbey in Westvleteren, West Flanders – one of the most secluded monasteries in the world – it has been considered one of the best beers ever brewed for years. No marketing, no mass production, no compromises.
Deep dark brown, almost black in the glass, with a creamy, beige head. The nose opens with an unparalleled depth: prune, fig, dark chocolate, caramel, and a hint of port wine. On the palate, a velvety, full-bodied complexity unfolds – dried fruit, vanilla, oak, fine spices – carried by a warm, alcoholic heat and an endlessly long finish.
Style: Belgian Trappist Beer (Quadrupel)
Alcohol: 10.2% Vol.
Aromas: Plum, fig, chocolate, caramel, port wine, vanilla
Brewery: Sint-Sixtus Abbey, Westvleteren, Belgium
Serving temperature: 12–16 °C
Storage: Matures for years in the cellar
Westvleteren 12 is not a beer you simply drink. It's a beer you experience – slowly, mindfully, in good company. One of the great privileges for any craft beer lover.
