Bottle from a crate ordered at the abbey. Bottled: 27/04/2022. Consumed: 06/2022 - hardly two months old. Finally, the world-famous Westvleteren XII has made it to my home and what better way to add my rating than with a young example? Obviously, I'm looking forward to drinking aged examples in the coming years...
Pours a hazy dark amber to brown with a stable, foamy, tan head. Very expressive aroma of tawny port, red wine, wood, red apple slices, dried banana, pear, overripe blue plum, brown bread, baker's yeast, artisan milk chocolate, chestnut. Taste has a sweet estery mix of blue plum, red apple, dried banana & raisin in a thick brown-bready, slightly toasty, somewhat chocolatey malt body with a hint of candi sugar, but never in a cloying way, surrounded by a spicy and a dry-yeasty note, and even a sourish dark-fruity streak. The herbal & peppery hoppy finish offers more dried & candied fruits, spices and 'dry' brown bread and even a very vague hint of coffee. The whole is topped off with a noble, vinous warmth of brandy-like alcohol. Medium to full body, creamy-moussy texture, average carbonation (toning down when warming up). Evidently, it's hard to approach this beer unbiasedly, but its powerful character slowly but surely reveals itself, leaving you without a doubt that it's a masterpiece.

Just perfect. I tried the 2021 last month and this is way deeper. So much dark fruit, even hints of leaf (?). Cheers, Tianyi W. !

Ripe red fruits (plum, cherry), yeast, malt, and spices. Similar taste, mid-sweet, some alcohol.

First time trying W12 since 2013! Almost as good as I remember it. Definitely the best quad/trip/dub in the world. The mouthfeel really sets it apart. Incredibly smooth, yet such high gravity that it's almost chewy. Perfection.

Dark mahogany pour with a lasting white head. Aromas of white and dark bread, caramel/toffee, red fruits and some yeast. Tastes of sweet bread, sweet toffee, dried fruit, cloves, caramel/brown sugar. Longlasting aftertaste with a hint of licorice, especially if swirled around for a bit. The ABV carries the taste nicely and is not felt at all. Very, very well balanced with a pleasant level of carbonisation. Best beer in the world? Hard to tell, but it is really, really good stuff and for a moment I thought about what an barrel aged edition might taste like.

Sensory Session #43: Old against young. [Left] bbf 21.4.19. Quick dissapearing, tiny head, nose is sweet, malty honey, molasse. Sweeter than the 2020, less carbonated , caramel and honey-fruity, dryish, bitter herbal hops as is gets warmer.

Sensory Session #43: Old against young. [Right] bbf 14.8.23. Nose starts restrained, thick off-white head. Red berries, caramel, Biskuit, herbal-malty, nice hops and a good carbonation