About
The abbey was established in 1831. Already in the early days beer was brewed in small quantities, not for sale but just for their own consumption. In May 1839, the Abbey received a brewer’s licence signed by king Leopold I on April 19, 1839. Most likely a first test brew was produced the same month. In June 1839 the first official brew was produced.

Around 1860 a vast complex of buildings for amongst others sheds, a guesthouse, barns and a second brewery, was built. It remained however a small domestic brewery for personal use. Only from 1878 on production increased due to a good turnover of the tavern ‘In de Vrede’. Between 1886 and 1896 a third brew house, fully operational as from 1896, was built.

On 20 March 1922 the monks started the expansion of the brewery. On 27 October 1927 for the first time steam was used to brew in the modernised, fourth brew house. This brew house was operational till 5 January 1990.

In 1976 a fermentation room with six open yeast vessels and a laboratory were installed. Fermentation in open yeast vessels, a method that is used very rarely, is essential for the ester profile of the Trappist Westvleteren.

The present brew house was officially put into operation in 1990. The new bottling plant was put into operation in 2013. Since 2014, two brews are made per brewing day. This meant a considerable saving in terms of energy consumption and man-hours.

The lagering cellar and the fermentation chamber were modernised and automated, but because the capacity did not change, production also remained unchanged. The production amounts to approximately 6,000 hectolitres annually, spread over 42 brewing days. In 2016 a new secondary fermentation unit with storage space was built.
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gnoff (11189) reviewed
Westvleteren 12 (XII) from Westvleteren Abdij St. Sixtus
20 years ago
5/10 — Appearance 4 Aroma 5 Flavor 5 Texture 6 Overall 5
First ratingRating added 6/13/2006Bottle at what was then "The Ardbeg Room" in Stockholm. Too damn sweet, didn’t enjoy it very much and can not agree to this being one of the worlds best beers. I guess I should try it again, but don’t think it’s worth the money...Tried it again (second rating) from bottle at RBESG 2006, rather fresh bottle, didn’t like it and gave it even less score than above...Shady dark brown color, tan head. Alcohol scent, some sweetness but mostly alcohol. Sweet taste. Full mouthfeel. Medium high bitterness.I really can not, really not, understand why this beer is rated the best in the world by so many. My only conclusion is that since it’s hard to obtain and others say it’s great, most can’t disagree. Sort of like films and Fellini, I hate the bastard! Well, I don’t like this sorry, but I’ll leave my older, higher, rating standing...New rating: 4/2/5/3/8 = 2.2Sad but true...Yet one more (third) rating. (Bottle, thanks oh6gdx!)Shady dark brown color, small tan head.Sweet vinous scent, also malty and quite grainy, some alcohol. Taste is sugar and alcohol very sweet.Medium mouthfeel to the higher side, low bitterness.The last of the bottle is way better than the first 4/5th, it turns nutty and full and is way better.I still say that a non matured Westy 12 is way way over rated and hyped, it’s not bad but it’s far from perfection.6/2/5/4/12=2.9Fourth rating(33 cl bottle at Haket, Göteborg on February 8, 2008)BB 2010Clear dark deep red color, tan to brown head. Vinous and oak, butter and sweet malt scent. Some spices and milk. A tad bit acidic. Malty, sweet, butter, acetone, spicy taste with lots of alcohol. Smooth but a bit fizzy mouthfeel, low grainy bitterness.7/3/7/3/13=3.3RerateBottle on October 30, 2009Brown color with loads of yeast particles, tan head. Lactic, fruity, honey, apple scent. Alcohol, malty, apple, fruity taste. Medium mouthfeel, medium bitterness.5/2/5/3/9=2.4Sampled again first half of 2012, never entered my rerate. This from Dunbar72 I believe, thanks!Vintage 1989!Murky brown color, very small bubbly head. Sweet, sandwich sausage scent. Sweet, sugary, raisin taste. Sweet and "aged" aftertaste. Smooth mouthfeel, low bitterness.7/2/8/4/15=3.6
Tried from Bottle on 13 Jun 2006 at 17:03
Anders37 (30296) reviewed
Westvleteren 12 (XII) from Westvleteren Abdij St. Sixtus
20 years ago
9.4/10 — Appearance 8 Aroma 9 Flavor 10 Texture 10 Overall 9.5
Rating # 600; Pours a dark amber colour with a medium thick off-white head. Sweet fruity aroma with lots of raisin and dark fruits. Some spicy hints. Fruity flavor with some honey and raisin. Sweet malty and fruity aftertaste with some bitterness and warming from the alcohol. An excellent beer.
Tried on 17 May 2006 at 16:31
SHIG (14422) reviewed
Westvleteren 12 (XII) from Westvleteren Abdij St. Sixtus
20 years ago
9.3/10 — Appearance 10 Aroma 9 Flavor 9 Texture 10 Overall 9
Dark brown in color with creamy light brown head. Fruity aroma that only gets stronger as it is given air. The taste is so complex I don’t even know where to start. It is tastes of berries yet changes into a spicy malt that lasts on your tongue until you take another drink! Is there a better beer out there?????
Tried on 13 May 2006 at 00:46
Dedollewaitor (22459) reviewed
Westvleteren 8 Extra from Westvleteren Abdij St. Sixtus
20 years ago
8.4/10 — Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 9 Texture 8 Overall 8.5
Dark nut brown with white head. Very filling and complex. Dark fruits- a bit sweetness. The finish is long lasting and pleasant. Compared to the 12, this needs the "last punch". Almost as good!
Tried on 10 May 2006 at 04:31
jcr (3164) reviewed
Westvleteren 8 Extra from Westvleteren Abdij St. Sixtus
20 years ago
8.1/10 — Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 8.5
Thick, big bubbly head, brown with red highlights in the body. The aroma and flavor is filled with fruit, yeast and malts — ripe plums, raisins. The flavor is moderately robust and has ripe fruits. Slightly sweet with a bit of astringency. Not near as flavorful as 12 and thinner in body, too. Short, but impressionable finish.
Tried on 01 May 2006 at 12:57
jcr (3164) reviewed
Westvleteren 12 (XII) from Westvleteren Abdij St. Sixtus
20 years ago
10/10 — Appearance 10 Aroma 10 Flavor 10 Texture 10 Overall 10
Complex in flavor starting with sweet fruits - plums, raisins - but ending with a peppery alcohol and a slight bitterness. There are also notes of toffee, licorice, raspberries. The flavor seemed to shift as the beer warms. The pour was brown with a thin head that gave way to floating bubbles and nice lacing. Nose filled with fruits - strawberry, plum, raisin. The palate was sticky and the finish long leaving a slight musty, yeasty aftertaste. Wonderful beer.
Tried on 25 Apr 2006 at 13:28
Dedollewaitor (22459) reviewed
Westvleteren Blond from Westvleteren Abdij St. Sixtus
20 years ago
8.2/10 — Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 9
light golden with white head. Very fine balance between spices and fruits. bitterness and hops. Very complex and brilliant blond. Long lasting finish!
Tried on 12 Apr 2006 at 09:35
maniac (11815) reviewed
Westvleteren 8 Extra from Westvleteren Abdij St. Sixtus
20 years ago
8.4/10 — Appearance 10 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 8.5
Thanks to Numenor for scoring this bottle from Belgium. Hazy dark brown body with a large creamy off-white head. Sweet spiced malt aroma. Sweet spiced flavor, lots of complex malts.
Tried from Bottle on 12 Apr 2006 at 00:16
larsga (7658) reviewed
Westvleteren 12 (XII) from Westvleteren Abdij St. Sixtus
20 years ago
8.4/10 — Appearance 10 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 8.5
Smallish light beige head over cloudy dark red body. Strong, alcoholic, bready aroma with notes of licorice and soft port wine, with maybe a little chocolate. Soft, deep, licorice and bread taste with plenty of alcohol warmth. Chocolatey, yeasty notes hover. Impressively harmonic and soft, yet somehow powerful. Aftertaste just fades out. A spicy licorice taste lingers. Very little bitterness is detectable. Clearly a great beer. Think this was a new bottle.
Tried from Bottle on 10 Apr 2006 at 16:04
saxo (30104) reviewed
Westvleteren Blond from Westvleteren Abdij St. Sixtus
20 years ago
6.6/10 — Appearance 6 Aroma 7 Flavor 6 Texture 8 Overall 6.5
Bottle. Nice lasting head. Color is light golden and a bit hazy. Aroma is fruit and hops. Taste is not as sweet and fruity as a regular blonde (to my disappointment) but way more bitter and hoppy. Sediments left in bottle. Really good mouthfeel. Having tasted the 8 and 12 from westvleteren - this was a major disappointment.
Tried from Bottle on 10 Apr 2006 at 11:34