6.9/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Thanks to Aracauna for this trade!! This pours a cloudy dark lemon color with a rich frothy head. Nice Belgian lace in the glass. Mellow malt aroma. Dry palate, very distant sweetness, subtle complex spice with the only bitterness coming in the finish. Interesting, but somewhat over rated IMO.
Tried
on 17 Jul 2004
at 19:10
7.8/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7
2008-05-30, vintage 1992 (?), 16 years old, tasting at Yespr, 7-4-7-3-14=35
Muddy chestnut color, creamy and stable head. It has a sharp aroma of chestnut honey. Mellow flavor, caramel and chestnut honey again, minimum oxidation, low bitterness. Not excellent, but well aged.
2004-06-05, vintage 1998, 6 years old, bottle at Kulminator (Antwerpen), 7-5-8-4-14=38
Dark brown color; rocky head. Old hops aroma, with some caramel, mature. Good mouthfeel, more caramel than the actual Green Cap, a bit dry (the age) at the end. Very good but less remarkable.
Muddy chestnut color, creamy and stable head. It has a sharp aroma of chestnut honey. Mellow flavor, caramel and chestnut honey again, minimum oxidation, low bitterness. Not excellent, but well aged.
2004-06-05, vintage 1998, 6 years old, bottle at Kulminator (Antwerpen), 7-5-8-4-14=38
Dark brown color; rocky head. Old hops aroma, with some caramel, mature. Good mouthfeel, more caramel than the actual Green Cap, a bit dry (the age) at the end. Very good but less remarkable.
Tried
from Bottle
on 14 Jul 2004
at 03:49
8.2/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Rating #666. For this evil occasion, I finally popped open two bottles of Westy 12, one bottled 11/26/2002, and the other bottled 1/14/03. The beer poured dirty brown with orange highlights and a thick, dissipating to medium, light tan head. Nice aroma of bread, bread, more bread, prune, raisin, and alcohol, with a very perfumey, candylike feel. Flavor let me down a bit, perhaps because it was minimally fruity. Bread was predominant, with toasty and phenolic character, some prune (but not too much), and spice. The alcohol burn was a bit too strong in the older bottle, while it was balanced better in the younger bottle. Still, the alcohol did detract from the experience on the whole. It’s solid, but I prefer its sibling, Westy 8.
Tried
from Bottle
on 07 Jul 2004
at 17:31
9.6/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 10
Flavor 9
Texture 10
Overall 9.5
Bottle: Poured a deep ruby colored beer with a huge thick foamy dark white head with incredible retention (the head was still in place when drinking the last sip of this beer 30 minutes after the bottle had been opened). Carbonation is really good with lots of bubble at the bottom of the glass and some other ones sticking on the side of the glass. Aroma is comprised of light and sweet roastiness with a nice touch of spice but I could not detect any alcohol. Taste is an almost perfect mix between caramel malts, candi sugar and something else, which might be cinnamon. I was really glad that I could not taste the alcohol since it could have been quite harsh at 10.2%. Wow, what a beer. I originally thought that this might be a bit of an over hyped beer but I’m glad to report that it lives up to all the praises.
Tried
from Bottle
on 14 May 2004
at 08:37
9/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 10
Overall 9
Bottle: Poured a dark brown beer with a huge head with excellent retention. Aroma is quite sweet with some great mix of spice and malts. Taste is sweet with what seems like a mix between candi sugar and plum with some added roastiness. Great carbonation and alcohol is very subtle. Overall, this is way better Westmalle Dubbel and probably one of the Belgian Ale I appreciated the most.
Tried
from Bottle
on 10 May 2004
at 08:53
10/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 10
Flavor 10
Texture 10
Overall 10
Rerate 1/12/2007. More complex than I remember it. This bottle had an "05" on the cap; I’m not sure if that is the "best by" date or not but if this was old, it has aged very well. The alcohol is completely hidden. The aroma is full with plums, oranges, sweet white wine. Flavor is outstanding as well. Lots of sweet malt, and more fruit. There is a vinous quality, some yeast, wheat, fermenting fruits, apple. Cloudy brown appearance, not much of a head and low carbonation. When the bottle is held up to the light, I can see the sediment. When in the glass it is too dark and murky to see any sediment. Thick and heavy palate. I had this bottle so long I almost didn’t want to drink it, but I’m happy a few other people had the opportunity to try it. ------------------This beer is too complex to do the rating justice from my first bottle. Aromas of malt, coffee, tea, and flowers. Dark brown, a huge white head, and brown sediment. Flavors of coffee, malt, and an herbal taste. Full bodied, but less so than I expected. Very smooth and easy to drink; the high abv is not noticeable in the taste. A very fine beer.
Tried
from Bottle
on 08 May 2004
at 03:00
8.6/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
Bottle: Poured a beautiful lightly hazy blonde with a huge bubbly head with perfect retention. Aroma is floral with some light spices in the undertone. Taste is very refreshing with the malts coming out first followed by some hard to distinguish spices followed by a sweet ending. Body is medium with great carbonation and alcohol is not detectable. Wow! This is one great light Belgian ale. Too bad I cannot get my hand on this stuff more regularly.
Tried
from Bottle
on 03 May 2004
at 11:06
9/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 9
Texture 10
Overall 9
Bottled 31 Jan. 2003. Pours at room temperature with a huge light tan head and deep red-brown body with a strong plum, fig, concord grape aroma that opens up with caramel and sweet bread emanating from the glass. The aroma is carried over into the flavor, with plum, fig, alcohol, sweet breads, yeast, and caramel blending with whiskey/bourbon notes and perhaps a touch of soy and wet hay. Outstanding. I can't wait to try the 12.
Tried
from Bottle
on 13 Apr 2004
at 17:14
8/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 9
Texture 10
Overall 8
Bottled, BB 2.11.04 (Helsinki Beer Festival 2004)
HAzy golden. Small but firm head. Aroma is malty and flowery. Taste is malts, citron and hops. Mouthfeel extremely smooth and freshing. (7/3/9/5/17 4.1)
Re-rated, bottled (BB 24.9.2005)
Hazy yellow, big creamy head, lots of lace. Aroma has lime, watermelon, horse blanket and tobacco ash. Citric flavors burst into mouth first. Citric hoppy, medium-bodied, extremely well-balanced blonde. (7/3/9/4/15 3.8)
HAzy golden. Small but firm head. Aroma is malty and flowery. Taste is malts, citron and hops. Mouthfeel extremely smooth and freshing. (7/3/9/5/17 4.1)
Re-rated, bottled (BB 24.9.2005)
Hazy yellow, big creamy head, lots of lace. Aroma has lime, watermelon, horse blanket and tobacco ash. Citric flavors burst into mouth first. Citric hoppy, medium-bodied, extremely well-balanced blonde. (7/3/9/4/15 3.8)
Tried
from Bottle
on 04 Apr 2004
at 07:09
9.1/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 10
Overall 9.5
Bottled (Helsinki Beer Festival 2004)
Dark brown. Murky hazy color, like "home beer". Very small brown head. Aroma is smooth and pleasant: prunes and yeast. Taste is very complex: prunes, raisins and yeast. Aftertaste has bitterness and alcoholic flavor. Warming, great beer and goes to my ranking #1 (9/4/8/5/18 4.4).
Re-rated, bottled
Dark ruby red, almost opaque. Huge steady tanned head, lace. This bottled had quite light aroma of yeast, plum and licorice. Palate is outstanding: balanced marriage of malts and hops. Wineous with fruits and licorice in the medium to full body. Bitter long aftertaste of hops, alcohol and licorice. I really would like to try a matured one! (7/5/10/5/19 4.6)
Dark brown. Murky hazy color, like "home beer". Very small brown head. Aroma is smooth and pleasant: prunes and yeast. Taste is very complex: prunes, raisins and yeast. Aftertaste has bitterness and alcoholic flavor. Warming, great beer and goes to my ranking #1 (9/4/8/5/18 4.4).
Re-rated, bottled
Dark ruby red, almost opaque. Huge steady tanned head, lace. This bottled had quite light aroma of yeast, plum and licorice. Palate is outstanding: balanced marriage of malts and hops. Wineous with fruits and licorice in the medium to full body. Bitter long aftertaste of hops, alcohol and licorice. I really would like to try a matured one! (7/5/10/5/19 4.6)
Tried
from Bottle
on 04 Apr 2004
at 07:06