7.8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7
I managed to get a bottle of this at the Sharp Edge in Pittsburgh back in 2004. I remember not being incredibly impressed but never had a chance to revisit until now in 2013 with a fresh bottle. I remain unimpressed +++ Sampled from an 11.2 oz brown bottle this beer pours a very dark brown color with a huge foamy orange-tan head that slowly dissipates and left good lacing. The aroma was a bit soapy, yeasty and bready with hints of honey, caramel, dark fruits and a bit of a boozy presence.The flavor is tangy, woody and a bit boozy with notes of honey, caramel, fig, cherry and bread. Long finish of caramel, fig and bread. . A solid beer to be sure but really does not live up to the hype. There are many many Belgians that I prefer to this one.
Tried
from Bottle
on 15 Mar 2004
at 16:26
8.5/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 9
Kind of a hefty price tag but it's worth it to finally have Westy available in my area. I tried the Westy 12 almost 2 years ago by trading and didn't really have the palate to appreciate it at the time. This being the 12's little sibling maybe I should have tried this one first. Pours a deep mahogany color with a very thick and creamy light beige head. The foam actually threatened to escape the bottle immediately after opening. The aroma is a nice bouquet of fruit, spice and sweet malt. Rich bodied and on the carbonated side, with a mild blend of dark fruit, malt, caramel, spice and a hint of sweet chocolate. None of the flavors really stands out, instead it is a nice harmony of flavors. The finish is very crisp and lively on the tongue. The flavor is a little more subdued in the finish, but this is still a well-rounded and exemplary Belgian.
Tried
from Bottle
on 08 Mar 2004
at 12:35
7.5/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 8
Dark amber/crimson, high carbonation, lots of floaties - aroma of port, cherries, yeast - flavors of aspartame, chocolate, dates, raisins - surprising hop character for a trappist ale - this is pretty tasty, but something seems out of balance - to me, this doesn't live up to the hype - I actually think the 8 is better.
Tried
on 21 Jan 2004
at 17:51
8.1/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 6
Overall 8.5
A hazy brown beer with a beutiful collapsing head. The aroma is sweet, moldy aroma with notes of coffee, chocolate, and acidic. The flavor is sweet malty with notes of licorice, wood, raisins, and chocolate. The alcohol runs over the tongue. A little like portwine.
Tried
on 14 Jan 2004
at 15:08
7.6/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Very dark beer with a very frothy and long lasting head. Strong aroma, hints of chocolate and fruit. The flavour has liquorice and aniseed elements mixed in with the strong alcohol flavour. Overall a good beer especially in the winter months.
Tried
on 01 Dec 2003
at 19:01
7.4/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Fruity (peach, citrus) belgian yeast aroma laced with spices and a very sligt bitter note. Slightly hazy amber, quite a bit carbonation and a big rocky head. Taste starts out a bit neutral, getting a bit of the sediment in helps. Notes of Pine-needles, honey and spice. Fairly light body and a slightly watery mouthfeel. Spicy aftertaste.
Tried
on 09 Nov 2003
at 11:47
8.2/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Finally, the last of the Westies is complete. I've had all three Rochies and all three of these, and its safe to say that I'd prefer any Westy over any Rochie. The colour of this beer is a nice blonde (no kidding, huh) with hazy highlights and a soft fluffy white head. If you look hard and really notice, you can see trillions of small bubbles rising on the side of the glass. The aroma is very nice for a 'white', with definate yeastie smells and then some of the banana variety. The taste is light bodied with drying characteristics. Good flavour with yeast, fresh characteristics (one might think of coriander), and a soft white pepper kick. The palating of this beer includes definate drying characteristics as well as some hop bitterness, which is very nice...especially on a warm summer day. A warm welcome from a trappist that cannot do anything wrong. A great beer that really everyone should try if they like their belgies.
Tried
from Can
on 01 Jul 2003
at 18:50
8.3/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 9
Vertical test: sample A: freshly bought, 8%, BBd: 21/02/06, points given as above; sample B: bought 10/87, no ABV, no sell-by date, points given between [brackets]in the text. Colour: A: thick, beige head, slowly collapsing; dark brown beer with burgundy shine; B: yellow-brown head, fast gone, thick coke-like bubbling, including the jets escaping from surface tension; brown beer, hazy [4]. Nose: a: chocolate, roasted malts, ripe pears, mocca, some faint hops, summer haystacks and more malt or maltbar; B: sweeter, molasses, something lactic, vintage portwine, hazelnuts [9]. Taste: A: bitter at first! a little bit of hops and lots of roasted/burnt malt. Enormous amount of malt overall, but much less sweetness than expected. Aroma's of walnut peel, black coffee, chicory even; B: bitter again, but now with a fine, spritzy, acid-like surrounding. Very fruity: dark wine-grapes, hazelnuts, dried plums, figs [9]. Mouthfeel & aftertaste: A: fairly chewy; little carbonation. Lots of lasting bitterness and a little restsugar; B: less dense, impact much more refined, would even be thirst-quenching. In the aftertaste, there is a sweetness in abundant, alcoholic tones [5] Overall: This is THE proof that truly decent beer ought to be aged. A well-made, dense beer is virtually indestructible, and will better and, like this, mellow with the years. The young 8° is a crude, uncut diamond; the old one is a shining brilliant. One thing the monks didn't get right: another five years and the cap would have rusted through. B: [18]
Tried
on 25 Jun 2003
at 12:31
Tried
from Bottle
on 06 Jun 2003
at 23:00
9/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 10
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 9
I wrote way too much for the Rochefort 10, but this is Westy 8...a true honour to drink. I sampled this at 55.8 degrees Farenheit. I'm sure it will rise a bit during the course of this comment and the drink. Good pour, with only the final .5 to 1 ounce giving large sediment. Noticablely thick tan head with the smallest bubbles i've ever seen. Coffee Geeks call this 'microfoam', but we can call it 'microhead'. The colour is dark brown but when you stretch it on the sides, some lighter brown shows through. Where do I start with the smell. If Westy 12 had the best smell i've ever had from a beer, this ranks a close second. Sour apples, candy, tartness and sugar all arise somewhere in the complex aroma. If the aroma is this complex, where does it leave the taste? A mouthful of the beer brings tons of carbonation and a coating, which tastes full of malt. Still some sour fruity tastes caot the inside of the mouth, and the aftertaste is phenominal. The taste is a bit alcoholic, but really only if you think about it. I really liked the aroma, and the taste is just a little too malty to be perfect (for my taste), but the beer is still very well done. I'm glad I got to sample this one, and I definately prefer Westy to Rochefort, even though I've sampled two of the former and only one of the latter. Definately a great beer though! I paid $10 for the bottle in Rochester, New York at Beers of the World, if you are looking for it in upstate New York.
Tried
from Can
on 14 May 2003
at 19:54