Very pale yellow, only slightly hazy. Grassy dry hop aroma. Medium bodied, dry with just a hint of toffee, clean firm malt profile. Like an elegant north German pilsener!

Sampling of the 1996 version in 2002: Dark amber. Nice complex aroma full of fruit, honey and toffee. Nicely malty, mature, toffee flavour. Sweetish finish with a hint of bitterness. Incredibly flavourful for being so light.

Sampled the 1994 version in 2002: Burgundy coloured. Coffee, berries and dark chocolate in the nose. Malty, complex and mature with toffee flavours. Rich sweet finish. Wonderful!

2024-08-21, bb 23.03.04, vintage 2001, 23 years old, 10.8% ABV, 7-4-8-3-15=37
There's some carbonation, but it hardly has any head; some solids drop into the glass too. Still pretty solid, almost no signs of oxidation, good malt, maybe a bit thinner than I remembered, but beers nowadays are so different anyway.

2023-09-01, bb 23.03.04, vintage 2001, 22 years old, 10.8% ABV, 7-5-8-4-16=40
Reasonably malty, balanced, moderately sweet, with barely any trace of oxidation. Still carbonated. Excellent.

2017-12-22, bottle from Beer Planet, Brussels, bb 15.12.13, 7 years old, 7-4-8-4-16=39
Mature brown color, clean, with fizzy head, short lived. The arom abrings notes of malt, caramel, chestnut, and evident but not disturbing signs of oxidization. The first sip is relatively dry, with flavor of chestnut honey, and evident alcohol; the booze mellows out as the glass gets warmer, leaving some room for deeper malt flavors, still on the thin side.
Old but still excellent.

2016-07-22, bb 23.03.04, 15 years old, 7-5-8-4-16=40
probably purchased at the abbey in 2001
Mild aroma, robust body; dark malts and some caramel, with limited residual sweetness; the nuttiness in the final makes up a bit for the missing bitterness.
Good beer; less signs of oxidisation, more balance and more enjoyable than an equally old Rochefort 10 that I had a few days ago.

2015-03-03, Westvleteren XII, bb 05.10.14, 7-3-7-3-14=34
While pouring, the head is very fizzy, frothy; and it doesn't last, leaving a naked brown liquid in the glass. Mild aroma of malt, a bit oxidised, a bit of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Lean body, thinner than other vintages; dark caramel flavor, some malt, light oxidisation, some roasted nuts. Warming alcohol.
A good Belgian beer, not the one that you would expect though.

2013-03-08, bb 23.03.04, 12 years old, 8-5-9-4-17=43
probably purchased at the abbey in 2001
The bottle is slowly gushing; hazy brown color, with thin but persistent head. Strong malt aroma, with hint of caramel and chocolate. Rich malt flavor, with still a favorable body structure, and medium sweetness; the age doesn't really translate into signs of oxidization, but there are some roasted nuts; correct bitterness, and comforting alcohol warmth.
Mature, elegant, harmonious.

2012-06-09, Westvleteren XII, bottle at Pibar, Lausanne, bb 05.10.14, possibly just 8 months old, 7-5-7-3-14=36
Cloudy brown, generous head, lovely lace. The caramel and gently roasted malts aroma is harmonious; it's sweet and malty, simpler than Rochefort (having a 3yo of it side-to-side), but with some honey too. Malt and caramel flavor, with some roasted malt, a bit too much alcohol perception, impression of vegetables and herbs, correct bitterness.
Good, but very young, immature, requiring at least a serious breathing in the glass.

2011-01-28, bb 23.03.04, possibly vintage 2001, 10 years old, 8-5-10-4-18=45
Dark chestnut color, edging to black, with a thin creamy cap. The aroma has caramel and light roasted malts; sweet and with a shade of oxidisation; similar to the Westvleteren Extra 8 same vintage tasted side to side, but deeper. Good body strength, smooth mouthfeel; strong malt flavor, still very sweet, with caramel, milk chocolate. No signs of age, no signs of alcohol; the bitterness is obviously low; there is caramel and sweet nuts in the end. This beer is convincing for the malt profile and the velvety feeling.

2002-05-14, 9-5-10-5-19=48
Ruby-amber ale; wonderful thick head., Strong malt and hop aroma. Full body, some residual sweetness, strong malt, caramel, light liquorice, low alcohol in the mouth, warming, smooth, well balanced. Palate long, aromatic, sweet and bitter, malty and hoppy.
My favourite one, of course.

2024-08-28, based on my records, this should be bb 2004, brewed in 2001, hence 23 years old, 6-4-6-3-12=31
Drinking this one side to side with an equally old Trappistes Rochefort 8. Carbonated, thin mouthfeel; light caramel flavour and not much more. More than oxidation damage, here there has been a numbing of character; still some hot alcohol though. Very close to the Rochefort 8, just a bit drier.

2023-08-30, tag 03 04 04, vintage 2001, 22 years old, 6-4-7-3-14=34
Aroma of chocolate and hazelnuts. Lively, with mild chocolate notes; it probably refermented in the bottle, resulting in a drier beer, that feels less unbalanced in the sweet-bitter ratio. Drinkable.

2016-11-08, vintage 2010, bb 19.11.13, 6 years old, 6-4-7-3-13=33
A lot of chestnut honey and hazelnut, the body is obviously thinning, and there is no bitterness; interesting cask hints in the final.
Old but drinkable.

2013-03-08, vintage 2001, 12 years old, 7-4-8-3-16=38
bb 03.04.04, purchased at the abbey in 2001
The bottle is slowly gushing; it pours a cloudy brown color with big lumps; small and persistent creamy head. Nice aroma of caramel, with a hint of oxidization. It has a good flavor of malt and caramel with a touch of honey; light residual sweetness; the bitterness level is low; the oxidization is minimal.
Although lacking a bit in the bitterness, it's still a quintessential Belgian ale, with a good harmony.

2011-01-28, vintage 2001, 10 years old, 7-4-8-4-16=39
bb 2004
The color is dark chestnut, almost black; it has a thin creamy cap. The aroma is mild, with malt, caramel and light signs of oxidisation; later, some honey too. In the beginning it reminds me of a Chimay Blue, but luckily the fears have no foundation, it has instead a good body, still some respectable sweetness, caramel and malt flavor, with clear notes of chestnut honey; maybe a tad too much of sweet liquorice in the end; the signs of age are very well hidden; the alcohol warmth is a pleasant complement, and the bitterness is very low. Excellent..

2010-04-15, vintage 2001, 9 years old 7-4-7-3-14=35
bb 2004
Gushing bottle, it pours a dark brown color with big fizzy and frothy head, that reduces to a small layer, persistent. Caramel and chocolate aroma, chestnut honey; partially oxidized. Medium bodied (thinner than other Belgian Ales with similar strength), caramel, dark caramel and chocolate flavor, with a slice of oxidation, some roasted malts and nuts in the end, and light liquorice too. The bitterness from the hop is gone, there is just some from the roasted malts; the final is a mix of caramel and liquorice. Beyond its prime, it's just an exercise for passionates. Suboptimal.

2002-05-14, vintage 2001, 1 year old, 7-5-9-5-18=44
Ruby amber ale, thick head. Nice malt and hop aroma.Smooth, well balanced; strong malt taste, caramel, hop, candi sugar.

I didn't know what to expect with this brew after receiving it (thanks austinpowers!) and reading 85+ ratings on it. I think it was a little too cold when I tried it, as the taste got noticeably better as I moved through the glass. Now about the taste, I honestly don't think my palate is refined enough to describe accurately what is going on here. This will be one I have to try again around beer #250 I think. There is a trail mix aroma, and the flavor is hard to pin down. If they captured this flavor in a cereal I would get up earlier every day, hints of berries, grain, nuts, chocolate. Like Willy Wonka invented it, I tasted something different with every sip. I think this would be a perfect drink with some Godiva chocolate covered strawberries. Superb

Having tried several thousand beers, if I'm hard pressed to come up with one single favourite this is usually the one. Every time I try it there are new fascinating flavours. It has a deep burgundy colour. A fruity complex aroma with a hint of raspberries. It is very malty, and as the beers warms to room temperature the flavours explode. Toffee, fruit, licorice, yoiu name them. The mouthfeel is soft and vinuous, and the finish is salty with well balanced bitterness.

Usually I prefer the smaller beers from within each Trappist brewery. Not in this case - the 12 has everything the 8 has and more. The alcohol presence is very welcome here, and carries the complex malt profile (dark fruit, spicy yeast flavors, a little tanginess) into the palate. Nearly identical in appearance to the 8. Deeply satisfying.