For beer geeks: Pre-order Westvleteren 12 now!

[Komskies]

Picked one up at the Oakridge Co-op today. $75 before tax.

I think I'll let it age for at least 6 more months before I crack one.

[Regular_John]

Couldn't resist cracking one tonight, but I'll probably pack the rest away for aging. My initial take based on one:

Best beer in the world?
Impossible to answer definitively based on the subjective nature of personal taste.

Best one off/rare treat beer I've ever drank?
Possibly, it is pretty damn good. But I'd need to give Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA another whirl to really say. Both are kinda neck & neck right now. Aside from the deep/bold taste I was surprised how soft on the pallet this beer is. For such a bold/strong beer it really is quite an easy sipping beer.

Worth the hype/price?
Absolutely, given the history of this beer and the grey market price it's absolutely worth picking up at the current price/offering. While it seems to be readily available this summer, I suspect you'll be kicking yourself if you sit on the fence too long.

tl;dr: Go buy some now, before it's gone.

[Jacks]

Originally Posted by jaydorn

What temp are you guys drinking this at? Room? Slightly chilled?

I put a bottle in the fridge for about 2 hours, it wasn't super cold but it was nicely chilled. The beer tasted really good. Afterwards I noticed on the case that they recommend 12-16 degrees, that is probably about right.

[nik-]

I chilled my first one slightly, as well as my second. To be honest, the first one I wasn't as fond of as I'd hoped I would be. The second one I liked better, especially after it had warmed up a little, I'll be drinking the rest at room temp I think. The alcohol taste present took a little to get used to, but it's quite the flavourful beer.

[Boblobla]

Anyone know if there is anywhere with these still available? I missed this thread while on vacation

[nik-]

I picked mine up at Zyn Inglewood on Monday, they had lots left, give them a call.

[Regular_John]

Originally Posted by Boblobla

Anyone know if there is anywhere with these still available? I missed this thread while on vacation

I picked up a pack yesterday at Zyn's downtown location, they still had lots left yesterday. But it seemed to be going fast, woman in front of me carried out 6 (Yes, 6 x $80 = $480 on beer) boxes on her own.

[ricosuave]

I picked up a couple of packs, to celebrate with in a few weeks.

But I do have a question - others have mentioned letting it age further - how long is too long? Wouldn't it get skunky after a while like all other beers?

[Jacks]

Apparently they are good for several years if stored upright in a cool dark place. Probably has something to do with the high alcohol?

[Komskies]

The drink by date on the bottle was some time in 2018 if I recall correctly.

Edt: to add to the above. If you are going to age it, make sure to keep it cool and in the dark. Sunlight can ruin beer very easily.

[KelVarnsen]

Had my first one tonight, wow best beer I've ever had.

[OldDutch]

Bought a box today, long weekend treat to myself. Cracked one tonight. Very nice beer there is no doubt.

Not sure if it is for me though. Really am a lighter beer fan myself. Don't get me wrong, this beer is fantastic, but I honestly prefer a Delirium Tremens. Now matter how many fancy beers I have tried I keep going back to that one. All personal preference I guess.

Edit: Wow, like wine you do need to let it breathe a bit, it just gets better as I go along. Not taking back what I said above, as I still think it is fantastic, but not my fav. Very complex beer though, and I am quite impressed.

[getbak]

Bought a pack today at the Co-op on Macleod (the one south of Heritage). It was the last one they had on the shelf, but I don't know if it's all they had.

$79.34 after tax and deposit, so it looks like it's slightly cheaper at Co-op than Zyn.

It's my birthday in a couple weeks, so I think I'll let it age for a bit and crack the first one then.

[bagofpucks]

Bought two six packs at Oakridge Co-op yesterday, one for my brother's birthday and one for me. There were only four left when I got there. Thanks to everyone here for bringing this beer to my attention, I am really excited to try it. I can't decide if I'm going crack one open right away or let them age for a bit. I will definitely be cooking up some beautiful steaks to go with it for the first tasting.

[Sopure]

I just had my first one, finally picked it up from Zyn.

Superb beer! It's got a stronger taste than what I'm used to, but I savoured it. I chilled mine for a bit, then let warm in the glass I got for a while. It took on a whole new taste after a while, I thought. Very nice. Thanks for the heads up!

[bagofpucks]

Had my first one today. Definitely has a lot of flavor and is very rich. I wouldn't call it an "easy drinking" beer, but it is very enjoyable. As other posters have stated, it does breathe and the taste seems to change as it sits in the glass. I am very glad I was able to pick up a pack just for the sake of trying it because it is a unique beer to say the least.

[Jacks]

Well congratulations, you guys have now turned me into a beer geek. I can now be found sneaking away to remote liquor stores spending $4-$15 (without the lap dance) for bottles of beer that have been shipped across the world.

Loved it:
Westvleteren 12 (Zyn)
- Best of the lot but price/availablity isn't good.
St. Bernadus Abt 12 (Highlander)
- Tasted like a slightly lighter version of Westvleteren, would buy again.
Rochefort 8 (Willow Park)
- Just tried tonight, very very good.

Didn't like:
St. Bernadus Abt 12 White (Co-op)
- Really didn't like it, would prefer a cheap white beer.
Pauwel Kwak (Co-op)
- Something about the flavor turned me off, might have been the spice flavor.

Any suggestions on other beers to try and where to find them?

[Komskies]

Originally Posted by Jacks

Well congratulations, you guys have now turned me into a beer geek. I can now be found sneaking away to remote liquor stores spending $4-$15 (without the lap dance) for bottles of beer that have been shipped across the world.

Loved it:
Westvleteren 12 (Zyn)
- Best of the lot but price/availablity isn't good.
St. Bernadus Abt 12 (Highlander)
- Tasted like a slightly lighter version of Westvleteren, would buy again.
Rochefort 8 (Willow Park)
- Just tried tonight, very very good.

Didn't like:
St. Bernadus Abt 12 White (Co-op)
- Really didn't like it, would prefer a cheap white beer.
Pauwel Kwak (Co-op)
- Something about the flavor turned me off, might have been the spice flavor.

Any suggestions on other beers to try and where to find them?

Get the Rochefort 10 when you see it. It's an amazing 11.3% Quadrupel.

[Cain]

Originally Posted by Jacks

Well congratulations, you guys have now turned me into a beer geek. I can now be found sneaking away to remote liquor stores spending $4-$15 (without the lap dance) for bottles of beer that have been shipped across the world.

Loved it:
Westvleteren 12 (Zyn)
- Best of the lot but price/availablity isn't good.
St. Bernadus Abt 12 (Highlander)
- Tasted like a slightly lighter version of Westvleteren, would buy again.
Rochefort 8 (Willow Park)
- Just tried tonight, very very good.

Any suggestions on other beers to try and where to find them?

Other good ones along these lines are:

Gouden Carolus
Chimay (blue)

A bit different, but still strong, bold beers:
McChouffe
Koningshoeven Quadrupel

If you like these beers, you might like doppelbocks. A good one that I haven't seen lately but I'm sure will turn up again is the Rejewvenator by Hebrew. Other doppelbocks can be hit or miss.

Another fun beer type to try would be barleywines. Mill St. makes a good one...as does Pikes Peak. They make a pretty good quadrupel too.

Other good beers of varying varieties can be found from unibroue from Quebec. Trois Pistoles, maudite, ephemere...some of my favorites.

I envy you starting out...the discovery is a lot of fun.

As for where to get them, specialty places like willow park or kensington wine market are always good, but Coops have a very good selection too sometimes depending on the location.

[Jacks]

Originally Posted by Cain

Other good ones along these lines are:

Gouden Carolus
Chimay (blue)

Forgot about Chimay blue, I tried that one. Pretty good, not sure if I'd buy it again since the Rochefort is about the same price and was much better. I'll try the Kensington Market.