[1] Review by regspeir from Havertown, PA, USA who has tried this beer once. (7/25/2010 4:15:27 PM)
"Courtesy of a trade with digita7693
I had this “young” with a 2013 “best by” date. 12-oz bottle poured into a chalice. Poured a ruddy-red tinged, dark brown. A moderately aggressive pour yielded a huge three-finger white head. It settled to 1/2’ which lasted throughout. I sipped this beer and there was that fluffy head at the very last sip. The nose was coffee, caramel, plums, lemon, clove, and chocolate. The taste? My goodness...dark, sweet fruit (plums, grapes) with some chocolate at the start and some spices. Belgian (bready) yeasts were evident. The finish moved to dry and even a little bitter, providing a wonderful, complex and balanced evolution. Mouthfeel was thick without being syrupy. Carbonation was surprisingly high, but seemed to fit. It’s hard not to gush but this is just an amazing beer. I wanted to find fault with it but could not. Nothing in this review does it justice because it is the subtleties that make it special, and most of them defy description. It is NOT over-rated. You MUST have this."
Aroma:
10/10
Appearance:
10/10
Mouthfeel:
9/10
Flavor:
10/10
Overall:
10/10
Final Rating, by Style:
(4.9)
Sampled: Bottle
Value of this beer for its style: Not Sure
[2] Review by slowrunner77 from Reno, NV, USA who has tried this beer once. (3/18/2010 2:23:49 PM)
"i was not expecting this to be the best beer i've ever had (although i held out a glimmer of hope it would be the best) but i did have high expectations, and hoped it would be the best belgian i've had. not even the best of the night, as we revisited the 2007 Pannepot that kicked this beer's arse. I can't help but think the rarity/legend of this beer has contributed a little to the 4.5+ AVERAGE score, but it's #2 on another site as well, so that doesn't account for THAT many high scores.
To the review (expectations aside)
poured fairly clean (no sludge on the bottle rim or massive floaties like in some other belgians with a touch of age on em). ruby/dark brew with some fizzy tan head. mouthfeel was pretty smooth. good body, but a little over carbonated. aroma was doughey and yeasty...sourdough bread, which was different, but not necessarily in a good way. aroma was plum, fig, fruits, yeast, more dough. smooth again, and hid the alcohol well, but this beer did nothing to stand out. All 3 Rochefort beers are better, as are the few Struisse beers I've had. I don't know what the fuss is about. Maybe if I'm in Belgium one day I'll get to have it fresh, but I'm not dropping more money on this to ship a bottle. In fact, I'm selling my second bottle (which we'd planned to drink, except that it was not worth what i can get for it). Disappointment for sure. Pannepot rocks."
Aroma:
7/10
Appearance:
8/10
Mouthfeel:
7/10
Flavor:
8/10
Overall:
7/10
Final Rating, by Style:
(3.7)
Sampled: Bottle Sample Size: 330ml @ $20 Unit Cost: $28.68 per Pint
[3] Review by joellongview from Houston, TX, USA who has tried this beer a couple times. (1/20/2010 3:09:48 PM)
"My two brothers and I recently returned from a Beer tour in Belgium and, owing in large part to the No. 1 rating on this website as well as the enticing reviews, we made a stop at the Westvleteren Brewery the pinnacle of our journey. It did not disappoint! It is one of the few brews that falls into the category of a life-changing experience. We've chronicled our unique experience at the Abby, drinking in the In De Vrede cafe, and successfully navigating the complicated process of garnering a few cases to bring home on the following blog. Hopefully, it will provide a little help for any other beer-lovers out there who want to get their hands (and taste-buds) on this sacrosanct brew! Check it out at:
http://westvleterenexperience.blogspot.com/
Cheers!"
Aroma:
10/10
Appearance:
9/10
Mouthfeel:
10/10
Flavor:
10/10
Overall:
10/10
Final Rating, by Style:
(4.9)
Sampled: Bottle Sample Size: 12oz @ $4 Unit Cost: $5.33 per Pint
[4] Review by caddylac from OP, KS, USA who has tried this beer once. (12/25/2009 4:58:08 PM)
"Finally! I've had this beer for two years as a gift from Dansting. Poured from a bottle and with a nice off white head that hung out throughout the drink. Appears to have some floaties in it. The aroma was rasin/plum with a touch of alcohol at the end. The taste has a buttery rasin flavor but I think the carbonation has kept this light feeling to some degree. The alcohol comes through at the end. This beer is good but personally don't see what the hype is all about, but I am very glad I had the chance to have one. "
Aroma:
8/10
Appearance:
7/10
Mouthfeel:
6/10
Flavor:
8/10
Overall:
8/10
Final Rating, by Style:
(3.7)
Sampled: Bottle
Value of this beer for its style: Not Sure
[5] Review by MarkFraghert from Houston, TX, USA who has tried this beer a couple times. (12/5/2009 8:02:12 PM)
"Bottle: Several years
Aroma: dark fruits, raisins, roasted malt
Appearance: Reddish-brown, huge tan head
Mouthfeel: Full bodied
Flavour: dark fruit, malt, yeast
Overall: Amazing
"
Aroma:
10/10
Appearance:
10/10
Mouthfeel:
10/10
Flavor:
10/10
Overall:
10/10
Final Rating, by Style:
(5)
Sampled: Bottle
Value of this beer for its style: Not Sure
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(4.9)
