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Westvleteren 12 (XII) Abt. is a Belgian Quadrupel-style beer with 10.2% ABV, distinguished by its unmistakable yellow cap. Considered a modern brewing legend, it has consistently ranked among the world’s best beers in various publications and rankings for many years.
General Information
Name: Westvleteren 12 (XII)
Brewery: Abdij St. Sixtus
Origin: Westvleteren, Belgium
Style: Quadrupel
ABV: 10.2%
IBU: 38
Calories: 306 kcal
Glassware: Chalice, Teku
Contenido
Tasting Notes & Impressions
Dark brown in color with balanced, complex flavors of fruits, raisins, caramel, alcohol, and spices, finishing dry and bitter with an exceptionally long aftertaste.
1. Appearance
Presents a uniform brown color with copper highlights when backlit, slight opacity, and mild haze. Develops a medium-high ivory-colored head that’s homogeneous and creamy, with good retention and moderate lacing, leaving small alcohol legs on the glass walls.
2. Aroma
Initially develops an intense, diverse, yet integrated aromatic profile that gradually reveals distinct notes of figs, raisins, and licorice; toasted walnuts and hazelnuts, accompanied mid-nose by vanilla, honey, and traces of chocolate, all framed by a robust yet clean liquor-like presence without harsh alcohols.
3. Flavor
It begins with a brief display of mild malt and caramel characteristics that quickly give way to a complex mid-palate of lightly roasted flavors – licorice, figs, anise, maple syrup, wood, vanilla, chocolate, walnuts, and hazelnuts – generously distributed throughout the mouth. Without losing intensity, it progresses to a markedly bitter finish with subtle roasted notes, ultimately merging into an intense, lingering, liquor-like character that slowly connects to a long, complex aftertaste full of all its previous characteristics.
4. Mouthfeel
Medium-high body with firm structure yet smooth development in the mouth. Medium carbonation is well integrated without harshness or astringency on the tongue or palate, featuring a controlled alcoholic warmth that slowly diminishes.
5. Overall Impression
Much can be said about a beer like Westvleteren 12, beginning with the difficulty of obtaining a sample, its value, and certainly the expectation of facing what many rankings consider the world’s best beer. Complex and diverse, it integrates as a whole without hesitation, displaying a complex array of characteristics that follow one after another, evolving without fading for long minutes after pouring, always performing excellently at every evaluation stage. Alcohol is a strong conductor with a marked presence, yet it is well crafted – it settles and evolves gracefully like a fine liquor, with room to reach optimal integration in the overall profile. Westvleteren 12 isn’t a beer to drink young; time is an additional ingredient because, like all good aging beers, its contents have potential that requires maturity to show their best. This ultimately means that while there may be no such thing as the world’s best beer, there’s a good probability that, when treated properly, at some point in your life this will be among the best beers you’ve ever tasted.
Suggested Pairings
Westvleteren 12 is a beer of profound nuances and complex structure, making it an excellent companion for equally intense and sophisticated dishes.
1. Main Courses
A beef stew slow-cooked with red wine, fresh herbs, and porcini mushrooms pairs exceptionally with the beer’s malty structure and nutty notes. The caramel sweetness and dried fruits harmonize with the dish’s richness, while the final bitterness and alcohol balance and deepen the experience.
2. Cheeses
Mature blue cheeses like Roquefort or Gorgonzola highlight Westvleteren 12’s sweet and fruity notes, creating an interaction between umami and the liquor-like character. The cheese’s creamy texture is enhanced by the beer’s medium-high body, creating a rounded mouthfeel.
3. Vegetarian Dishes
A sweet potato risotto with butter and grated parmesan becomes a remarkable pairing where the vegetable’s natural sweetness blends with the beer’s esters. The risotto’s creaminess interacts with the alcoholic structure and soft effervescence, while the parmesan enhances the roasted character and dry finish.
4. Desserts
An artisanal fig, toasted walnut, and dark chocolate tart offers a perfect finale where the figs’ natural flavors mirror the beer’s fruity notes, the walnuts find affinity with the woody and roasted traces, while the dark chocolate’s slight bitterness intensifies the warm, liquor-like aftertaste that defines the final experience.
