Brouwerij Westvleteren is one of the seven breweries that are officially considered Trappist because the beer is brewed by monks and each under the control of a Trappist monastery. The sole purpose of brewing the beer is to support the monastery. The Westvleteren brewery is located in the West Flanders province of Belgium in the town of Westvleteren. It was found in 1838 inside the Trappist Abbey of Saint Sixtus.

In recent years, this beer of Brouwerij Westvleteren, particularly Westvleteren Abt 12, has become wildly popular topping the lists of best beer in the world at RateBeer and BeerAdvocate. As could be expected, this created a huge buzz and greater demand for the beer.  The monks of Saint Sixtus responded to the new popularity of their beer only by further limiting the amount of beer that could be purchased and taken away from the brewery. They didn’t raise prices and they didn’t produce more beer. In a 2005 interview with The Independent, ”We make the beer to live but we do not live for beer.”

Westvleteren Abt 12 is the most popular of the three beers made by Brouqerij Westvleteren but during my 2009 visit to Belgium I was not able to procure a a bottle. I’ve read that the easiest way to try any of the Westvleteren beers is to visit the monastery, which I also did not have time to do during my trip. I did, however, luck out and found a bottle of Westvleteren Extra 8 at Bier Tempel in Brussels.

Although Westvleteren Abt 12 is the most popular, Extra 8 is also ranked highly and even Tim Webb, author of Good Beer Guide Belgium, thinks that Extra 8 is slightly better than Abt 12. I cannot make the comparison myself but I found this to be an excellent beer and worthy of adding to your personal list of beers that you must try.

Date Reviewed. August 6, 2010

Where I Found It. Bier Tempel, Brussels, Belgium.

Serving Type. 330ml bottle into a tulip glass.

Appearance. Westvleteren Extra 8 pours with a clear brown color. In the glass it has an opaque, dark chocolate, and mahogany brown color. The head of this beer was like that of a cola or root beer and as such it also did not have very good retention. It did, however, as you might notice in the photos, leave a thin layer of foam on the top of the beer nearly throughout the session.

Aroma. This beer has a complex aroma that is like an earthy, roasty apple pie with notes of cooked granny smith apples, dark brown sugar, molasses,  and cloves with hints of dark Belgian chocolate and espresso. It does not smell particularly boozy but what little alcohol aroma there is comes off smelling like vanilla and bourbon.

Taste. I was expecting something much more sweet and sour but I was happily surprised to taste a well balanced beer. This beer has a touch of bitterness to balance the sweet toasty dark malts, which produces a slight molasses flavor. The flavor is a bit bready or yeasty but might be due to the storage conditions of the bottle.  The chocolate and espresso aroma combined with the sweetness of the malt and bitterness of the hops produce an experience like drinking very dark chocolate. As the session continues and the beer starts to warm up I find flavors of raisins or other dried fruit mixed with herbs and spices like tarragon, kola nut, and a touch of cloves.

Mouthfeel. It is well carbonated and medium to full bodied. For some reason I was expecting this beer to have a more viscous feel to it and I was pleasantly surprised to find it much more drinkable than that.

Overall. Westvleteren Extra 8 is interesting, complex, and bittersweet but not cloying. Despite the complexity, it is surprisingly crisp and easy to drink. It was a wonderful experience drinking and reviewing this beer and the session ended much too quickly. In retrospect I should have procured two bottles instead of just one.

Rating. My ratings below are on a five point scale with five being the best score. The ratings below is based on the BJCP judging system.

• Appearance (6%): 4.5
• Aroma (24%): 4.5
• Flavor (40%): 5.0
• Mouthfeel (10%): 4.5
• Overal (20%): 5.0
• Total: 4.8

Information

• Brewery: Brouwerij Westvleteren
• Style: Dubbel or Belgian dark strong ale
• Alcohol by volume: 8%

Other Reviews

• 999 Beers – 33: Westvleteren 8
• Untamed Beer – Trappist Westvleteren 8
• Chad’z Beer Reviews – Westvleteren 8 (2010 vintage)
• Beer Philosopher – Beer Review 11/28/2007 – Westvleteren 8 (Dubbel)
• The Vice Blog – Westvleteren 8

Monk’s Blood is a special release beer in a can from 21st Amendment that was available during the winter of 2009-2010 and it may no longer be available. This must have been one of the most unique beers that I ever had from a can. It is a bold complex beer with many layers of flavors and aromas. It was truly a delightful winter season beer and I hope it comes back to cans again soon.I also really enjoyed the packaging of this beer. The 4 pack recycled-paper box with a strange story about a Monk written all around it added some interest. I felt the name , the colors, and everything about the packaging was interesting, mysterious, and fun.

21st Amendment writes the following about Monk’s Blood:

21st Amendment founders Nico Freccia and Shaun O’Sullivan traveled the Belgium to develop the recipe for this special beer, visiting small, traditional breweries in the hop fields of west Flanders, not far from the famous Trappist abbey of Westvletren. Monk’s Blood is designed to pair beautifully with rish winter stews, creamy cheeses, unctuous desserts or just by itself, in a Belgian tulip glass, with a good book by the fire.

Date Reviewed. December 19, 2009

Where I Found It. City Beer Store in San Francisco, CA.

Serving Type. 12 oz can to a tulip glass.

Appearance. While pouring Monk’s Blood it has a very clear mahogany amber color. In the glass, the beer is nearly opaque black but when you hold it up to the light it has a slight glow of a deep dark sanguine and mahogany hue. The head is light tan, khaki colored with very little retention. When there is less in the glass the beer is a dark mahogany color and clear.

Smell. The aroma of this beer is dried fruit, like figs or prunes with a hint of sourness. There is also a candy scent with a hint of red licorice (Red Vines not Twizzlers) so maybe that means a bit of cherry. It has a dark rich roasted malt smell and is not bitter smelling like molasses. Finally, there is a little vanilla and a little wood.

Taste. Monk’s Blood has a flavor of dark roasted malt sweetness balanced by a sourness in the background that is noticeable but complimentary. It has a little candy sweet with a hint of molasses. There some taste of a herbal spice quality like anise or tarragon. I detected some chocolate flavors but it was very dark chocolate. Monk’s Blood tastes dark, malty, and red. Sorry, red is not a taste per se but that word kept coming to mind while tasting it.

Mouthfeel. This beer is full bodied with a slight syrupy texture. It has moderate levels of carbonation and is not harsh but not super smooth.

Drinkability. For a strong dark ale Monk’s Blood is surprisingly refreshing. I think this is a very well balanced and very well crafted beer. Just a hint of sour to balance the sweetness and a touch of bitterness from the hops and dark malts. The spice quality is not in your face either and is subtle but apparent. All aspects of this beer nicely balance together.

Rating. My ratings below are on a five point scale with five being the best score.

• Appearance (20%): 4.5
• Smell (20%): 4.0
• Taste (40%): 4.5
• Mouthfeel (10%): 4.0
• Drinkability (10%): 4.5
• Overall: 4.35

Information

• Style: Belgian dark strong ale
• Brewery: 21st Amendment
• Alcohol by volume: 8.3%
• Bitterness: 34 IBU
• Hops: Magnum, Centennial
• Malt: Belgian pilsner, two-row pale, caramunich, caravienne, aromatic, special b, flaked oats, flaked wheat
• Other ingredients: Belgian candi sugar, cinnamon, vanilla bean, dried black mission figs, aged on oak
• Beer Advocate rating: 3.79 (as of May 14, 2010)

Other Reviews

• Links coming soon

Brasserie d’Achouffe is a brewery located in the Ardennes region of Belgium and produces N’Ice Chouffe as thier winter seasonal beer brewed with thyme and curaçao. This brewery was founded in 1982 and produces wonderful Belgian beers including La Chouffe, a Belgian blonde ale, and Houblon Chouffe, an excellent Belgian IPA. This brewery also has a very distictive gnome-theme for their brewery and beers.

The brewery describes N’Ice Chouffe as follows:

The N’ICE CHOUFFE is a strong dark beer that will warm you up during the winter months. It is spiced (with thyme and curaçao) and a light hop taste, a well-balanced beer. The N’ICE CHOUFFE is unfiltered, and re-fermented in the bottle as well as in the keg.

Date Reviewed. January 8, 2010.

Where I Found It. Draeger’s in San Mateo, CA.

Serving Type. 750ml bottle to a tulip glass.

Appearance. N’Ice Chouffe has a dark reddish brown or oak color and is quite cloudy. The  head is a creamy a-little-darker-than-buttermilk color and has tiny bubbles but does not last long. However, the effervescence causes some foamy bubble to always be on the top of the beer.

Smell. When I opened the bottle, my first thought was champagne like a champagne-yeast smell. It has notes of wine grape dry fruitiness coupled with a sweet candy sugar and malt aroma. It has a slightly herbal aroma, I want to say thyme but it’s not terribly strong. It contains a little banana and not much cloves with a hint of sourness. At 10% abv it smells a little boozy.

Taste. N’Ice Chouffe has a slight sourness contrasted by the sweetness of the malt. It is more sweet than bitter meaning not too much bitterness from the hops. It has a bit of a taste of cola nut, dried fruit (like dates or prunes), a subtle fresh herbal flavor like thyme or oregano, and a hint citrus in the foam like orange peel. It has a spicy cloves taste too.

Mouthfeel. This is a full bodied beer with plenty of natural effervescence. The tiny bubbles from the natural carbonation give a slightly creamy or smooth texture. It is quite nice.

Drinkability. At 10% alcohol by volume this is a sipping beer but a sipping beer that you can enjoy throughout the night.

Rating. My ratings below are on a five point scale with five being the best score.

• Appearance (20%): 3.5
• Smell (20%): 4.0
• Taste (40%): 4.5
• Mouthfeel (10%): 4.5
• Drinkability (10%): 4.0
• Overall: 4.15

Information

• Style: Belgian dark strong ale
• Brewery: Brasserie d’Achouffe
• Alcohol by volume: 10%
• Other ingredients: thyme and curaçao
• Beer Advocate rating: 4.07 (as of May 10, 2010)

Other Reviews

• The Beer Critic – N’Ice Chouffe
• Beer Crusade – N’ice Chouffe, Achouffe Brewery, Achouffe, Belgium
• Mike Loves Beer – N’Ice Chouffe 2007
• Hoosier Beer Geek – KOTBR #65 – (Delayed) Jingle Bells
• Beer Advocate – N’Ice Chouffe
• Rate Beer – N’Ice Chouffe

On a recent trip to City Beer Store in San Francisco I was browsing the beer fridge, after having tried De Ranke’s Père Noel, trying to figure out what other winter season beer to try. As soon as I spotted 2 Turtle Doves by The Bruery, I grabbed a 750ml to try. I first heard about 2 Turtle Doves (or sometimes Two Turtle Doves) on twitter from @aircoleman who recommended it with this tweet: “2 Turtle Doves” is a Belgian-style Dark Ale brewed with cocoa nibs and toasted pecans. A very nice 12% winter beer!”

2 Turtle Doves is crafted by a brewery in Orange County, CA called The Bruery, who specialize mostly in Belgian-style ales found either in 750ml bottles or on tap. This beer is the second winter seasonal beer they have produced in their series of the “Twelve Beers of Christmas” with the first being “Partridge in a Pear Tree.”

This is truly a wonderful winter beer which I initially described on Twitter as “like chocolate syrup muddled with a sweet stout with a little cola, gourmet coffee, and spices.” These flavors are not on accident. The bottle caption describes 2 Turtle Doves as follows:

Belgian-Style Dark Ale Brewed with Cocoa Nibs & Toasted Pecans

The second verse of our “Twelves Beers of Christmas” saga begins with caramel and toasty, nutty malt with a luscious layer of chocolate. Happy Holidays!

Date Reviewed. December 11, 2009

Where I Found It. City Beer Store in San Francisco, CA

Serving Type. Served from a 750ml bottle into a tulip glass.

Appearance. 2 Turtle Doves has a dark black or very dark brown color with a pleasant mocha colored head. Head didn’t last to long in the tulip glass.

Smell. The aroma of this beer is heavily like dark chocolate syrup. It also has hints of cola, rum, with a dash of holiday spices like cloves or nutmeg. The spicy quality plus the cola undertones give it a smell like an artisan root beer or sassafras. The aroma also has hints of gourmet coffee. Finally, as the beer warms it reveals a bouquet of caramel, nutty pecans, and toasty malt.

Taste. I originally described 2 Turtle Doves on Twitter as follows, “it’s like chocolate syrup muddled with a sweet stout with a little cola, gourmet coffee, and spices.” The dark roasted malt flavor comes through like an iced coffee made with gourmet coffee and artisan dark chocolate bittersweet syrup. The sweetness and the alcohol come through like a 18-year aged rum while not being boozy. The hints of cola flavor complement all of the other flavors. Also picy cloves. Finally, the malt has a nice roasty and caramel flavor. 2 Turtles Does is a delectable dessert in a bottle.

Mouthfeel. This beer is full boded, thick, and smooth but there may be a few tannins, that come through, giving it a hint of chalkiness.

Drinkability. 2 Turtle Doves is pure liquid dessert, a treat, and delicious. Although it is 12% alcohol by volume, it drinks smoothly and easily.

Rating. My ratings below are on a five point scale with five being the best score.

• Appearance (20%): 4.0
• Smell (20%): 5.0
• Taste (40%): 4.5
• Mouthfeel (10%): 4.0
• Drinkability (10%): 4.5
• Overall: 4.45

Information

• Style: Belgian-style dark strong ale.
• Brewery: The Bruery
• Alcohol by volume: 12% abv
• Other ingredients: cocoa nibs and toasted pecans
• Beer Advocate rating: 4.1 (as of Dec. 21, 2009)

Other Reviews

• Westworld Denver Food Blog – Beer and Cheer: The Bruery’s 2 Turtle Doves
• Hoosier Beer Geek – KOTBR #92 – Knights of the Thanksgiving Table 2
• The Full Pint – The Bruery 2 Turtle Doves
• Beer Advocate – 2 Turtle Doves
• 97 Bottles – 2 Turtle Doves

When tasting the beer, the herbal influence is quite evident. This beer is brewed at the end of the summer, lagered for 2 weeks, bottle conditioned, and “rested” for several months to mellow it out. The brewery also claims that it has a shelf life of 3 years. Despite my recommendation at the end of this review, it might be interesting to pick up another bottle again for the purpose of aging it.

Anker brewery is the oldest in Belgium, dating back to 1369, and has an interesting history as detailed on the Anker website. This beer in particular had not been brewed for 38 years until 2002 when Anker started brewing it again.

The bottle of Gouden Carolus Noël that I sampled was a 750ml bottle that cost about $14. I poured it directly into four glasses and shared it with friends.

Where I Found It. I picked up a 750ml at a Draeger’s Market in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Serving Type. When I sampled this brew, I poured it directly into four glasses and shared it with friends.

Appearance. This beer had a amber color that was lighter than I was expecting and was extremely clear. The head had a nice mocha color. Gouden Carolus Noël is a bottle conditioned beer, therefore there is yeast at the bottom of the bottle so pour carefully.

Smell. The bouquet was that of fresh clove spice and a hint of other herbs, possibly anise or even tarragon. This is probably due to both the Belgian yeast as well as the herb adjuncts. The aroma was like a dark sweet malt and burnt sugar but not like caramel. The aroma also had a hint of sarsaparilla.

Taste. The flavor of this beer was malty and roasty but not chocolaty. The typical Belgian yeast flavors, which are described by some as banana and cloves, were subdued. It also had a a medicinal quality to it like an herbal cough syrup or Ricola. Needless to say, the 10.5% alcohol was present in each sip. On top of that, there were flavors of an espresso shot loaded with sugar. The taste was quite complex.

Mouthfeel. Goulden Carolus Noël might seem like a full bodied beer. However, I was very surprised to find that it was not as thick and syrupy as I expected. In fact, it was quite dry. The brewer claims that the wort is 22 degrees plato, which is roughly a specific gravity of 1.091. Since the alcohol content is 10.5%, then the final gravity must be about 1.012, which is in the upper range for the average pale ale. Therefore, I would claim that this is a medium to medium-light bodied beer.

Drinkability. Due to the complexity of the hops, herbs, Belgian yeast, and high alcohol content this was not a smooth beer. It was more like a scotch that you sip and enjoy slowly. Drinking Gouden Carolus Noël was an interesting experience with some pleasant and unexpected surprises. It was not as drinkable as other Belgian beers that I’ve tried. If you get a chance, however, go a ahead and try it. But next time I go for a Belgian beer I would much rather try something new, including more beer from Anker brewery.

Rating. My ratings below are on a five point scale with five being the best score. The overall rating is calculated exactly the same way as Beer Advocate.

• Appearance (20%): 4.0
• Smell (20%): 3.5
• Taste (20%): 2.5
• Mouthfeel (10%): 3.5
• Drinkability (10%): 2.5
• Overall: 3.1

What Others Thought

It is always more enjoyable to share a beer with friends and family. As part of this blog I plan on not only reviewing the beer myself but also gathering feedback from others. Below is what Liz, Erin, and Patrick thought about the beer. As reflected below, this was not  a Belgian beer drinking crowd.

Liz

• Appearance. Dark.
• Smell. Licorice candy.
• Taste. Medicinal, fermented roasted beer. Prominent alcohol taste.
  
• Drinkability. Not delicious. Would not drink it again.

Erin

• Appearance. Dark.
• Smell. Root beer but hoppy.
• Taste. Tasted like hard alcohol. Root beer with hops and spiciness. Prune juice. The after taste was like Jägermeister.

Patrick

• Appearance. Dark.
• Smell. Bubblegum and bananas.
• Taste. Bubblegum and cardamom.

Caption from the Bottle

The following caption is found on the side of the bottle:

Gouden Carolus Noel brewed exceptionally for Christmas by the Anker brewery, established in Mechelen since 1369, and one of the classic Belgian breweries. This very special Belgian ale is brewed using traditional methods and a recipe with top fermentation. Its high gravity gives this ale its warmth and body. It improves with age and will charm you with its warm, coppery colour and its rich bouquet.

Refermented in the bottle.

Information

• Alcohol content: 10.5% ABV
• Hops: Three types of “only Belgian hops”
• Original gravity: 1.091 or 22 degrees Plato
• Lagering: 2 weeks
• Fermentation: high fermentation and refermentation in the bottle
• Style: Belgian dark strong ale
• Brewery: Anker brewery (Brouwerij Het Anker)
• Beer Advocate rating: 4.14

• Beer Advocate – Gouden Carolus Noël / Christmas
• Barley Blog — 2006 Gouden Carolus Noel
• Year of Beer — #102 – Gouden Carolus – Noel
• A Jigger of Blog — Review: Gouden Carolus Noel