Westvleteren 12

xocoatl · Post by **xocoatl** » Fri Aug 03, 2012 9:47 am

atomeyes wrote:
you guys haven't tried Pannepot. IMO, one of the best strong ales out there. smooth as hell.
Dulle Teve has a very strong pear hit to it. unique and brilliant beer.
Fantome is in a class of its own.

The Pannepot Grand Reserva is still one of my all time favourites. Wish I had bought more.

PeerlessMark · Post by **PeerlessMark** » Wed Aug 15, 2012 6:00 pm

What is Bellwoods charging for a bottle of Westy 12?

matt7215 · Post by **matt7215** » Wed Aug 15, 2012 6:05 pm

PeerlessMark wrote:What is Bellwoods charging for a bottle of Westy 12?

$20

liamt07 · Post by **liamt07** » Wed Aug 15, 2012 6:05 pm

PeerlessMark wrote:What is Bellwoods charging for a bottle of Westy 12?

$20 when I was there last month.

PeerlessMark · Post by **PeerlessMark** » Wed Aug 15, 2012 6:58 pm

Wow that's very reasonable compared to what Volo was charging, I think they said $35 or so when I last asked.

GregClow · Post by **GregClow** » Wed Aug 15, 2012 9:17 pm

liamt07 wrote:
PeerlessMark wrote:What is Bellwoods charging for a bottle of Westy 12?
$20 when I was there last month.

Pretty sure it was up to $30 when I was there a couple of weeks ago.

PeerlessMark · Post by **PeerlessMark** » Wed Aug 15, 2012 9:31 pm

I just got back from there and yes they've moved the price up to $30. I did a flight instead. Wow their Beer De Garde was very nice. So was the Evil Twin collaboration brew. I was impressed with Bellwoods and will head back!

Too bad about the huge price jump on the Westy 12s though. The server said that they were "giving it away" at $20, which is funny when I've heard it costs about $1.50 to buy a Westy 12 from the brewery direct.

JerCraigs · Post by **JerCraigs** » Wed Aug 15, 2012 10:02 pm

PeerlessMark wrote:The server said that they were "giving it away" at $20, which is funny when I've heard it costs about $1.50 to buy a Westy 12 from the brewery direct.

well, $20 a bottle is certainly cheaper than an $800 flight to Belgium...

GregClow · Post by **GregClow** » Wed Aug 15, 2012 10:05 pm

PeerlessMark wrote:Too bad about the huge price jump on the Westy 12s though. The server said that they were "giving it away" at $20, which is funny when I've heard it costs about $1.50 to buy a Westy 12 from the brewery direct.

Actually, it's more like $2 - or $2.50ish when you include deposit (there's deposit on the bottles and the wooden crate they come in).

But really, the price paid for in person sales at the brewery is irrelevant when it comes to Westy. All of the Westy currently available in Ontario came here via semi-/un-official channels that have probably had several middle-men and mark-ups along the way. And even the official stuff coming in the fall will be quite spendy. $20 a bottle at a bar really is dirt cheap.

atomeyes · Post by **atomeyes** » Thu Aug 16, 2012 12:34 pm

GregClow wrote:
PeerlessMark wrote:Too bad about the huge price jump on the Westy 12s though. The server said that they were "giving it away" at $20, which is funny when I've heard it costs about $1.50 to buy a Westy 12 from the brewery direct.
Actually, it's more like $2 - or $2.50ish when you include deposit (there's deposit on the bottles and the wooden crate they come in).

But really, the price paid for in person sales at the brewery is irrelevant when it comes to Westy. All of the Westy currently available in Ontario came here via semi-/un-official channels that have probably had several middle-men and mark-ups along the way. And even the official stuff coming in the fall will be quite spendy. $20 a bottle at a bar really is dirt cheap.

at the cafe, its over 2 euros a bottle.
and buying it from the monks...good luck. Wednesday morning, call right away when the line opens. then rent a car. then drive from whatever small town you're at. and wait in line. and get whatever case the monks want to give you (you can't choose)

Belgian · Post by **Belgian** » Fri Aug 17, 2012 3:22 am

G.M. Gillman wrote:No question individual brands or styles can appeal greatly, I've always enjoyed some Saisons for example. But in general, I find most Belgian ales less individualistic ...

In general I agree it is hard for some to stand out, and i also agree that some do.

Which makes the exceptions to the Christmas-cakey BSA rule more interesting - for me De Dolle, La Chouffe, Fantome, the other good Saisons, Orval, Westy and Westmalle which just by the way uses the same yeast Westvleteren once did. I also enjoy a few distinctive Unibroue & Ommegang.

When I began I was a Dubbel/Tripel maniac but it's hard to care much for them. I really didn't think Pannepot was all that special either, and some other new Belgian-styled beers this past while were a memorable train-wreck (maybe not the sort of thing to try a one-off on Local Taps Night...)

atomeyes · Post by **atomeyes** » Fri Aug 17, 2012 8:20 am

Belgian wrote: I really didn't think Pannepot was all that special either

WATCH YOUR MOUTH!!!!

and some other new Belgian-styled beers this past while were a memorable train-wreck (maybe not the sort of thing to try a one-off on Local Taps Night...)

local attempts at Belgians always tend to miss. way too hot. served way too soon after kegging. way too cookie cutter.

markaberrant · Post by **markaberrant** » Fri Aug 17, 2012 10:26 am

Belgian wrote: I really didn't think Pannepot was all that special either

Agreed, until I drank some with 3-5 years of cellaring on them.

atomeyes wrote:local attempts at Belgians always tend to miss. way too hot. served way too soon after kegging. way too cookie cutter.

Agreed as well, most North American attempts a belgian style ales just don't measure up. I almost never buy belgian ales from brewers that don't typically produce them. "Brewing belgian" is a much different skillset than typical ale brewing. Allagash is by far the best North American belgian brewer I have come across. Ommegang would be a distant second.

MatttthewGeorge · Post by **MatttthewGeorge** » Fri Aug 17, 2012 4:13 pm

I've got a Pannepot GR 2005 that I'm having this weekend, along with a Westy 12, St. B 12 & Roch 10, all from around '07-'09... exciting!

gonna be a good drunkening!!!

Belgian · Post by **Belgian** » Fri Aug 17, 2012 11:21 pm

atomeyes wrote:
Belgian wrote: I really didn't think Pannepot was all that special either
WATCH YOUR MOUTH!!!!

Heh heh, easy there sparky. We're ony calling at as we see it with hyped Belgian beers. I tried Pannepot about 3 times and thought the Reserva (or Gran Res or whatever) was nothing that great or interesting - I'm game to try the non-reserve original one because I really want to like these overpriced De Struise beers.

Fat Albert was great, absolutely a classic overpriced Belgian Royal Stout. Well worth the 11-dollar 330ml bottle at Premier.