The Bar Towel

IPA_Lover wrote:*facepalm*

exactly.

IPA_Lover wrote:Here's what I'm wondering. If I've tried other trappist beers like the St. Bernie's ABT 12, Westmalle, Rochefort, Orval, whatever...is the Westy 12 SO GOOD that it would immediately stand head and shoulders above all of these?

As others have said: NO.

I've only had one of the Westy 12s but have had had many cases of all those four above over the years.

It is closest to Rochefort 10. I would say it is a Rochefort 10 but slightly more balanced where no one flavour dominates. In the one bottle I had it had a very pleasant (to me) black licorice flavour that the Rochefort 10 lacks. I did like it more than Rochefort 10 but only just.

I wanted to try more and was unable to get a brick this week.

But honestly I would not very often pay double for a Westy 12 over a Rochefort 10.

Go try one at a bar and be done with it.

Weebay wrote: I think part of the problem with evaluation/palate is that I can't taste rare.

Heh, yeah I share that handicap. As others have said IPA, I wouldn't cry myself to sleep... it's not even particulalry hard to get a hold of, less so now.

Kudos to the Toronto folk who had early mornings, but it sounds like a lot of the LCBO's were nice enough to open early.

The London situation wasn't too bad. I showed up at 7:30am for the 10am opening and was #9 in line. Was told there were 79 cases! By 9:45am there were only 60 people in line, 90+ by 10am.

Unfortunately a few painters and someone from the hair salon wandered over to figure out what was going on and jumped in line.

The lcbo area manager showed up to give a little pre-entry speech, didn't know the name of the beer and was marketing us to make other purchases in the store. Thanks, but I didn't wait 2.5hrs in the cold to do my holiday shopping.

It was clear a couple folks dragged their 19yr old kids out to pick up extra cases for themselves, but this sort of thing is expected I suppose.

Okay this is pretty funny

http://ontario.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-sell ... Z440057101

Ha!

http://ontario.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-sell ... Z440144194

Anyone been to the Ancaster store yet? I heard from someone that they hadn't received the Westy yet, but it was already spoken for. I didn't know the LCBO was taking reservations on this stuff.

Marlowe wrote: but it was already spoken for..

that's not supposed to happen.

Bytowner wrote:Ha!

http://ontario.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-sell ... Z440144194

Hmm 5 other people want to go with me to take a "photo"?

kafercrazy wrote:

Marlowe wrote: but it was already spoken for..

that's not supposed to happen.

From what I heard it worked like everywhere else. They had a lineup this morning and sold out quickly. Sounds like they received under 40 packs.

Also it sounded like the employees at that store were trying to give everyone the runaround, everybody was getting a different story. Never have had a good experience with them myself.

Westys are great beers, but no beer is worth getting this worked up over. I'll take a Rochefort 10 and not the wait anyday or a Westy! Even the hard to get Westy 9.

hopdicct wrote: The London situation wasn't too bad. I showed up at 7:30am for the 10am opening and was #9 in line. Was told there were 79 cases! By 9:45am there were only 60 people in line, 90+ by 10am.

Huh, I drove by Masonville at 9:30 and it seemed to me the lineup was already too long. My "give a fuck" had dried up and I really didn't feel like getting out of the car to be told I was too late. Guess that's the second day in a row I drove by a store when I could have got some LOL.

Queen/Cox Beaches was pre-ticketed an hour before opening, and Kingston Barrack St sold theirs in four minutes. I wasn't getting up early for that! See next:

midlife crisis wrote:So good job by the LCBO store staff on the ground but terrible job by the person in management who had overall responsibility for this and dropped the ball on coordinating it properly.

Very irresponsible in the lazy shipping of this beer from the warehouse whenre it had ben sitting forever - the BIG FAIL in all of this was making people go line up without even promising the beer would show up the night before. You could not possibly call before opening in time to check, the line was already too long with 'hopefuls' by the the time they could answer the phone and tell you.

Kind of disrespectful to waste people's time so carelessly. Feel bad for the many of you!

JerCraigs wrote:

GreatCop wrote:Thirsty & Miserable just posted on FB that their Westy will be delivered mid-next week, in case anyone's up for a jaunt to Kensington Market. No quantity was given, and "price will depend on sales this weekend"

In an interesting correlation the odds of me ever spending a penny in their bar will depend on the price they settle on.

Ha ha. That's another discussion, but I hear THAT.

I like Belgian dark strong ales, and each year over the holidays we have a tasting of the ones I can find, typically either at the LCBO or across the border at Premier Gourmet. That's usually five or six different beers.

It will be a pleasure to be able to include Westy 12 among them again this year. The last time I could source a Westy 12 was in 2003. I confess I've never experienced Achel Extra Brun. As for the others, almost all of them are wonderful (to me, anyway) beers with rich, complex flavours. So far I think my favourite is Rochefort 10, but in the right moment with a well-treated bottle, who's to say? I might also make a plug for Unibroue's La Terrible, for which we have every right to be proud Canadians.

As close as the beers are, it's interesting to note the recipes and ingredients where they are known. For example, Westy has a rather deceptively simple grain bill compared to Rochefort, but you would never guess that from a tasting. Much, as they say, is in the execution.

kafercrazy wrote:I heard Westvleteren 12 is at the LCBO.

I'd love to hear somebody's take on how to 'recreate' this Westervarmint 12 beer from a blend.

Maybe 7 parts St Bernardys 12, 2 parts Westmalle Dubbel and one part Lagunitas Hop Stoopid.

This would give you the Westmalle yeast character and the gruffer hop profile. I can guaran-damn-tee it! (No I ccan't really.)