Quote:
Originally Posted by phisherman
Sorry, but Westy 12 is overrated. I've done blind tastings and found that I prefer the cheaper, more readily available St. Bernardus 12 to Westy.
Don't get me wrong, Westy is worth a try for certain, but you won't find me spending $80+ for 4 12 oz bottles and a cheap glass (which is how they sold them in the US last year).
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I agree that it is overrated, but I've always preferred Westy 12 to St. Bernardus Abt. 12, ESPECIALLY in blind tastings. Westy is so good because of its mouthfeel. Rochefort 10 tends to beat both in blind tastings among most people, though. More flavor.
Fun Facts for the Thread: St. Bernardus (Watou, Belgium) & Abbey de Saint-Sixtus (Westvleteren, Belgium) are just 20 minutes apart, both towns/breweries located outside of Poperinge, Belgium (where all of Belgium's hop farms are located).
There was a period of time where Westvleteren beers weren't being brewed at the Abbey. The St. Bernardus brewery (not Trappist affiliated) opened up and brewed beers very close to the old Westvelteren recipes, along with making new beers. St. Bernardus still uses the old Westy yeast strain. When the Abbey de Saint-Sixtus resumed brewing, they used Westmalle's yeast (and still do to this day).