I have been told and have read over and over again that Westvleteren 12 is THE best beer in the world. And then during my trip to Belgium I found out that St. Bernardus 12 is the same recipe, yeast etc. as Westvleteren 12. So my math skills kicked in:
If A=B and A = Best Beer in the world then,
Westvleteren 12 = St. Bernardus 12 then B= Best Beer in world
But I’m smart, and know that all beers are not equal (and I also know that my logic used A and B as constants, and beer is not constant). So last weekend while watching the Bears Game (It’s a rebuilding year!!!) I decided to taste test Westvleteren 12 (or Westie 12 as the beer nerds like to call it) head to head against St. Bernardus 12 (Or St. B as I like to call it).
Disclosure- IN NO WAY WAS THIS A SCIENTIFIC STUDY. The Westie 12 that I drank was older than the St. Bernardus. So right there this makes this study null and void. But let’s press on to the results.
I tried the Westie 12 first. It’s good, really good. My first impressions were figs, almonds, brown sugar. It had nice head and was not overly heavy. It’s hard to believe that it’s 10.20% ABV. It’s defiantly a very drinkable beer which is a good thing..but could be a bad thing.
Next I tried the St. Bernardus. It’s good, really good. My first impressions were raisens, chocolate, honey. It also had a nice head. I could defiantly drink a whole bottle even at 10.00% ABV.
So was Westie 12 better than St. Bernardus? I don’t know. It’s all subjective. Both are complex. Both drink easy. Both have superb flavors. Both are excellent beers. I liked the viscosity of Westie 12 better than the St. Bernardus. But, I liked the nose of the St. Bernardus better than the Westie. I liked both flavors equally, but they were different. In the end, I did like the Westie 12 better than the St. Bernardus only because I liked the tighter mouth feeling.
Is Westie 12 the best beer in the World? Again, I don’t know. I haven’t tried every beer in the world. I think the limited distribution creates some of the majestic qualities the beer has. Because you can’t walk into a Seven-11 and buy a 6 pack it makes the beer exclusive which creates the perception that it is extra special. You add exclusivity to a really excellent tasting beer and you have the best beer in the world.
Overall, both Westvleteren 12 and St. Bernardus 12 are excellent beers. If you’re drinking either you will not be disappointed.
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