Trappist Westvleteren 8

Trappist Westvleteren 8 is a Belgian Dubbel by the Westvleteren Brewery in Westvleteren, Belgian. The brewery is a part of the abbey of Saint Sixtus of Westvleteren. The beer can only be bought on premise in Belgium. Its suggested you call to make a reservation as they only sell enough beer a day to maintain the abbey. Westvleteren also makes the Westvleteren 12, which is the top rated beer on Beer Advocate.

A friend brought this back after I suggested they visit it. I usually only review beers you can buy in northern California, but this was so good and rare i wanted to write it up. I got one bottle and savored every sip. It has an ABV of 8%

The beer pours a dark, opaque brown with a medium, fluffy head that leaves no lacings.The aroma has tart apple, light dark fruits, bread malts, toffee, candy sugar, and light spices. The taste has a distinct dark grape or prune flavor, with light toffee, roasted and bread malts, slight butteriness, spice and light honey. There's a light alcohol taste at the end. The mouthfeel is creamy and it has a medium body with light carbonation. The finish is slightly dry but leaves a nice coat to the mouth.

Overall, this is a really good beer with complex, balanced flavors. I've never had a beer like this. While its a Belgian, don't expect any strong Belgian yeast flavors. The fruit flavors are distinct, delicious but subtle and are backed up by delicious malt flavors. This is definitely a Must Have It.