A Battle of the Best
In this article our aim is to compare two of the most appreciated and loved beers in the world, on a variety of characteristics. The beers being compared include St Bernardus Abt 12 and the Westvleteren 12
Disclaimer
Readers should be aware of the fact that as with all comparisons, this one is also incomplete and some aspects or characteristic of both products may be lost in the comparison and that all ratings no matter how rational and cogent they appear are subjective. However, for the purpose of accuracy we will attempt to make the comparison as rational as possible.
Overview
Both beers are exceptionally amazing and have advocates all over the world. They are both brewed in Belgium. The St Bernardus Abt 12 is brewed in Watou while the Westvleteren is obviously brewed in Westvleteren.
According to BeerAdvocate the Westvleteren 12 is rated #2 as opposed to the St Bernardus Abt 12 being rated as #8. But don't form your opinions yet; we have a lot more to cover. Westvleteren 12 has been rated the #1 beer in the world by RateBeer.com while the same source has ranked its opponent (for current purposes at least) as #8. Furthermore, the alcoholic content in Westvleteren 12 is 10.2% while the St. Bernardus contains 10%.
Recipe
It might interest the readers to find out that St Bernardus still uses the original Westvleteren recipe with Westvleteren yeast; while Westvleteren itself uses Westmalle yeast.
Note: Giving the verdict here doesn't seem justified because there is just so much we don't know about the recipe.
Appearance
The Westvleteren 12 appears cloudy and has a dark reddish brown color; it usually has a tan head of one finger and leaves a thin lace behind.
Even though almost identical, the St. Bernardus has a slightly hazy appearance with a similar creamy tan and lacing.
Verdict: St. Bernardus just looks more appealing and attractive but opinions may vary.
Aroma
Westvleteren 12 initially gives off a sweet smell with subtle hints of dried fruits. However, if you warm it up to around 55 degree Fahrenheit, the aroma becomes significantly enhanced and you can smell cheery, caramel, figs, licorice, chocolate and of course, the alcohol.
St Bernardus smells rich, sweet and malty with hints of caramel, figs and prunes.
Verdict: At first, St Bernardus smells better than Westvleteren, because the aroma of the former is unapparent. But as you heat it up a little bet, there is no mistaking the elegance of the aroma of Westvleteren, so the verdict goes in its favor.
Flavor
Westvleteren has the right amount of sweet, with notes of caramel, vanilla, figs, prunes, and a hint of cherries.
The St Bernardus tastes similar, but there is a hint of toffee and peppery spice, it begins with a partially sweet taste and then exposes you to rich flavors dried cherries, figs, prunes and raisins.
Verdict: Definitely the Westvleteren 12, because of how the taste enhances as the beer warms up. It truly sweeps you off your feet.
Conclusion
Call us conformists but we really think the Westvleteren 12 has a better aroma, flavor, mouth feel and buzz. The Bernardus 12 appears a tad bit more appealing. Hence the final verdict goes to the Westvleteren 12.
However Westvleteren beer is exceptionally difficult to get because you need to call a beer hotline, which is only available for a few hours on specified dates and even then you can't buy as much as you want to. It's only available from the monastery itself or its official sale point which is a restaurant across the abbey. Considering how difficult the beer is to get, St. Bernardus is definitely a worthy alternate, perhaps even the closest to the best beer in the world.
For more information regarding Westvleteren beer and Westvleteren 12 visit website trappistbeershop.com
Disclaimer
Readers should be aware of the fact that as with all comparisons, this one is also incomplete and some aspects or characteristic of both products may be lost in the comparison and that all ratings no matter how rational and cogent they appear are subjective. However, for the purpose of accuracy we will attempt to make the comparison as rational as possible.
Overview
Both beers are exceptionally amazing and have advocates all over the world. They are both brewed in Belgium. The St Bernardus Abt 12 is brewed in Watou while the Westvleteren is obviously brewed in Westvleteren.
According to BeerAdvocate the Westvleteren 12 is rated #2 as opposed to the St Bernardus Abt 12 being rated as #8. But don't form your opinions yet; we have a lot more to cover. Westvleteren 12 has been rated the #1 beer in the world by RateBeer.com while the same source has ranked its opponent (for current purposes at least) as #8. Furthermore, the alcoholic content in Westvleteren 12 is 10.2% while the St. Bernardus contains 10%.
Recipe
It might interest the readers to find out that St Bernardus still uses the original Westvleteren recipe with Westvleteren yeast; while Westvleteren itself uses Westmalle yeast.
Note: Giving the verdict here doesn't seem justified because there is just so much we don't know about the recipe.
Appearance
The Westvleteren 12 appears cloudy and has a dark reddish brown color; it usually has a tan head of one finger and leaves a thin lace behind.
Even though almost identical, the St. Bernardus has a slightly hazy appearance with a similar creamy tan and lacing.
Verdict: St. Bernardus just looks more appealing and attractive but opinions may vary.
Aroma
Westvleteren 12 initially gives off a sweet smell with subtle hints of dried fruits. However, if you warm it up to around 55 degree Fahrenheit, the aroma becomes significantly enhanced and you can smell cheery, caramel, figs, licorice, chocolate and of course, the alcohol.
St Bernardus smells rich, sweet and malty with hints of caramel, figs and prunes.
Verdict: At first, St Bernardus smells better than Westvleteren, because the aroma of the former is unapparent. But as you heat it up a little bet, there is no mistaking the elegance of the aroma of Westvleteren, so the verdict goes in its favor.
Flavor
Westvleteren has the right amount of sweet, with notes of caramel, vanilla, figs, prunes, and a hint of cherries.
The St Bernardus tastes similar, but there is a hint of toffee and peppery spice, it begins with a partially sweet taste and then exposes you to rich flavors dried cherries, figs, prunes and raisins.
Verdict: Definitely the Westvleteren 12, because of how the taste enhances as the beer warms up. It truly sweeps you off your feet.
Conclusion
Call us conformists but we really think the Westvleteren 12 has a better aroma, flavor, mouth feel and buzz. The Bernardus 12 appears a tad bit more appealing. Hence the final verdict goes to the Westvleteren 12.
However Westvleteren beer is exceptionally difficult to get because you need to call a beer hotline, which is only available for a few hours on specified dates and even then you can't buy as much as you want to. It's only available from the monastery itself or its official sale point which is a restaurant across the abbey. Considering how difficult the beer is to get, St. Bernardus is definitely a worthy alternate, perhaps even the closest to the best beer in the world.
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For more information regarding Westvleteren beer and Westvleteren 12 visit website trappistbeershop.com
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