I last spoke about Westvleteren XII in December 2015. At the time, the bottle was around four years old and, if not necessarily improved (to my taste), it certainly hadn't depreciated.
The same could not be said for a bottle opened earlier this year. This one-time legend of Belgian beer suffered from the typical malaise of an over- (or incorrectly-)aged beer - oxidised aroma compounds cascade from the glass on pouring. There's a staleness to the otherwise recognisable raisin jam palate, a sort of cardboard edge to the spiced stewed apple ester play, but most prohibitive to any real enjoyment is the thick, slick and soupy texture to the body. This feels every bit of its 10.2%, but without much finesse or even pleasantly warming heat. The scarcity and age of the beer meant I felt compelled to soldier through the glass, but I only made it halfway before regrettably sending the rest down the drain.
I'm confident that this beer hasn't been contaminated or infected in any way, despite the slightly more prominent appearance of unsightly dregs roused by serving. Rather, I suspect the almost 9 years spent sitting in a cupboard with no temperature control has not served it well. Such is the risk taken with long periods of ageing, especially without properly regulated conditions.
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