Westvleteren Blonde
January 12, 2008
Well, of course I’ve been looking for one of the Westvleterens for a long time (as any beer lover would be). I finally found a Blonde back in June in Stockholm at, of all places, the hotel bar where we stayed. I thought I might be able to track down a Westvleteren in Copenhagen, but not only did they not have one at Den Tatoverede Enke, but the bartender was also a complete bastard about it. At least they’ve taken it off the menu on their web site. Anyway…
The bartender at Belgo Bar was much nicer and was very patient with me since I had lots of questions about other beer. They had the blonde, 8, and 12 on the menu, but only had the blonde while we were there. The bartender’s advice was that first you drive a Volkswagen, then a Volvo, and finally a Jaguar. I hate to think I was paying so much for a Volkswagen beer, but when you think about it, it has a much nicer reputation in the US than in Europe. So I ordered the blonde — I’m not proud of how much I paid for it, but it does make for a nice anecdote. Scandinavia is probably the absolute worst place on earth to buy an expensive beer since the exchange rate is so stacked against us, but I had to do it. I faltered for a bit, thinking I might try a “Chimay Rouge” instead since it seemed different than the “Chimay Rød” on the menu, although as it turned out, it was just the Chimay Premiere. I’m glad my wife talked me in to the blonde instead. My impressions: presented in a Westveleteren glass and poured by the bartender. Frosty white head that settles down fairly quickly with just a little bit of lacing. A small bit of head remained throughout. Serving temperature was about 50 degrees. Had a slight lemony smell, a very smooth initial taste that was light and slightly sweet. In my notes, I have that it was smooth and balanced several times, so I’ll include that here as well. Finish was slightly citrus-y. All in all, it was delicious — it may be the reputation, but I have to say it was one of the best beers I’ve ever had and it makes me that much more excited to find the 8 and/or the 12. ABV is 5.8 %; paid ~$50 at the Belgo Bar for 11.2 oz bottle.
