Ice Cream? ICE CREAM.

Beer #623 Westvleteren 8 / Sint-Sixtusabdij van Westvleteren, Westvleteren, Belgium
Previously from this brewery: The blond, the blond, the Westy 8

Sunny and warm Saturday on deck, so I guess that means I'm spending part of it in front of a computer screen.  I should at least take my laptop outside and work on my tan, I suppose.

Next up from Sint Sixtus is the Westvleteren 8, a dubbel beer that pours a dark mahogany color.  In fact, it's basically the same color as the Westvleteren 12, so we had to continually make sure we knew which was which so photos and notes could be organized.  A small price to pay to be able to sample three of the world's best beers, to be sure.  Served in a gorgeous chalice, there are aromas of malt and stone fruit, and when you take a sip you find a wonderful balance of caramel, stone fruit, brown sugar, and chocolate. There's a good bit of sweetness, but nothing overpowering.  Very complex, yet I could easily drink this beer all day.  I wish I could drink this beer all day, in fact.  This abbey beer was delicious from the start, but improved as it warmed a bit.  Want to know how good this beer was?  Some members of our group thought this beer might have been better than the legendary Westy 12.....

The 12, the blond, the 8

Tiny bit of history: the abbey has been in existence since 1831, although there have been other religious orders in the area dating back to the year 806.  You know, as in the 9th century?  And just in case beer isn't exactly your thing, there's also a killer ice cream made with the Westy 8 available at In De Vrede, the cafe next door to the monastery.  Here's your beer ice cream review:  it was freaking delicious!

heavenly (small pun intended)

Thing to Think About Today:
Keeping with the saintly theme related to Sint Sixtus, Louis Armstrong takes us home with When the Saints Go Marching In. Enjoy.... see you all again soon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyLjbMBpGDA