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There are eight authentic Trappist breweries in the world. The beers are brewed by or under the supervision of monks, members of the Order of the Reformed Cistercians of the Strict Observance, a branch of the Roman Catholic Cistercians. The abbeys and breweries aren't open to the public; they brew beer for their own consumption and to support their order.
A gift pack of Westvleteren 12 beer. (AP photo)
Most of the abbeys distribute their beers, meaning you can buy them here in bars and stores.
But one of them, Westvleteren, doesn't distribute. They only sell their beer at the abbey and in a visitor center. If you want to get a bottle here in the United State you have to go through the unofficial gray market and pay upwards of $20 per bottle. Perhaps because of this, their strongest beer, simply named 12 (or XII using Roman numerals), is one of the highest-rated beers on BeerAdvocate.com and Ratebeer.com. It's a quadrupel: a rich, complex dark ale in the same style as Rochefort 10 and St. Bernardus Abt 12.
To fund an abbey expansion, Westvleteren is officially releasing gift packs of the beer on Dec. 12 (12-12-12, get it?) in the United States. This is the only brewery-sanctioned way to buy the beer in America.
In Florida, Total Wine & More says they are the only store carrying the packs, which come with six bottles of XII and two Westvleteren glasses. The suggested price is $85 per pack. That's not cheap, but it's probably cheaper than buying six bottles through the gray market.
For those who want to pre-order a pack or buy a single bottle, Total Wine released this statement:
“Westvleteren XII will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis; Limit ONE 6-pack per customer priced at $84.99. Pack contents will not be broken down and sold individually. There will be no reservations, pre-orders, wait lists, layaways, or phone or online orders for future in-store pick-up. Individual purchasers must be physically present in the store while product is available with valid ID showing proof of legal age.”
So that means you'll have to go to the store on Dec. 12 and hope they have packs in stock. Maybe go in on one with some friends?
If you get the chance to try this beer, will you please let me know what you think? Does it live up to its hype as one of the best beers in the world?
UPDATE (via Beerpulse)
Importer Shelton Brothers has released a list of every store in the country that will be carrying the Westvleteren pack.
In Florida, Total Wine & More is the only place to buy it. I have confirmed with the Sarasota (University Park) Total Wine that they will be selling it. Comparing Shelton Brothers' list to the list of all Total Wines in Florida shows that every store will be getting some. Here's the complete list:
Total Wine, Boca Raton
Total Wine, Boynton Beach
Total Wine, Clearwater
Total Wine, Fort Lauderdale
Total Wine, Fort Myers
Total Wine, Jacksonville
Total Wine, Miami
Total Wine, North Miami
Total Wine, Naples
Total Wine (Colonial Plaza), Orlando
Total Wine (Millenia Plaza), Orlando
Total Wine, Palm Beach Gardens
Total Wine, Pembroke Pines
Total Wine, Plantation
Total Wine, St. Petersburg
Total Wine, Sarasota
Total Wine, Stuart
Total Wine, Tampa
Total Wine, Village of Wellington
I've heard it's even closer to St. Bernardus Abt 12.