Does the cold weather and the pandemic quarantining have you dreaming of travel and adventure? Does the prospect of crisscrossing a foreign country in search of one of the world’s most sought after beers sound enticing? If so join Mark, Pat, and our Belgian-beer loving friend Hans Gorsuch, as we embark on a virtual tour of the Trappist Breweries of the Low Countries in search of the rare Westvleteren XII. Along the way we do our best to sample the best Quads and Belgian Dark Strong Ales that Europe has to offer. The journey starts in the Netherlands at La Trappe, where we sample the first Trappist Ale to be dubbed a quadrupel (in both regular and barrel aged formats). From there we head south to Rochefort, then west to Chimay, before arriving at the Abbey St. Sixtus in search of the elusive Westy XII. After reaching those lofty heights we compare and contrast the more readily available abbey ale, St. Bernardus Abt 12, often considered the closest approximation to the Westvleteren XII. To finish things out we share a homebrewed Belgian Dark Strong Ale, featuring foraged black walnuts. So grab your favorite Trappist Ale and join us for this hour-long tour of Belgium.
Don’t forget you can find this episode and earlier ones on our podcast page, as well as Apple Music, Podbean or Spotify. Just search for the Pat’s Pints/Mark’s Mugs – All Things Beer podcast, and don’t hesitate to leave a comment or a rating.
Beers Featured
- La Trappe Quadrupel
- La Trappe Oak Aged Quadrupel
- Rochefort 10
- Chimay Grand Reserve (Blue)
- Westvleteren XII
- St Bernardus Abt 12
- Noyer Noir Noel (Homebrew)
Related Content
- Hitting the Trappist Ale Trail Part 1 – La Trappe and Westmalle
- Hitting the Trappist Ale Trail Part 2- Into Wallonia
- In Flander’s Fields – Visiting Rodenbach and Westvleteren
- Pat’s Pints/Mark’s Mugs Podcast Episode 12 – Orval and Brett Beers
- Pat’s Pints/Mark’s Mugs Podcast Episode 9 – Angels and Demons
- Quadrophlia – Searching for the World’s Best Quadrupel Ale
- Quadrophilia – Final Round Part 2, The Winner Is …
- Quadrophilia – Supplemental Round, Because ten quads is not enough
- Quadrophilia The Final Word – A definitive profile of quadrupel ales
Pat's Pints 
It was a rare treat to enjoy a Wesvleteren XII. Hans was a great guest to drink with as usual!