Update on the U.S. Westy release

Beer and Spirits
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Drink one and hope for the best

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Our kind o’ guy! pepsi

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What is funny… I visited the monastary back in 2003, before I knew about the whole ritual around selling the Westy. We visited just because it was Sixtus. Had I known, I would have tried to figure out how to buy a case and send it back to the US. It is a beautiful part of Europe, and special to my father-in-law, as that is where he fought (and was wounded in) the Battle of the Bulge. Anyway, the monastary is a cool place, but next time I am getting beer while I am there.

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Got one for when you come down ( if ever) [cheers.gif]

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I’d also love to get my hands on some. I’ve never had it and would love to try…

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If anyone is interested in a trade, I would be willing to trade for Pappy’s 20 or 23, or maybe Chimere. I know these are all super rare, but if you’d rather have a super rare beer than one of these, let me know and we’ll see if we can work a deal,

Steve

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Buddy just called and told me he put his 6 on ebay for 500 … sold in half an hour

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I talked to the people who got allocations in PDX while making deliveries yesterday. Most 1) didn’t think the beer was worth the hype, and 2) never wanted to be involved in this sort of thing again because it was a complete clusterf**k (not so much because of the sales, but because of the incessant phone calls from people looking for it). One place put up a sign that said “We’re sold out of our Westy allocation and we don’t expect any more. Ever.”

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Rick, imagine regular folks drinking drc for the first time…would it be worth the cost of admission/ hype?

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DRC is (allegedly — I wouldn’t know) just really really good Pinot Noir, though. In other words, DRC is easily accessible to a wine drinker’s palate. Westy 12, on the other hand, is a pretty extreme beer — I know of plenty beer aficionados that simply don’t like quads. I wonder how many folks who are buying these Westy packs even know (1) what a quadruppel is, and (2) that they’re buying one.

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I would think the price of admission would filter out most of the uninformed.

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I was at the lottery today and did not get one. Most of the people were uninitiated, and in fact about half were there to buy it for someone else. It mildly ticked me that, for example, on guy brought his wife and 3 kids. All of those tickets got drawn so this guy left with 5 packs.

But what really irritated me was that to kill time, they auctioned off 3 cases of Cantillon. I did not win one, and I talked to virtually everyone who did- not one person knew what Cantillon was and none of them knew what a Lambic was. I suspect that all of the Cantillon is going to get tasted, people are going to say WTF, and pour the rest of the bottle down the drain. I complained to an employee who totally agreed with me, and he had questioned the bosses on why they would do this. Oh well. Luckily for me, a fantasic BB member has a bottle reserved for me.

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While the uninitiated thing would be mildly to moderately annoying to me, the thing about the guy and his wife and kids would really get me hot. Talk about a colossal Fuck-up on running the lottery. Sorry, man — I know how bad you wanted these.

But what really irritated me was that to kill time, they auctioned off 3 cases of Cantillon. I did not win one, and I talked to virtually everyone who did- not one person knew what Cantillon was and none of them knew what a Lambic was. I suspect that all of the Cantillon is going to get tasted, people are going to say WTF, and pour the rest of the bottle down the drain. I complained to an employee who totally agreed with me, and he had questioned the bosses on why they would do this. Oh well. Luckily for me, a fantasic BB member has a bottle reserved for me.

This is really sucky, too. Why were these people buying them if they didn’t know who Cantillon is or what a Lambic is? How were they being auctioned/advertised? Which bottling(s) were being auctioned? What size bottles? How much were they going for? What a bull-shit practice, man. I have no doubt that when you receive one from the BB member who’s helping you out that you will enjoy it quite immensely — assuming that you’re receiving a young bottle, it may even be worth putting some age on it, if you have that kind of willpower.

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There were two bottlings- Iris, and one that was peach flavored- it has a long name I cannot reprodcue right now. The Iris was 20 bucks and the other was 30 bucks. Why were they buying them? Mostly because they were told this was a beer that was hard to find. So, again most of them are going to be shocked when the open it. As I said, I said something to an employee who agreed, and next time I am in the area, I will say something to the owners. I feel like it is selling Petrus to a bunch of Yellowtail drinkers, and when the say what the heck is this? they pour it out. The anaolgy is not perfect, plus it sounds really snobby, but I do think it is true.

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The Iris is good, but it’s somewhat of an oddball brew for Cantillon — it would have been worth the $20. I assume the peach one was the Fou Founne, which is made with apricots, rather than peaches. IMO, it’s worth $30 — it is absolutely stunning stuff.

I think you should say something to the owners — it’s bad business for them, as you’d think they’d want to take care of their best beer-geek customers a little better than they apparently did here.

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Brian: Yes, it was the Fou Founne- I never got a good look at the bottle, and only saw it briefly. I actually did get one Iris by paying some guy $10 over the sale price. Why is it an oddball for them- I am curious? I hope you get some amusement in this… I tried to make a similar offer to a women who got a Fou Founne and had never heard the word lambic or gueze in her life. She would have considered selling it to me, but she told me “The label says it was ‘aged on oak barrels’ so it must be good” and wouldn’t give it up.

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Here’s a recent TN of mine for the Iris: near the end of the note is an explanation of its oddball-ness:
2007 Cantillon Brewery Iris - Belgium, Brussels, Anderlecht (3/28/2012)
– crown-capped and corked –
– bottled in 2010; from 375mL –

NOSE: very expressive; lemony tangy funk; quite pleasurable;

BODY: hazy dark orange color; sediment present; slight whitish head disippates quickly.

TASTE: lemony; dry; malt; quite sour, but not as aggressively sour as many Cantillon brews – of course, that could be partly due to the age, as well; well-balanced, and could take more age if one so preferred. Very nice. 9.0/10.

From the bottle’s back label:
”The use of pure malt and the spontaneous fermentation make the IRIS a unique beer. It matures for two years in oak casks and undergoes a natural second fermentation in the bottle afterwards. The use of fresh hops gives the IRIS a delicate bitter flavour. This specific characteristic and the absence of wheat distinguish the IRIS from the other CANTILLON beers, that are made with a base of Lambic … if stored under ideal conditions, the beer can be kept until 2017.”

Posted from CellarTracker


I hope you get some amusement in this… I tried to make a similar offer to a women who got a Fou Founne and had never heard the word lambic or gueze in her life. She would have considered selling it to me, but she told me “The label says it was ‘aged on oak barrels’ so it must be good” and wouldn’t give it up.

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Soooo … who’s been gettin’ into their brick already!?! [d_training.gif] [gen_fro.gif]

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I had the one, but have been sick for a couple of days now, so no beer for me. Apparently Jorge doesn’t want to post anymore eh? [smileyvault-ban.gif]

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I saw the six pack for $85 with some glasses as well. Have fun trying them