Quote Originally Posted by red
hey, something non-favre related

i just ordered a 6 pack of westvleteren beer, the holy grail of beers. 3 bottles of abt 12, and 3 of abt 8

being shipped straight from belgium. cost me a shitload of money, but i can't wait to get it and finally taste the best beer in the world
I remember reading about that beer and it sounded next to impossible to buy the stuff. It sounds as though the policy has changed?

Availability

The Westvleteren beers. In the glass is the 12°Currently, the beer is priced at €25.00 (Blonde), €30 (8°) and €36.00 (12°) per 24-bottle crate (excluding bottle/crate deposit). Glasses specifically designed to drink the beer can be purchased at the abbey in packs of 6 for 16 euro.

Buyers were originally limited to ten 24-bottle crates of the beer per car, but as the beer increased in popularity, this was first reduced to five, then to two. For the Westvleteren 12 in 2009, it was limited to one case. When making an order now, the type and quantity of beer for sale are revealed. Sales are limited to one order a month per person per license plate and phone number. Also, the beer must be reserved on their "beerphone" (+32 (0)70 21 00 45) beforehand. The monks will never sell you any beer if you just drive up to the abbey hoping to get some. The reason for this is to eliminate commercial reselling, and hence give all visitors a chance to buy some.

The current production is 4750 hl per year, and this is not expected to be increased.

Aside from the brewery itself, the only other official sale point for the beer is the abbey-owned In de Vrede, a cafe and visitor's centre opposite the abbey. All beers can be bought there for immediate consumption or take-away, depending on availability (however, prices are higher than at the abbey). Often there is no beer available at the shop. The shop also sells cheeses made at the abbey, yeast tabs (not yeast to make beer but dead yeast for health) and other Trappist products.

Buyers of the beer receive a receipt with Niet verder verkopen ("Do not resell") printed on it. The abbey is very much against resale of their beer, and it is their wish that the beer is only commercially available at the two official sale points. To this end, any Westvleteren beer which is sold anywhere else in the world is grey market beer, as no wholesalers or pubs are supplied with the beer, and the abbey is actively working to eliminate the illicit sales. [4]