Where to buy Westvleteren in BE

[Vels]

Hi

We are going to Belgium in May, and i would like to buy some bottles of each Westvleteren.
Anybody here know where it is for sale ?

Cheers
Jakob

 

[Kai]

My understanding is that the best place to buy it is by appointment from the abbey itself. I don't think they endorse resellers profiting off of their beer.

The Westvleteren "Trappist" is exclusively sold in the abbey. The 'Trappist Westvleteren' can from now on only be purchased after reservation (phone number).
...
We sell per crate of 24 bottles.
...
Westvleteren Trappist is only sold to individual customers. Every customer promises not to sell the beer to others.

Pretty hardcore, eh?

 

[dannypo]

I picked up a few when I was in Brussles at de Bier Tempel. Its right near the Grand Place.They have quite a selection of beer and beer merchandise.

 

[fifelee]

I saw them at the "beer king" in Amsterdam, but wouldn't buy them because I know the monks don't want them to be resold. I might have been tempted if I didn't already have a few that I got at the abbey.

http://www.debierkoning.nl/

If you want just a few (only one 12) you can buy one four pack at the cafe next to the abbey. To get cases of Westies the proper way you have to call there beer phone. (+32 (0)70/21.00.45) This will get you a recorded message that will tell you a time to call back. Call back at that time (I wasn't ever able to get thru when I was last in Belgium) and make and appointment when to pick up the beer.

http://www.sintsixtus.be/eng/index2.html

 

[Vels]

As we will not be going North, and we only need 2 bottles of each, i think de Bier Tempel is our best chance.

Thx for the tip

Cheers
Jakob

 

[landhoney]

we only need 2 bottles of each

Not after you taste one, then you'll NEED a lot more.

 

[Danek]

Just to resurrect and add a little bit to this thread for any future users of the "search" button - to buy beer from the Abbey at Westvleteren, as others have said, you have to make a reservation in advance.

- The first step is to find out when their beer hotline is open, and what days their beer is available. Only one or two types of beer are available at any one time. The necessary info is posted on their website at The brewery: Actual information .

- Then, at a time when they're taking reservations (which is usually in the morning, local time) you spend about two hours hitting "redial" on your phone to actually get through to the guy on the beer hotline (+32 70 21 00 45). When I tried it was engaged around 95% of the time, and the other times just rang for ages and then disconnected, leaving me thinking some very un-monk-like thoughts. After a morning on the phone with no success I had to try calling again another day.

- Then, if and when you finally get through, a monk (who by this stage will seem like the most magical human being you've ever spoken to in your whole life) asks for the license plate of your car - or if you'll be in a hire car, he takes your name instead. You give him your license plate and then tell him what day you'll be in Westvleteren, and he says "OK, you will come at fourteen fifteen hours".

- Finally, you then put the phone down, and hear a faint noise that sounds like a beautiful choir of angels singing somewhere in the distance.

 

[billco]

IF you were looking for tasting them all there is a bar outside the monastery. DEFINITELY worth the trip. One other note though on the beer from the monastery- not all are available in bottle at all times- at least when I was there.

 

[Tall_Yotie]

Sorry to revive an old thread, but wanted to give an update. I went to the cafe next to the abbey, In De Vrede, and they do not sell the beer. Or at least not when I went a month ago. Either they were out, or not doing it any more, language was a barrier. They do have gift boxes for 22 Euro, which is a bottle of Westy12 and 2 glasses.

I spent a long time staying up late trying to get an order placed, but it did not work out, so I had to go to the Bier Tempel in Brugge and got a few from there. I have no issue buying it from other folks, but that is because I put in a lot of effort to get it from the abbey.

 

[Danek]

Sorry to revive an old thread, but wanted to give an update. I went to the cafe next to the abbey, In De Vrede, and they do not sell the beer. Or at least not when I went a month ago. Either they were out, or not doing it any more, language was a barrier. They do have gift boxes for 22 Euro, which is a bottle of Westy12 and 2 glasses.

I spent a long time staying up late trying to get an order placed, but it did not work out, so I had to go to the Bier Tempel in Brugge and got a few from there. I have no issue buying it from other folks, but that is because I put in a lot of effort to get it from the abbey.

Yeah, beer supplies at In De Vrede are very limited. If you want to buy a beer to drink at the bar you'll be fine, but if you're after the few six-packs of beer that they sell to take away, it's much harder to say when they'll be available. They had a few packs when I went in September, though it's really much more a cafe-bar than a liquor store. Although for future reference if you have no joy buying from there, then there is still some modest consolation available. The Struise brewery sales outlet is only about five minutes away from the abbey at Westvleteren, and you can buy crates of Black Albert, Pannepot and their other beers from them with no trouble. Buying Pannepot for around two euros a bottle feels like theft.

 

[Tall_Yotie]

Awesome, thanks for the info! I doubt I will be back there any time soon (stupid not having a lot of money to freely spend), but when/if I do, I will hit that spot up!

 

[DelftBlue]

There was an article in the Belgian press today suggesting that the Abbey is in talks with a Belgian supermarket regarding a commercial distribution agreement.

 

[Krbo44]

Hello,
I live near the abbey of Westvleteren and you must order by phone for 1 crate and this you can only do it once every 60 days. But when you go to the abbey, there's a bar "Ten Vrede" where you can drink the beer and there's also a little shop where they sell beer,glasses,cheese and others.You can buy daily 6 bottles, so when you go in a group of, say 3 people, you can take 12 bottles and the next day and so on.In some shops like "de biertempel" in bruges or brussels you can also find it but you gonna pay 3 times the price, the same in the few bars that are permitted to sell West-Vleteren.So it depends of how many days you'll stay in Belgium and if you stay far from the monastery.

 

[sanderloones]

As a local, I always have some crates for sale for €120 per crate(24 bottles).

Hi

We are going to Belgium in May, and i would like to buy some bottles of each Westvleteren.
Anybody here know where it is for sale ?

Cheers
Jakob