Hyped as the “Worlds Best Beer” by many, Westvleteren Xll will be available in Colorado Springs at Coaltrain Wine and Spirits tonight for a limited time. But as KRCC’s Katherine-Claire O’Connor reports, few people will have the privilege of tasting the Belgian beer.
Around forty people started lining up early in the morning to buy the famous beer. Colorado Springs resident Kenny Rackers strategizes with a friend near the end of the line.
“We hear a lot of different rumors. There might be thirty, there might be thirty-six, there might be thirty-two. And I’m number thirty-three so we are kind of debating if we are gunna wait it out.”
The beer is made by monks at the St. Sixtus Abbey, and this is the first and only time it’s been exported to the U.S. Jan Dennis of Monument came prepared with chairs, blankets, and a cooler full of adult beverages. Dennis sips on a different beer from stemware and describes the Westvleteren taste he remembers.
“The thing about it is it’s very well integrated. All the different styles and tastings that are in there are very well suited to each other. In beer terminology they call it a very well integrated beer.”
Coaltrain is one of four retailers in the state receiving a shipment. The distribution is a fundraiser, and all proceeds go toward restorations for the Abby. Coltrain General Manager Austin Sherwood says they've been getting calls from all across the globe about the beer.
“It’s been a wild ride, we had no idea it was going to be this insane. We’ve gotten calls from all over the country and even international call on this, because we are on a very short list, especially in Colorado.”
The six-pack of beer costs more than $80.
