Xmas beershopping

Went beer shopping this afternoon.

I'm going to organize a blind beer tasting Rochefort 10 - Sint Bernardus 12 - Westvleteren 12 for my beer loving friends. I'm really curious how they will perform :-)

Because a beer tasting with 3 (although very respected) beers is a bit shallow,  I'm going to throw in the Sint Bernardus x-mas, and the La Trappe quadrupel.

Westvleteren 12 

• alcohol: 10.2% ABV (alcohol by volume)
• brewing type: quadrupel, dark
• origin:  Abby Sint Sixtus, Donkerstraat 12, B -8640 Westvleteren (Belgium)
• price: € 52/crate incl Deposit for empty bottles and crate,  1.76 /bottle, incl. deposit (prices 2 jan 2015)
• serving temperature according to brewer: between 12° and 16° C

Rochefort 10

• alcohol: 11.3% ABV
• brewing type: quadrupel, dark
• origin:  abby Notre-Dame de Saint-Remy, B-5580 Rochefort (Belgium)
• serving temperature according to brewer: between 12° and 14° C
• price: € 2.50/ bottle incl deposit (qualidrinks, prices 2 jan 2015)

La Trappe quadrupel

• alcohol: 10% ABV
• brewing type: quadrupel, amber
• origin: abby Onze Lieve Vrouw van Koningshoeven, Eindhovenseweg 3, 5056 RP Berkel-Enschot (Tilburg, NL)
• serving temperature according to brewer: between 12° and 14° C
• price: € 1.75/ bottle incl deposit (qualidrinks, prices 2 jan 2015)

Sint Bernardus ABT 12 

• alcohol: 10% ABV
• brewing type: quadrupel, dark
• origin:  Brewery Sint Bernardus,  Trappistenweg 23, 8978 Watou, Belgium
• price: € 1.90/ bottle incl deposit (qualidrinks, prices 2 jan 2015)

Sint Bernardus Christmas ale 

• alcohol: 10% ABV
• brewing type: quadrupel, dark
• origin:  Brewery Sint Bernardus,  Trappistenweg 23, 8978 Watou, Belgium
• price: € 2.10/ bottle incl deposit (qualidrinks, prices 2 jan 2015)
  

Q: Why "Rochefort 10" while the alcohol percentage is 11.3?  Or why "Westvleteren 12" while the alcohol percentage is 10.2?   

A: Well... "10" and "12" in the name refers to the old Belgian system to measure beer density.  This value was used to determine the taxation.  The wort was measured at 17,5°C, before the fermentation process.   Of course there is a correlation between this density and the alcohol percentage of the beer, but there are other factors in the brewing process.  It was abolished in 1993 and replaced by the plato scale.  Wikipedia has an excellent article.

In a previous post I told you about the very nice Christmas Beer tasting @ het Anker (Mechelen).  
For me, one beer clearly stood out,  St Feuillien Cuvée de Noël (9% ABV) so I couldn't resist ...
I also bought some  St Feuillien bruin (8.5% ABV)  and Brasserie LeFort (Omer Vander Ghinste, 8.5% ABV).   Very interesting beers!

(sorry for the bad quality, took this in my cellar ;-))