In some breaking news, Onbeer.org has learned that Alberta will be one of the rare recipients of a one-time only shipment of Westvleteren Trappist beer. The beer produced at the Abbey of Saint Sixtus of Westvleteren is the rarest of the seven Trappist monasteries and has become among the highest valued beer on the planet (in part due to its rarity). Westvleteren is the most traditional of the Trappist Abbeys, being the only one where the monks are the primary brewers. Plus, in a quirk I quite appreciate, they do not label the bottles (and haven’t since 1945) – all the required legal information is on the cap. It makes the bottles look wonderfully elegant.

Normally Westvleteren can only be purchased directly at the Abbey and to individuals only through advance booking. However, they are currently working on an extensive renovation to the brewery and decided to quietly run an auction to sell additional production around the world to raise capital to finance construction. One distributor got the rights for Canada, and Alberta has been allotted a significant portion of that order (rumours have it Ontario will get the rest).

This is what we will get: gift six-packs of Westvleteren 12 – their strongest offering – complete with 2 branded glasses. So, sorry, no single bottles, but maybe a group of you can combine to buy a pack, just like Oilers season’s tickets. Initial estimates put the pack at around $65-70.

There is some speculation that demand may outstrip supply, so Sherbrooke Liquor, who will get the largest portion t, is planning a system of pre-ordering to guarantee purchases for those with advance planning skills – with a $50 deposit. I have my order in already. I am not sure what other stores slated to receive some of the beer (and at this point I am not sure who that is) are planning on doing with their allotment.

For those of you less familiar with Westvleteren, trust me when I suggest that this is a pretty big deal. Their beer are hard to find, given their limited production (they produce less than 5,000 hectolitres, which is smaller than Alley Kat and Wildrose) and determination to keep control of distribution. I own a bottle each of their 8 and 12, which I admit I procured while in Belgium on the grey market, plus I have had a couple of bottles of their lighter Blonde (which was wonderful). This may demonstrate how hard it is to find.

Plus, their beer are some of the finest examples of Belgian-style ales in the world. This statement is contested by many who think the brewery is over-rated. I personally, as a lover of all the Trappist monasteries, am not going to get in the middle of that debate. What I know is that they are well made beer and they are worth the extra bit of cash needed to procure them.

But, here is where I put the brakes on your excitement. The Alberta shipment won’t arrive until next fall, likely November. Yes, more than a year. The beer hasn’t even been made yet. So relax, have another beer and casually approach Jim at Sherbrooke (or the good folks at Little Guy in Sherwood Park or your local quality beer store) over the next few weeks to arrange for your share. And then wait.

I suggest a good strategy to bide your time is to buy the other Trappist beer and work your way through them. Then by the time the West-V arrives, you will have a good handle on what the others taste like, and you can offer an authoritative opinion on which is better. When the time comes I plan on starting a long discussion on the relative merits of each!

So, that is the news. For now stand down, and keep watching onbeer.org for updates (if I can be allowed a quick personal plug).