Homebrewer Creates Exact Replica of Westvleteran XII, Has No Idea

Brampton resident Todd Reynolds inadvertently struck gold earlier this week when his homebrewing efforts netted him a batch of beer that was completely identical to the famed Belgian Trappist Ale, Westvleteran XII.

Working in his garage, Reynolds happened on the recipe entirely by accident in what he describes as “only my third or fourth time making beer,” admitting, “I don’t really know what I’m doing yet.”

Slapping together a mishmash of ingredients he chose because they seemed “vaguely Belgian,” the bespectacled homebrewer utilized techniques he gleaned from a variety of store-bought homebrewing guides, including Homebrewing for Dummies.

Interestingly, despite the fact that Westvletran’s famed beer has been much in the news as of late owing to the fact that they’ve released their beer for exclusive retail sales, Reynolds had no idea what he had accomplished. On taking his first sip of his happy accident, he noted, “Yecchh!” and added “Oh boy, what is that?”

Reynolds blamed what he deemed an “epic fail” on the haphazard brewing set-up that his wife has forced him to keep in their garage, on questionable water quality in the area, and what he sheepishly referred to as his amateurish skills. “I was trying to make a saison,” he said. “Guess I really messed that up.”

Reynolds’ beer, which tasted identical to the Trappist currently selling out across North America for upwards of $80 a six-pack, was eventually dumped into the ravine behind his house as he laughed, “Back to the drawing board I guess.”

Asked what he thought of the current frenzy occurring in the province as beer fans attempt to get their hands on the 1400 six-packs of Westvleteran XII available at the LCBO, Reynolds noted, “Yeah, that’s pretty nuts. I’d sure like to try some of that beer someday.”