Who would have thought.....

 This bottle of Westvleteren 8 is 12 years old. AT LEAST. I purchased it at The Map Room, sometime between 1995 and November 2000, when I worked there, and when both 8 & 12 were available in the USA. We opened it last night, sure that it would we well past its prime, and kicking ourselves for letting it go "to waste" as it sat, hidden and forgotten, on the bottom shelf in the circus room, collecting dust.
Such was not the case! It was still nicely carbonated, and though it did exhibit a little oxidative character, it was not papery or carboardy, and was rich, malty and chock full of date flavour. Lucky us.