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I've read that the trappist monks don't want it to be sold through off-licences or bars, and have specifically asked people not to support those that sell it in this way. Does that make it immoral to buy it through these channels? Or is it a case where it's a product to be bought or sold like any other, and sure it's really none of their business what people do with it once it's been legitimately bought and paid for?

I'd kinda lean towards saying that if there's no other way to get it, there's nothing wrong with buying it from people who are selling, but I'd be interested to know if others would share that view.

personally i love the stuff, due to the fact that i don't get to go to the monastery very often i am happy to buy it off whatever beer merchant is willing to sell it to me.

I don't think it's immoral to buy those beers, but the monks said you shouldn't so you are going to hell.

They have created a situation where demand outstrips supply so, naturally, the price the market will bear rises. The religious nature of brewery means that they can't be seen to charge more than the going rate, so the just make life easier for themselves instead. They don't deal with distributors, or shops. They don't have to give anyone credit and they don't have to pay any middle men. They just make their customers drive to the monastery at a time that suits the monks and queue up for the right to buy the beer.

Asking people not to sell on the valuable beer they had to jump through hoops to get, is futile and only someone who doesn't live in the real world would think they could do that.

I was kinda thinking that might be how people would see it all right. For the record, the religious angle wouldn't be what bothers me! Just wanted to get an idea if the general beer drinking community would be on the same train of moral thought as me on this one, which it seems they are, so sure we'll all go to hell together!

If Jesus drank wine, does that mine the devil must be a beer drinker?

The only thing bothers me about the whole thing is the grey-market prices. Westvleteren 12 is not €7+ worth of beer.

€7 seems pretty good compared to what I've seen it at: €12.50 is the cheapest bottle on crackedkettle[/url:2q4u3klw], and that's not even one that's really been aged - there are some on there for over €60 <!-- s:shock: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_eek.gif" alt=":shock:" title="Shocked" /><!-- s:shock: -->