St. Bernardus Abt 12

Reviewed 12/04/2012. About time I review this. 11.2 oz bottle into a Duvel tulip. A: Pours a very dark reddish brown color. The head is a four finger light tan color. Rather than recede in a generic manner, the head merely loses texture before only collapsing partially. There is a LOT of lacing on the glass - not the ringed lacing of a good IPA, but spotty with large clumps. S: Lots of caramel malts, stewed dark fruits (like fig, plum, and raisin), lighter fruit esters (pear, apple), and a hint of chocolate. Perhaps not as enchantingly nuanced as Rochefort 10, but still wondrously aromatic. Nicely bready. T: The very first sip is loaded with chocolate, caramel, and dark fruit. After a few more sips, a balanced sensation of pears and phenols pop up on the finish along side faint alcohol warmth. I can also pick up a touch of raspberry and leafy tobacco as well, and the aftertaste has a bit of a milky cream flavor that is immensely enjoyable. It takes a while, but eventually, a spiced sensation of subtle nutmeg and cinnamon on the palate will show itself a little more than half way down the glass. Quite complex, but a little less so than Rochefort 10 - which is a moot point at the end of the day. This still has top caliber balance and craftsmanship. M: Not perfectly delicate, but the body’s thickness is perfect. There’s just enough of a cleanliness to the finish to encourage one to drink this faster. The booze manifests as a slight warmth on the tongue and stomach - but because of its balance, it just works in concert with the whole experience. O: It might be one of the more drinkable and balanced quads I’ve ever had. ’Course, I’ve never had Westy 12, but Hell, doesn’t Westy 12 have a very, VERY similar recipe to this? Ah well, that doesn’t matter, because it’s every bit as mindblowing as I hoped.