St. Bernardus Abt 12

Brewed by St. Bernard Brouwerij
Style: Abt/Quadrupel
Watou, Belgium

Most amazing beer I’ve ever had the pleasure to drink. On Tap @ Canal Street Pub, and in bottles at my house :) Very smooth everything. Hides the 10% ABV extremely well. Anyone who wants to argue USA Vs Belgium Beer need to look no further then this beer.

On tap @ the Hopleaf. Perfectly done and the most exemplary example of the style. Ar: Plums, raisins, candied sugar, strong bananas and cloves. Ap: Very thick, dark honey color. Huge ivory head that accentuated the color nicely and dissipated quickly enough to release the aromas. Fl: Extremely fruity, dark cherries, candied sugar, coconut, bananas and cloves. Disguises abv beautifully. Pa: Ends a little dry and warming w/ lingering overripe fruits. Definitely lived up to the hype. Much better on tap than out of the bottle though.

On tap at Nachbar. Poured into Trappist glass. Moderate, slowly disappearing head. Aroma is of candied sugar, a little burn of alcohol, with fruit and spice. Flavor is very smooth and sweet with sugar, fruit essences and no sign of alcohol whatsoever. Very well balanced. The Belgian’s know how to do it!

Cloudy, dark reddish-brown with a tan head. Sweet aroma of dark fruit and candy. Complex fruit flavors dominate with notes of caramel and spice and even some roasted flavors. Dry, slightly bitter finish balances it out nicely. I would definitely get this one again.

Bottled 2006, tasted 2009: Dark brown, beige head. Sweet port like aroma and flavour with medium complexity. Brown sugar. Malty. Dades (dried fruit). Hides the ABV very well. Good carbonation. Smooth. Surprisingly good.

Dark amber to copper color, almost tawny port-wine look. Medium fluffy off-white head. Aroma of medium sweet port or sherry with lots of dried fruit and sweet sugar candy. Moderate sweet initial with dried fruits, vanilla. Complex fruity mouthfeel with grapes, cherries, notes of tobacco and trappist cheese. Distinct dry finish with spices and a touch of oak. Wonderfully balanced trappist ale with a very robust, but gentle body, fullness of yeast and rich malty tones with a lively, smooth character. Very close to the perfection of the Rochefort brews.

Extremely dark and yeasty, but not black like advertised more of an off-brown or red color. Smells of dark fruit and licorice with slight pepper, alcohol is prominent in taste but adds nice bitter contrast to very complex fruity tastes. Overall very high quality.

Very dark and cloudy...not sure I understand the "dark ivory color" comment from the brewery. Regardless, the appearance is what I expected from a quad...ultra dark browinish-red. Aroma is the typical dark dried fruits with a hint of tootsie roll...raisins and fig most prominent, and it smells sweet, caramel, burnt sugars. As expected, the alcohol is dangerously well hidden, balancing the sweetness well. Great beer...but for my money, the Rochefort 10 is more well rounded...this i a bit rougher around the edges, but I still loved it!