St. Bernardus Abt 12

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

THOUGHTS: So much carbonation it took me a very long time to get the cap off without an explosion. (Around 15 mins ar least.) Boy was this different. it’s almost like taking an incredible beer and mixing it with what we all used to think of as being beer before we had good beer. And I don’t mean Bud. I mean when someone had a German or other European import that isn’t excellent but was way better than crap beer. Oops I meant macro beer. So in other words exotic yet accessible. There seems to be a lot of German in this Belgian ale. Both are present but it’s still Belgian. Hid alcohol well. Overall I’m not impressed. It was a nice beer, but I thought it would be incredible. TECHNICAL: Bottle. Poured a murky to muddy, medium to dark reddish orangey brown with small and large body particles of an average density and a small to average, off-white head that mostly diminished. The aroma was light to moderate molasses, moderate doughy yeast, apple, cherry, brown sugar, a little spice, fruity, slight citrus and ever so slight alcohol. The initial flavor was moderately sweet and lightly bitter; while the finish was lightly acidic and moderately bitter with an average duration. There was yeasty dough, molasses, maybe toffee, some fruit like apple and cherry some spices, but also something more. The medium body was oily, yet also a little syrupy with very fizzy carbonation and a moderate alcoholic and dry finish. It went down easier the warmer it got.

Draught at GLB 08’. Deep brown pour with very little head and faint nose of nuts and carmel. Nuts, carmel, butterscotch, sweet malts on the palate. alcohol is well concealed. very very nice.

Wow, this is a fine beer, and it’s fairly easy to get which is why this is a staple in my fridge. Right up there with Westy 12 but not as creamy.

Bottle 750 ml. Pours a deep dark chocolaty brown with a moderate caramel colored frothy head. Held up to the setting sun nary a ray of light shines through, its that deep in color. The aroma is sweet and fruity with a the wonderfull smell of fresh baked bread. The smell of alcohol is very present but it’s not at all overbearing. On the palate is has quite a bit of fiz and a deep malty flavor thats reminicent of bitter unsweetened chocolate and molassass with just a hint of alcohol. A wonderful hearty brew thats not overly sweet and thick and surpirsingly very refreshing for a dark brew. I plan to enjoy many more bottles of this fine beer.

Dark brownish red with a nice off white head. Cloudy with some floaters. Lots of fruits, raisin, caramel, spices, and alchohol. Moderate carbonation and slighty syrupy texture. Delicious.

Fruity and alcoholy smell. Quite high in carbonation and alcohol. Very complex and full taste, primarily fruity - raisins, banana, cherry, carob; other dark dried fruit. Other spices - cinnamon, nuts... Roasted malt; caramel-brown sugary sweet (in combination with high carbonation one part of taste reminds of Coca cola). Long and strong aftertaste alcoholy & fruity. Very dark brown in color. Yeasty sediment on bottom.

Poured a rich chestnut brown body with a thick frothy beige-tan head. Sweet, nutty, roasty, brown sugar, candy nose withfruity spicy esters. Prickly carbonic creamy mouthfeel. Hints of raisins, figs, bananas, cloce, pepper, and brown sugar. Super awesome complex one-of-a kind beer that rivals West Vleterin 12.

Bottle. Very pleasant aroma from afar, prickles the nose up close, very rich, toffee, blackberry, dough, minor alcohol. Massive fizzing head, darker cream color, minor lacing, very opaque and cloudy, dark rust-brown in color. This is a large but smooth malt dominated beverage, almost sugary sweet candy at the start, flavor becomes very rich and heavy on the sweetness spectrum (probably too rich for my personal liking) soon after, some mixed spices and light alcohol in the finish, I do enjoy the aftertaste though. Not as memorable as I was expecting, maybe too heavy on the rich fruit, though it is definitely a well crafted drink.