St. Bernardus Bock

Bottled (6.8%). Dark amber. The malt character is similar to other St. Bernardus - deep, soft and rich. It is clean and has a salty finish. Really good, but lacks the final touch to make it truly astonishing.

Very little head, immediately gone. Dark chestnut-ebony. Cold haze, clearing to red shine. Thick brown candi-sugar, honey and gingerbread whilst pouring, later sugar, honey and caramel. Also something bitter-spicey. Yeast from St. Bernardus rules. Bitter start and surrounding around the thick dark malts in the taste. Retronasal sweetness becomes really honey-ish and something earthy appears. Mouthfeel gives heavier impression than expected from 6.7 ABV. Restrained fermentation? Alcohol impression all the same. Impressive for its relative ‘low’ ABV. I didn’t know the Dutch market was still large enough to accommodate a special product.

Caramel and flowery aroma. Brown, off-white head, good lace. Sweet, caramel, light roasted, buttery. Long lasting finish. Like bierkoning I was surprised to find this beer but it really has that distinctive St. Bernardus flavor.

From tap at De Engel, Oldenzaal. Creamy head, full bodied beer. Sweet at first, than becoming dryish with some roasted malt. Firm hopbitterness. I’m surprised that a Belgian abbey ale brewer has a bock, but it is one of the best I’ve had so far this year.