St. Bernardus Christmas Ale

Brewed by St. Bernard Brouwerij
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Watou, Belgium

750 mL bottle. Poured deep, deep red with fizzy head. Some splotches of lace. Flavor is sweet and spicy with plenty of dark fruit present, primarily plum, apple, and grape. Medium body. Very lively carbonation. I’ll be damned, those St. Bernardus monks have done it again.

Everything I would want out of a Belgian Christmas ale. I am tempted to call it a malt bomb, but everything meshes so well together that "bomb" would be a disservice.

750 ml bottle. A cloudy dark amber beer with a medium sized and persistent beige head. The aroma has a good maltiness and yeastiness with fruity (plums) and many spicey (coriander, cinnamon) notes. Also a bit sugary and alcoholic nose. The flavour is very sweet and lightly acidic. Overall the same notes of the nose with some chocolate. Medium to full body, lively carbonation, long finish with light to medium bitterness. One of my favourite products from this brewery, and good for a cold winter evening.

Bottle from Trinity Liquors in Spring Hill, FL. Aroma is peppery, malt, and alcohol. Pours maple syrup color...absolutely no head...does not look like your typical belgian strong...It looks like two different beers mixed together. Flavor tastes like typical belgian strong but with malt...weird. Pepper/alcohol finish. Weird coating on tongue...Warm. Overall...not what I was expecting from a Belgian Strong...Like a Bel. Strong mixed with malt...This beer is a mess...one sip tastes malty...the next tastes peppery...the last sip tasted like a shot of bourbon...Not very good.

750ml bottle, and my first beer of 2009. Start as you mean to go on. Ah. Sniff that. Lush Belgian snout of mysterious yeast, liquorice, massive juicy plum and red apple fruit. Slick, creamy and draped with lace. Murky ruby beer hanging with fine sediment. Slips down with mellow silk, plum, oak, mouldering apple peel yeastiness like an English BCA of half the ABV, caramel slickness, sprinkle of ash, marzipan, wheat, nectarine. Some nuttiness on the swallow. Lovely uncomplicated fruity-yeasty caramel sipper.

Rich Belgian aroma, thick head, full bodied Belgian Strong Ale with flavors of raisin, spice, medium bitterness. Nice extension to the St. Bernardus line. Happily drank past two weekends in a row.

Pours dark brown with tan head that dissipates quickly. Aromas of Belgian yeast, candy sugar and bananas. Sweet flavor of dark fruits, yeast, candy sugar and slight warmth of alcohol. Medium body with lively carbonation. Another good beer int the St. B lineup.

Reviewed 1/4/2009 (bottle dated 19/08/12): Pours a huge, active, frothy tannish colored head, with big bubbles. Body is a dark brown color, can’t see through at all. Very floral, sweet smelling nose. Dark fruit like plum or grape. Some spiciness too, and a little bit of alcohol. Not an overpowering aroma. sweet spicy, effervescent aftertaste, not too drying, thirst-quenching. A fruity taste, somewhat dark, but some light fruit present too, like pear and banana. Nice winter spices. Carbonated palate, somewhat creamy. Not too bad, tasty for a spiced brew. Even tastier as it warms.