St. Bernardus Christmas Ale

A dark brown beer with aroma of roasted malt, caramel and candis. The flavor is also of caramel, but also alcohol and a bitternes from the hops and a spicy aftertaste.

Has a dark brown color with a beige colored head. Aromas of fruit, spice, baked bread, and caramel are present. Flavor is full bodied with spices and fruit along with a strong malty background of chocolate, caramel, and bread.

Rich amber/brown, huge fluffy tan head. Nose is a slightly spicy raisin malt, rich oakey cherries, fruitcake. Lingering roasted/burnt fruit finish. Flavor is toffee, raisin, fruitcake spice. The alcohol isn’t overpowering but helps to dry it out. Toffee, light cork, oxidization, fruit in the finish.

75cl bottle from World of Beer (Westchase). Rated on 3/25/08. Pours a dark brownish-red with a thick, frothy tan head. Aroma is cinnamon, nutmeg, malt and sweet molasses. Flavor is sweet with notes of caramel, roasted malt, candy sugar, and bread. Lively carbonation and medium to full-body. Well-balanced generally but the alcohol comes through more as it warms.

750mL bottle from World of Beer in Tampa. This was one of the best finds I have made at WOB. This beer pours an amber-brown color with a small amount of frothy head. It had an aroma much like the ABT 12, but it had a sugary caramel and dark fruit flavor to it. Heavy in the mouth and in the stomach, but very sippable. Good beer.

Big bottle. Giant fluffy head. Spicy bread pudding nose. Dry spicy Belgian toffee and coffee cake taste. Amazing licorice, molasses and allspice taste.

Bready, yeasty, spicy holiday goodness. Pours out a dark orangish red. Really smooth caramel notes. Not quite up to the other bernardus beers that I have had, but it’s still a good beer. Cheers!

75 cl bottle. Pours a dark leather color. Medium sized, off white head. Aroma of cinnamon and honey. Very active carbonation, quite fizzy. Bready malt flavor. Peppery finish with hints of bananas.