St. Bernardus Christmas Ale

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

Another big thanks to beastiefan2k for sharing this one that for some stupid reason never got distributed to New York City... whatever, here it is. Deep brown beer with a soft orange ruby tint. Huge moussey sticky head that last all the way through the glass. Aroma is like all of the Bernardus beers, which is to say, amazing. Heavy fruitiness with cherry, plums all wrapped in a blanket of soft Belgian malts and milk chocolate. I’d say there is more fruitiness here than in the regular Bernardus 12, but all of the other components are there. Rich spicy yeast with a fruity complexity that is hard to describe accurately. Light clove/nutmeg and black pepper on the palate. The spiciness is accentuated when it’s cooler, but the fruit begins to dominate as the temperature increases. Lingering herbal/spicy finish. Excellent!

Pours a clouded dark brown with a good sized creme head that leaves a decent amount of lacing on the way down. Nose is spices and yeast. Flavor is extremely heavy on the spices. Just buckets and buckets of them. Dough rests in the background. Carbonation is extremely full and attacks the tongue. Liquid is as it should be. This is definitely a winter style brew. It is so spice forward and heavy on the body that it is to be sipped and savored over time. A nice brew for sure.

Bottle. Pours a nice thick head. Strong spice scent and a very malty, yet Christmas-y flavor. Finish leaves a bit of alcohol, warmth.

Murky brown pour with a decent tannish head. Good lacing. Aroma of dark fruits, spices. Semi creamy mouth feel. Tastes of mild yeast,dark fruits such as raisins,plums,spices hints of chocolate. Slightly sweet. ABV well hidden. Aroma should be more pronounced.

Bottled. Thanks to Reinhard. Hazy brown colour with big head. Belgian yeasty in aroma, along with candisugar, higher alcohols and bit fruity. Flavour is sweet at first, up next is pomerance, Belgian spicy yeast and darker fruits. Soft, rounded mouthfeel with goof malt balance. Finishes pretty short and is dry at that point.

Very pleasant aroma of spices,chocolate, malt and licorice with some sweetness. The pour reveals a murky brown color with a medium tan head. Excellent flavor of spices, licorice, chocolate and malt. The body is medium with a liquorous texture and gentle carbonation.

Hazy brown colour with medium head.Taste is strong and fruity really power full Christmas beer,feels vinous and are well balanced.

750 ml bottle. Pours a cloudy brown with some rust highlights when held against sunlight. Moderate, creamy and bubbly light tan head that lasted until about mid-glass. Very pleasant aroma of brown sugar, caramel, raisins, cardomom and alcohol. The flavor is caramel with just a little bit of brown sugar along with some cardomom and raisins. The finish is very much like a brandy with plenty of wamrth from the alcohol. A very enjoyable winter beer.