St. Bernardus Christmas Ale

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

beautiful reddish appearance that is perfectly appropriate for the holiday season. large whitish head. nose is malty, smelling of sweet wort. flavor is very unique with a strong malt component that as a cherry component that almost tastes like a cherry flavored candy-cane. a very appropriate holiday brew, at other times of the year the cherry aftertaste might be a drawback, but not at Christmastime

Pours a dark brown and mahogany color with big, creamy tan head. Aroma of malts, dried fruits, some notes of chocolate and cocoa.Flavor was big on malts, lightly spiced, mildly sweet and a bit of a dry finish. Great blend of sweet malts and some hop bite in the background to make a really delicious Christmas brew. One of the best in its style.

750ml corked bottle served in a Blvd. Smokestack Chalice. Cellar temp. Poured a deep brown/ruby. Medium bubbled off white head. Lively carbonation. Spicy aroma with a little alcohol. Hint of a musty smell. Full bodied brew. Lots of sweet malt and raisins. Slight hop bite in the middle. Finishes with a little banana and clove. Drank this one after everyone left on Christmas Day. Good way to finish the holidays.

Drank after Christmas midnight mass, seemed like the most appropriate occasion. The bottle opened with a bang. The beer poured beautifully into a Trappist chalice with a huge tan head. The beer was a deep dark brown. The nose was slightly floral, with slight fruitiness, and yeast. This is, without surprise a fantastically malty beer. That is not to say however that it was overly sweet, which it was not. The beer has a very nice balance of sweet and dry flavors with a little hint of spice, perhaps from hops. There is a slight fruitiness here, but certainly nothing overwhelming. It is a very nice beer, fairly average for it’s style, but no less very well made.

750ml bottle. This beer pours a thick dark brown color with a thick lasting tan head. The beer has a very caramel and dark fruit with a fantastic array of holiday spices. Beer is heavy on the malts. The flavor is caramel, fruit, and a great taste of "Christmas". The alcohol is noticeable, though it does not detract since it’s not too overpowering even at 10%.

Bottle from O’Brien’s in San Diego. Brew poured a deep, dark brown with a medium sized, fizzy off white head. Nose had hints of raisins, plums, and other dark fruits. This beer needed to sit for a while, it was a bit rough on the take off. After about a 1/2 hour, a lot of bold fruit flavors started to appear. Ended up being a great brew!

Rating #400

Bottle. Pours a reddish brown with a big semi creamy tan head. Aroma has a dusty yeasty character with hints of dark sweet fruits and some caramel. Flavor is malty, warm, hints of candied fruits, and lightly spicy. Finish comes in short, a little earthy, and drying things out with a lightly spicy finish. Long alcohol burn. It’s good stuff and I enjoyed sharing this one with my friend today on Christmas.

Appearance: Pours a brown body with a large, foamy khaki-colored head. Quite effervescent! Smell: A nice mix of pitted fruits with notes of cocoa powder, holiday-minded spices, cracked black pepper, and yeast. Taste: Juicy dark fruits with a hearty dusting of cocoa and tossed with a mix of sugar ’n’ spice. Slight bready yeastiness. Just of earthy bitterness. Semi-dry finish. Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Well carbonated. Warming alcohol presence. Drinkability: A fine holiday sipper (regardless of the 10% ABV) that made for pleasant Christmas Day drinking.