St. Bernardus Christmas Ale

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

(Bottle 75 cl) Hazy, nutty brown with a tall, creamy, off-white head leaving a pretty lacework. Vinous, port-like aroma with notes of dried fruit. Quite a full and rich body with lightly sweet, dark malt accents. Touches of yeast and a lot of dried fruit. Never gets overly sweet. Quite a complex brew. 081206

75 cL bottle. Pours muddy brown/amber red with light brown and quickly disappearing head. Aroma is sweet, hops and caramel malt and elements of alcohol. Taste is caramel, fruit, alcohol and malts. Beer is slightly over-carbonated, might however be a good thing for the heavy x-mas food. Does not have a complex taste and after-taste as the description indicates. Ordinary belgian x-mas ale.

Bottle. Dark reddish brown color with a nice huge white head. Yeast at the bottom. Nice aroma of dried fruit, yeast and a little notes of spices. Flavour is nice with notes of spices, yeast and with a warm feeling from the alcohol in the finish.

Bottle. Murky orange colour, very small head. Sweet aroma, dried fruit. The flavour is quite sweet with a good level of alcohol to balance.

Draught. Deep amber colour, mediumsized beige head. Aroma is lots of spices, some yeast and candy. Flavour is really much the same in a good balance. Wellbalanced and hides the alcohol well.

Draught. Hazy orange brown coloured with an off white head. Aroma of fruits, spices and caramel. Flavour of fruits, spices and caramel. Fizzzy palate.

Name: Christmas Ale
Date: October 21, 2007
Mode: Bottle
Source: Bullock’s
Vintage: 2007
Appearance: opaque dark brown, frothy beige head, lots of scattered and drippy lace
Aroma: rich sweet fruity plum aroma with a touch of spices like a spiced Christmas plum pudding
Body: highly carbonated body in need of decanting
Flavor: rich malt flavor, rich chocolate and dark caramel malt, lots of fruity character enhanced by a touch of sweet caramel, the spicyness comes in to add character and end up adding a drying balance and light earthy bitter finish, the chocolate continues to get richer but is kept in check by the earthyness, the fruityness grows as well but does not pick up the needed sweetness

Aroma: 9/10; Appearance: 8/10; Flavor: 8/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 17/20
Rating: 4.1/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: ***+/4

Name: Christmas Ale
Date: November 30, 2008
Mode: Draft
Source: Brick Store Pub
Vintage: 2008
Appearance: clear dark ruby red, big creamy beige head, heavy lace
Aroma: sweet fruity aroma
Body: creamy body
Flavor: rich dark fruit flavor, growing estery sweetness accents the fruityness, lots of growing spicynes, touch of dark caramel sweetness combines with the fruity esters to add sweetness but the spicyness keeps it balanced, finishes sweet and spicy

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 8/10; Flavor: 8/10; Palate: 7/10; Overall: 16/20
Rating: 3.9/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: **4

Dark brown colour. Gorgeous head and lacing. Intense deep fruit - plum, raisin, breadcrust, chocolate and fresh apple - in the nose (yeah, those aren’t all fruits, I get that.) Big, strong, but smooth body with lovely fruit and milk chocolate character. Firm malty, alcholic and still fruity finish. Lovely brew.