St. Bernardus Pater 6

Brewed by St. Bernard Brouwerij
Style: Abbey Dubbel
Watou, Belgium

12 oz bottle. Served in chilled goblet. Delicious Trappist ale with notes of banana and caramel.

Pours a murky, brown color with deep garnet highlights; head is off-white, lasting, creamy, and somewhat full with tight Belgian lacing. Nose is fainter than the elders, but very complex; notes of fig, light banana, lots of apple, darker fruits, and some clove, brown sugar, and molasses in there. Flavor is fainter than expected; light chocolate, faint fig, light roast, and apple with some clove and Belgian estery yeast. Palate is lively, more than medium, and creamy but with an almost hot alcohol note. Finishes short and bittersweet with some spice and clove; not too appealing. Overall, not too bad, like a toned down version of the bigger brothers, but just lacking in all the boldness and richness of the others. The nose was appealing but the flavor left a void in the beer.

12 oz. bottle, part of a four-bottle St. Bernardus sampler complete with logo’d Trappist glass. Could almost be "Prior 8 Light" -- the mark of St. Bernardus is all over this, but it’s a bit more fizzy and almost-watery at the finish than its stronger sibling. Nevertheless, I’d have one of these anytime.

33cL bottle from A-1 to-go in Gardiner. Dark brown body with almost an inch of off-white head and ruby-red highlights. Smells roasty malty, kind of caramelly. Aroma is a bit light though. Tastes fruity, roasty, with some caramel and just a hint of chocolate. Some peatiness toward the finish. On the upper side of medium-bodied with some carbonation, but not too much. Wow. This beer is fantastic. One of the best Dubbels I’ve ever had.

Bottled. Brown, hazy colour with big fluffy off-white head. The head vanishes quite quickly though. Leaves slight lace. Aroma is nuts, slight spices and dry dark fruit. Flavour is malts, caramel, spices. Maybe a slight dissappointment if having the 12 in the thoughts, but still a good little brother, though a lot emptier. By no means a bad brew, hides the alcohol well and is quite pleasantly mixed.

A red/brown beer, with a dense, big head. Nutty aroma. Malty flavour, with spices and some winey and licorice notes. The body is good, but too light for my taste. This is the only little problem with this good beer.

Bottle; nose of caramel, raisins, and some nutmeggy spices; clear brown with a big, quick disapating, off white head, that left a few white laces; flavor of caramel, yeast, and plums, the finish in the medium body being sweet.

Pours a muddy brown hue with a small white head. Aroma is sweet chocolate, some fruit. Not overly exciting, sweet and dry.