St. Bernardus Prior 8

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

First impression it that like other St. Bernardus beers, this is very well crafted. While it is not as complex as the Abt 12, this is a special ale that stands on its own. The nose is dark fruit, sugar, with slight vinous accents. The flavor is rich complex, and slightly more refined than the nose, while at the same time keeps one wanting more. I will no doubt repeat this beer, and it maybe often, while supplies last.

(on bottle, some 2 years old) It´s weird to taste such a nice and complex beer, when words are so few. This is just a well made belgian beer. High on all levels, fruity like a day in the ochard in october, burning alcohol like the fireplace my wife lies before, colored red like our chestnut right there in the garden, earthy like my kids rubberboots. A great drink a sunday night in the fall.

Bottle. Pours deep reddish honey brown with tremendous ivory head. The aroma is sweetish with light caramel and sugar, red apple, coconut, plum, and maybe even a hint of wine. The flavor is a little more mild than I expected, but is still quite good. Light caramel and raisin start, then some floral and fruity notes. It gets an interesting tart note toward the finish, and finishes with a slight dry woodiness over the mellow malt. Pretty good stuff.

Rich aroma of mildly dark fruits - plum and cherry, perhaps. Ripe hazy reddish amber color with a decent light beige head. Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Flavor of caramel, plum, straw(?), coffee, citrus. The finish is lightly astringent, relatively dry, and mildly bitter. A soothing, ripe ale. Mouthsmackingly good.

Pours brown with medium off white head. Aroma is malty with overripe fruits. Flavor has plums, raisins and is malty. Rather complex with a nice alcohol warming finish.

Bottle @ Lowlander. Nose of alcohol, yeast and banana. Pours red mahogany. Soft mouthfeel, dates, alcohol. Long malty finish. Nice.

11.2 ounce in Westmalle glass. Brown with dense lasting tan head and lotsa lace. A few floaters. Yeasty aroma with some caramel and more yeast. Raisiny, fruity caramel flavor with tobacco bitterness surprisingly clean finish. Medium body and medium low carbonation. Excellent soft mouthfeel. A very good beer.

330ml bottle. Very dark brown with a decent off-white head. Malty fruit aroma with some chocolate and liquorice. The flavour had a touch of caramel with some spice and a long, smooth finish. Excellent.