St. Bernardus Prior 8

Very nice earthy tones and overall nuttiness to the nose and taste. Very fulfilling feeling when you have just taken a nice swig of this beauty. Yummy beer...give it a shot!

Best Before: 28 06 12. Appearance: Pours a clear, chestnut brown body with a frothy, foamy, off-white head. Smell: Sweet, malty nose smelling of dark candi sugar, cocoa-caramel, ripe plums, and a glass of meritage wine. Taste: Dark maltiness tasting of dark caramel and cocoa powder with a full, resounding sweetness. Plum fruitiness followed by a sip of fruity, yet robust red wine with some warming alcohol qualities to it. Light trace of roastiness throughout, even a bit of nuttiness. Hint of caraway seed-packed rye bread. Malty, sweet, fruity finish. Mouthfeel: Medium-plus body. Well carbonated, which keeps the maltiness from ever becoming heavy, instead keeping things light and airy. Drinkability: Paired very well with some Pinback mp3’s. A delightful dubbel, to be sure, I’ll see how it compares to the Abt 12 which is up next.

While not nearly as good as the 12 the Bernardus 8 is still a solid brunn. I like the mix of dark candi sugar and smooth alcohol burn in the finish.

Dark Brown pour, slight offwhite head. Sweet malt aroma with dark fruit(figs, raisin, dates) slightly Darker, Maltier than the aroma suggests, but not overly so. Dark sugars and sticky fruits as well. Warming alcohol on the finish. Solid Belgian strong, well made and enjoyable.

11.2 oz. bottle. Pours a cloudy dark brown color with a fluffy off-white head. Aroma of bread mixed with figs and a little bit of chocolate. Not overly malty nor overly bitter. Medium bodied with a creamy mouth feel and easy finish. A very enjoyable beer.