St. Amatus 12 - De Struise Brouwers

Alieniloquium

Florida

3.98/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

330 mL bottle poured into a De Struise chalice. I love glass-beer consistency. 2010 bottle, I think. I hate deciphering De Struise bottle codes.

Appearance - Deep brown. Reddish with suspended chunks. Collar of an off-white head.

Smell - Fruits all over. Bright, really. Surprising and even a little bit acidic in the fruit department. Like cherries and strawberries. Nice dark malt aroma behind it, though.

Taste - Just like the aroma, it's all about the fruit. Cherry and strawberry again. Caramel in the middle, but it all has a fruity character to it. Slight touch of a cola character. Touches on a deep malt flavor, but immediately the cherry comes back in the finish.

Mouthfeel - Well-carbonated. Very fruity which gives it some acidity. It tends towards creamy in the middle before veering right back to dry.

Overall - It's good, but way too fruity. I miss the earthy complexity of Pannepot in this one.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2012 01:47:15 | More by Alieniloquium

His_Royal_Hoppiness

United Kingdom (England)

4/5  rDev -5.7%

06-02-2013 22:12:26 | More by His_Royal_Hoppiness

desint

Belgium

2.75/5  rDev -35.1%

05-24-2013 11:41:51 | More by desint

Seanniek91

New Hampshire

4.25/5  rDev +0.2%

05-21-2013 15:40:19 | More by Seanniek91

n2185

North Carolina

4.48/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2011 bottle

A: Pours a murky brown with two fingers of khaki head that fades into a thin cap with decent lacing.

S: Belgian spices and candy sugar up front with dark fruits and sweet breads following. There are also notes of sweet, fermented fruits and some light wine-like aromas.

T: Belgian spices and candy sugar here as well with sweet bread, dark fruits like prunes, and buttery, fermented fruits. There is a slight alcohol presence toward the finish.

M: Medium body with mid-high carbonation, this beer is light and drinkable considering the abv.

O: A great quad overall. One of the best examples of the style with a lot of depth and nuance while being incredibly drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 05:32:49 | More by n2185

Photekut

Azerbaijan

4.5/5  rDev +6.1%

05-19-2013 00:22:04 | More by Photekut

jkane101

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +0.2%

05-16-2013 22:19:04 | More by jkane101

Liquoric3

Germany

4.25/5  rDev +0.2%

05-16-2013 19:13:24 | More by Liquoric3

Danny1217

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +0.2%

05-12-2013 08:22:44 | More by Danny1217

dvmin98

North Carolina

4/5  rDev -5.7%

05-04-2013 02:24:23 | More by dvmin98

bsuedekum

Missouri

4/5  rDev -5.7%

04-26-2013 21:46:40 | More by bsuedekum

BierMeJohn

Germany

4.5/5  rDev +6.1%

04-21-2013 12:14:02 | More by BierMeJohn

deebo

Minnesota

3.94/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Picked up a couple bottles of this for 4.60 E in December at De Struise shop in Bruges. Vintage 2011; lot 382923071102; BB Aug 29, 2016

Poured into a snifter, this brew looks like a quad, ruddy chocolate brown with a weak tan head, lots of yeast in the bottle. Colder, the aromas of candied raisins and ripe grapes come on strong with some hints of roasted malt too. Yeasty with hints of alcohol. When drinking I'll start with what I think knocks this one a notch below St. Benardus and Westy's quad. It lacks the complex esters and phenols present which help mask the hefty alcohol content. Now I still think this is a solid quad and if an American brewer made one this good, I'd be all over it. The malt bill is solid and the body is nice and heavy yet finishes dry and quickly although its a bit hot. The dark fruits are prominent and delicious. Maybe even too much as some anise comes through which I'd rather not have in a quad.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 00:44:31 | More by deebo

CelticAleMan

California

3.75/5  rDev -11.6%

04-15-2013 21:55:43 | More by CelticAleMan

cadaugherty

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +6.1%

04-12-2013 03:50:23 | More by cadaugherty

bpfrush

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev -5.7%

04-10-2013 02:06:48 | More by bpfrush

rolltide8425

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +6.1%

04-04-2013 00:07:01 | More by rolltide8425

weonfire

Illinois

3.61/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Enjoyed this on tap at Hopleaf in Chicago, IL in a 10oz tulip.

A - Deep mahogany, light brown pencil head dissipates quickly

S - Minor aged fruit, plum, hint of rum, carmel

T - initial: sweet toffee, grain, biscuity. Finish: more aged fruit, minor sugar alcohol.

M - Moderately frothy, medium body, thin, not impressive

O - Honestly i was very disappointed with this. Aged fruit was minor at best, medium body - one of the thinnest belgians I've ever tasted. Aged in Woodford Reserve barrels?? If this is true there is no recollection of this. none. And I was really looking forward to this. High point was the booze was hidden pretty well. Lastly, at $10 for a 10 oz pour - I do not recommend this to anyone. I felt robbed.

Serving type: on-tap

04-03-2013 02:13:17 | More by weonfire

Texasfan549

Texas

4.5/5  rDev +6.1%

03-31-2013 19:33:22 | More by Texasfan549

kjkinsey

Texas

4.5/5  rDev +6.1%

03-31-2013 01:00:38 | More by kjkinsey

Docrock

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +0.2%

03-28-2013 01:23:22 | More by Docrock

GRUUMSH

Belgium

4/5  rDev -5.7%

03-26-2013 07:07:11 | More by GRUUMSH

Sparky44

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +6.1%

03-24-2013 01:38:58 | More by Sparky44

Thehuntmaster

South Africa

4.5/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

330ml bottle 10,5% Abv.
Served lightly chilled in a snifter.
2011 Vintage

Appearance: St. Amatus appears a very dark brown (almost black) in the glass, with a back light revealing beautiful deep red edges. A rough pour yields a massive, creamy, beige coloured head that displays fantastic retention and coats the glass in thick rings of lacing as it recedes.

Smell: Mmmm, this smells absolutely delicious. The initial nose offers toasted grains, chocolate, brown sugar, dark fruits (figs, plums, cherries and raisins), a nutty note and even a hint of coffee (actually reminiscent of a coffee/chocolate cake). As the beer begins to warm, a vinous character is noted, alongside spicy Belgian yeast, an earthy note, a hint of caramel and a little alcohol.

Taste: I have had a bottle of St. Amatus before (in 2010 I think) and I remember being quite disappointed with the flavour. This is certainly not the case with this bottle, as the flavour is just as good as the nose promised.
Flavour notes include: Figs, raisins, plums, cherries, a lightly tart vinous character, toffee, some chocolate, brown candy sugar, an earthy quality and spicy Belgian yeast. Unlike the nose, there is absolutely no trace of the 10,5% in the flavour.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied (maybe a tad over) and slightly chewy, with a medium-high level of wonderfully smooth carbonation.

Overall: I can't for the life of me remember what I didn't like about St. Amatus the last time I had it, as this bottle is fantastic and actually one of the best quads that I have had. I will certainly be buying more bottles in the future.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 16:01:54 | More by Thehuntmaster

crosenkrantz

Switzerland

4/5  rDev -5.7%

03-03-2013 01:28:57 | More by crosenkrantz