St. Amatus 12 - De Struise Brouwers

davey101

Connecticut

4.28/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Vintage 2010, B-09-15. 330 ml bottle into a goblet. Thanks a ton Rempo!

A - Dark brown body bordering on red. Small light khaki head that dissipates into a super thin line of bubbles around the edge of the glass. Weak lacing and retention. Doesn't look too inspiring for a quad.

S - Ripe dark fruits, dark chocolate, spices, roasted malts, and candi sugar. Excellent aroma. The chocolate is super rich and just compliments the quad notes.

T - Brown sugar, caramelized dates and prunes, spices and Belgian yeast, light chocolate on the finish. A tad metallic and coppery with some lingering cherry notes. Tasty and unique for a quad.

M - Medium bodied and slightly silky. Carbonation is low and spot on. Alcohol provided a touch of much needed warmth.

O - It's a shame this beer is in the shadows of the greatness that is Pannepot and its variants. This beer is really unique and delicious and the chocolate notes are just phenomenal. I wish this was beer was more accessible.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2012 03:01:52 | More by davey101

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

eduardolinhalis

Switzerland

4.6/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

330ml bottle served in a snifter.

A: Pours an amber to brown color forming a medium and bubbled yellow to beige head. Medium retention with a thin layer that lasts forever. Some few lacings are left in the glass

S: Peculiar Quad. Smells dark chocolate and roasted malts. Fruity too, mainly plums and raisins. Notes of brown bread and alcohol in the very end

T: Taste follows the nose. Sweet upfront. Notes of toffee, caramel malts, roasted malts, dark fruits, dark chocolate, brown bread, Belgian yeasts. Finished by a stingy bitterness

M: Medium body. Quite smooth and watery to such ABV. Medium to low carbonation. Upfront is mild sweet. Aftertaste is dry and bitter

O: Excellent drinkability. Great beer. De Struise quality. Highly recommended from a big fan of Belgian Quads!

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2012 19:50:58 | More by eduardolinhalis

safaricook

Netherlands

4.05/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Shop: De Bierkoning, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Glass: Leute Bokbier glass (oversized wine glass without stem)
Name on Label: Sint Amatus 12 Vintage 2011
Image on Label: Style of the image is like a (orthodox) Christian icon. I guess that the two angeles at the top are holding a painting of Sint Amatus the patron of Oostvleteren, where the beer origins from. The 3 men standing below are probably the brewers or some other modern men as they were glasses, but otherwise looking middle age. Fun.
ABV: 10.5%
Ingredients according to label: malt selection, hops, irish moss! and yeast
Expiry date: 29AUG2016
LOT: 382923071102

Pours a beautiful 3 fingers high beige head with fine to medium bubbles that reduces to a nice layer after a few minutes and leaves little lacing. Pitch black body with quite some fine carbonation visible

smells of roasted malt, coffee, chocolate, metallic, booze

first of all it is surprisingly low on sweetness for a quadrupel though you get some roasted malt. The alcohol is well hidden but warms you. Bitterness is dominant it goes along with little metallic taste. I taste sourness that reminds of plums.

There is quite some carbonation which tingles and makes it a refreshing drink rather than the red wine feeling you get from other quadrupel. It would be rather heavy on the tongue without the carbonation as it has an almost oily texture.

I like the beer, but it is not my number one quadrupel. I guess I miss the sweetness to balance the bitterness or is it not complex enough and I would appreciate to taste more what the nose promises. However it is an interesting take on the genre and worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2012 19:20:03 | More by safaricook

dgilks

Australia

4.45/5  rDev +5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Clear mahogany colour. Spectacular hue on this beer that is simply appetising. Moderate sized but quite short lasted tan head.

Fruity dark cherry aroma with complex alcohol and ester aromas. Interesting brown sugar notes. Great.

Really interesting and complex toffee and brown sugar flavour. Cherry. Almost citrus notes. Milk chocolate. More burnt toffee. Amazing.

Medium-full body with moderate carbonation. Syrupy and smooth.

A delightful Quad. Lots of amazing malt character and a fantastic cherry fruit note. Sublime.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2012 11:05:00 | More by dgilks

Ruds

United Kingdom (England)

4.33/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Vintage 2010 poured from a 33cl bottle into a Belgian snifter to a rich plummy looking mid brown colour with a small off white head that soon dissipated to a few small bubbles.

The aroma is sweet malt, sugar, spices, dates and a little biscuity. Not the most striking or 'come and drink me' aroma I've noted on a quad!

Sweet on the palate, sweet malts, dark over-ripened fruits bombard the taste buds, perhaps dried prunes, dates, figs and sultanas with some background spice. Sweet caramel/toffee and a little tobacco and wood.

Reviewing as I drink and the beer is really growing on me and have already notched up the ratings a little!

Mouthfeel is of a medium to fullish (but not overly full) bodied beer and the carbonation is noticeable but low. Spot on!

Overall a great quad, extremely well balanced and the 10%+ alcohol is well disguised. It even passed the girlfriend test where she stated 'it's OK !' as opposed to the usual 'urghh' when she samples one of my beers!

I will most definately re-visit this one!!!

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2012 20:16:19 | More by Ruds

Cuso

Pennsylvania

4.53/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at the Hulmeville Inn 2/20/2012

Color pours a reddish brown almost plum color.

Smell sugar, dark fruit

Tatse starts off sweet plum rasin then some tart fruit high abv is hidden well.

Mouth feel: Very smoth easy to drink

I really enjoyed this beer not to sweet not to tart pretty much a perfect quad.

Serving type: on-tap

02-20-2012 19:48:16 | More by Cuso

doopiedoopiedoo

Netherlands

4.25/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A beer that I've been lucky enough to have tried numerous times and so this time deserves a review.

33cl bottle purchased at Dranken Geers. 2010 Vintage.

Gave it a big hard pour into my Guiness pint glass. Two finger tan head. Brown to ruby red body. Carbonation is visible. Beautiful looking beer.

Smell is big and complex. Loads of sugar, dark fruits like plums that come with a bit of sournes. Belgian yeast is prominent.

Flavors are sweet to start with to only take you on a rollercoaster of flavors. Again the dark fruits, plum and raisins but also loads of spiced character with a tad of nutmeg and cinnamon.

A great medium to full body. Perfect amount of carbonation and a dry finish that allow flavors to linger until Christmas.

Without a doubt one of the best quads overall. It has a Struise signature that tendsto make big bers just awesome. Any lover of the style will ahve to add did to their wants or you'll be missing out.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 11:31:04 | More by doopiedoopiedoo

cosmicevan

New York

4.88/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

monsterous thanks goes to Rempo for being the coolest BA on the planet. he popped me this as an extra for uplands that he was proxying for me. what a dude! just ordered a few more of these, so why not try my only bottle in hand now? enjoyed in a La Trappe chalice.

a - poured a deep brown that settled almost plum in color. head was naturally creamy with some bubbling. this one is clearly authentic.

s - grapes dipped in chocolate. the candied belgian yeast is perfect. really smells wonderful. thick and rich.

t - exactly as expected. perfection for the style. strong grapes. wonderful balance. abv is invisible. so excited to have a few more of these on the way. lovin it. what a beer!

m - creamy and perfect. when it comes to belgian quads, i don't think anyone does it better than de struise. tasting this beer, you feel the history and it stands the test of time. beer can be amazing and this proves it. feels amazing...feels perfect.

o - overall, THIS IS a quad. you like quads? try this one...and as many pannepots as you can get ahold of. truly impressive for the style. de struise continues to impress.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2012 05:09:05 | More by cosmicevan

spdyfire83

Ireland

4.28/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

129th Review
Bottle to Westvletren 12 (small) chalice

From notes. This was beer #3 that was enjoyed as part of a blind Quad tasting - to warm our palates before the real tasting - in Utrecht (December 2011). Thanks Jeffo and doopiedoopiedoo for the hospitality!

A: Brown. 2 (off-tan) fingernail head on Jeffo's pour - I was being honest.

S: Loads of fig and other dark fruits, cinnamon, all spice, caramel malt, brown sugar, and a hint of chocolate.

T: Deep, complex, and fun. Dark fruit, faint chocolate, loads of roasted malt, caramel sweetness, and vanilla. Smooth!

M: Medium bodied with a nice amount of carbonation.

O: A very solid beer from a very solid brewery.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2012 18:14:19 | More by spdyfire83

haz77

United Kingdom (England)

4.2/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Pours an opaque dark brown, with an attractive three fingers of light tan head. This recedes to a rocky cap over the course of a minute and a half. Nothing to complain about here.

S - Molasses, loads of dried dark fruit, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, pear, brioche. Nice balance and depth.

T - The start is spiced dark fruits, before the bitterness of dark chocolate pushes through in the middle. Bready notes begin to then build and the finish is all brioche and some medicinal phenols. Aftertaste is bready/caramel as well as having some hop balance with leafiness and tobacco. It lingers and is about as good an aftertaste as I can recall.

M - Full bodied, but appears much less so due to quite lively carbonation. The velvety creaminess I've enjoyed so much in their other quads is lost until almost the end of the drink due to this.

D - Some really interesting elements here that don't quite hit the heights of their other quads. Even though this is the case, they've set the bar so high that this is still a very good beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2012 20:29:23 | More by haz77

BMoldy

New York

4.38/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2011 vintage served in a St. Bernardus chalice. The label is in Swedish (don't ask me why) and mentions only water, barley malt, oats, hops and yeast among the ingredients.

A: Super dark, almost black, muddled brown with a large but even light brown head. Retention is acceptable though far from outstanding, while there is almost no lacing. A few swirls after the head has completely settled yield almost no new foam, and the beer remains relatively still, suggesting a very mild carbonation.

S: Lots of cocoa-like roasted malts with a heavy dose of rich, dark fruit to boot. A deep molasses-esque sweetness adds depth and masks a hint of alcohol.

T/M: Follows the aroma to a T. Starts off chocolate-y and roasty before slowly evolving into a more yeasty and complex creature with a strong, almost syrupy sweetness and mild dark fruit (namely plum, or perhaps raisin) notes. The malt backbone is big and solid, though it is kept in check by an almost imperceptible hop presence. Rich, but not too heavy in body, the beer exhibits the characteristic Struise smoothness that comes mainly from a subdued (perhaps a little too much) yet generally adequate carbonation. Otherwise undetectable, the alcohol presents itself as a very mild warmth toward the end, without which the beer would seem incomplete. Ends on an unsurprisingly sweet note.

O: Delicious. If there are spices in here (which, according to the 2010 label I found online, there are) they are much more subdued than the other spiced Struise beers (e.g. Pannepot, Tsjeeses). The final product is a pleasingly complex yet harmonious quad that –to its benefit– retains a certain amount of simplicity. Put otherwise, it tastes like a very "natural" quad, if that makes any sense, and is well worth seeking out.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2012 18:09:09 | More by BMoldy

WillCarrera

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Picked up a bottle at Bier Tempel in Bruges. 2010 vintage. Poured into a chalice.

A- Pours a murky dark brown with a thin layer of tan head that fizzles down to a wisp.

S- Very powerful aroma, lots of dark fruits and a big dose of spice. Dark caramel malt in the background.

T- Very very sweet up front, big slam of fruit and caramel malt. Very boozy with very powerful spice. Decent amount of phenol cough syrup flavor.

M- Well carbonated, full bodied, has a thick, syrupy feel.

O- An extremely aggressive quad, the flavors all work, but the sweetness is verging on overpowering, definitely a sipper, it's a good beer but I definitely prefer Pannepot.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2011 21:12:48 | More by WillCarrera

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

3.48/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.5

On Tap at Blue Dog. It's things like these that make me happy to live in SEPA, the mecca.

St. Amatus 12 goes in the glass pretty dark with a mix of dark browns and reds, look is a bit murky, but this is a quad here. I've seen dirtier. Nothing in terms of head, cap, lace, nothing. Smell is about the dark fruits and less about the spices. Nice aroma of plum and the like and maybe a bit of licorice. No alcohol in the nose. Bready as well with yeast apparent. This is a nice change of pace from the Pannepot, more fruity and bready and not as much spices used IMO. Some clove makes an apperance with warming, the flavors work well together. The feel off the tap almost killed it though. This was basically dead and it needs a boost badly. Glad to have tried this though, a good beer that stands on it's own too feet. I wonder if this is the same base beer as Pannepot, with less spice.

Serving type: on-tap

12-10-2011 19:09:49 | More by onix1agr

siradmiralnelson

Iowa

4.1/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2010 Vintage. 33cl bottle poured into Chalice. Thanks to Kendall for hooking this up.

A. Poured 1 finger of tan colored head. Moderate lacing. Decent retention. Color is very dark brown.

S. Strong malt smell. Caramel malt, with a hint of roasted. Some spices as well. Not that sweet smelling. Dark fruit smell is there, but not that strong. Has more of an earthy dryer smell than other De Struise quads.

T. Really caramel malt dominated. Almost to the point it feels as if it has move away from a quad some. Not very sweet. Get some sour cherry on the back of the tongue. Just a little too malt focused for me and a little bit of roasted malt flavor that seemed strange.

M. Medium/full bodied. Low carbonation Finishes clean and drinks dry.

O. I for some reason had the highest expectations of this quad from De Struise than all the others. It was actually probably my least favorite. A really good beer don't get me wrong. Holds its own with some of the best in the style, but when compared to Pannepot and Pannepeut it was not as good based on my liking.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2011 01:07:54 | More by siradmiralnelson

corby112

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -29.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Draft at Capones in Norristown, PA

Pours a hazy dark chocolate brown color with a one fingerbbeige head that slowly settles into lasting ring. Spotty streaks of lace.

Sweet dark fruit aroma with subtle roasted malt notes. Subtle peppery spice with hints of grape, plum and fig.

Medium bodied with a strong dpice presence up front with pepper and clove followed by some anise/licorice, sweet malt and dark fruit. Lots of vinous grape along with fig, raisin, caramel and toffee. Mediocre, a bit thin and too heavy on the spice. I love Struise and was really excited to try this but it was a huge disappointment. Hopefully the bottles are better.

Serving type: on-tap

11-29-2011 03:13:03 | More by corby112

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

First beer at Capone's Black Friday event. This poured out as a nice reddish brown color with a thin white head on top. The smell of the beer has a sweetness to it with some dark fruit aromas and some hints of vanilla. The taste of the beer wasn't as balanced as La Trappe or Westy but still not too bad. There were hints of fruits and caramel, it's not overly sweet and had a light bitterness in the back end. The mouthfeel was pretty good, there was a softness to the beer with a light creamy feel as well. Smooth and medium bodied. Overall this beer was pretty good.

Serving type: on-tap

11-26-2011 06:26:48 | More by Knapp85

oline73

Maryland

3.95/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I had this on-tap at Capone's during the Black Friday event. Served in a snifter.

Appearance: Pours a slightly cloudy mahogany with hardly any head at all. There is a thin ring of off white head around the edge of the glass.

Smell: Sweet with dark fruit, mild cherry notes, caramel and some faint chocolate notes.

Taste: Similar to the smell. Caramel and dark fruit with some vanilla notes. Mild bourbon shows up, but it is very smooth. The finish is sweet.

Mouthfeel: Thick body with tingly and smooth carbonation and a dry finish

Overall: Sweet and very complex. All the flavors blend quite well and I would definitely have another.

Serving type: on-tap

11-26-2011 03:25:49 | More by oline73

MattSweatshirt

Texas

4/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2010 bottle into a De Struise glass

The beer produces a thin tan bubbly head. It's dark brown; reminiscent of a cola. The lacing is almost nonexistent.

A sweet smelling drink with notes of sweet caramel and dark fruits.

The first sip the tongue got hit with a big sweet caramel jab.
The dark fruits also join in.

The carbonation is tame and it has a great smooth mouthfeel.

Definitely worthy of a try if you come across it.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2011 04:49:46 | More by MattSweatshirt

TMoney2591

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served in a snifter at Durty Nellie's.

This beer was the deciding factor in me choosing to go to Nellie's this night. Hopefully it holds up. It pours a dark sienna-garnet topped by a half-finger of dirty tan foam (I blame the pour for the small head, though, frankly). The nos comprises fig, light raisin, light roasted malts, very light cocoa, brown sugar, and caramel. The taste brings in more of the same, along with some dark red grapes (very close to the flavor of some rich red wines), light tobacco, light walnut, and light mandarin orange syrup. The caramel comes in a bit more toasted, and the roast is slightly more pronounced. The body is a hefty-leaning medium, with a very light moderate carbonation nd a smooth, sorta grainy feel. Overall, this was indeed an enjoyable quad. It's decently complex, and the alcohol is pretty well hidden. Good times.

Serving type: on-tap

11-12-2011 18:49:29 | More by TMoney2591

Damian

Massachusetts

3.83/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Drank from a 33 cl bottle
Vintage 2010
Best before B 09 15
Served in a goblet
Thanks to Douglasjamjak for including this as an extra in our trade.

The beer poured a deep, dark, chestnut brown with a one-plus finger tall head of bubbly, beige colored froth. Even with a careful pour, large chunks of yeast particles flowed into the liquid. The head faded to a resilient ring.

The aroma was interesting yet more subtle than I anticipated. Coffee and roast notes were immediately noticeable. A hint of dark chocolate. Slightly smoky. As the beer warmed, some brown sugar sweetness came out as well. A bit yeasty and phenolic.

The flavor profile was quite different from the nose. Signature quad notes of plums, raisins and prunes came through up front. Semi-sweet with some dark Belgian candi sugar. As the beer moved along my palate, it became increasingly boozy. The alcohol heat was practically all I could pick up on the back end and in the finish. A touch of hops were detectible. With time, the beer turned more oaky and dry.

The mouthfeel was definitely the most impressive aspect of this beer. It was medium bodied and contained an ultra-fine, moderate effervescence that gave the liquid a remarkably smooth and supple creaminess.

I definitely would have enjoyed this beer far more had it not been so boozy on the back end. Perhaps some additional aging could help smooth out its rough edges.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2011 06:19:32 | More by Damian

Bierman9

New Hampshire

4.1/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This was from a 0.33l bottle I picked up at the Struise shop in Brugge (for €4.60) while there in late September. Enjoyed yesterday at home with the family...

Poured into a small tulip glass, it was a dense, opaque brown color. Head was a simple ring of wispy bubbles near the edge of the glass, leaving a touch of lace. Nose was malty rich, with a nice mix of caramel and dark fruit. It had a solid, medium body, with a decent, smooth feel on the tongue.

Light sweetness was the first to arrive, with a good base of malts and caramel present. Dark fruit flavors all hit the palate, with some raisin and fig-like notes appearing. The finish was on the dry side, and lent a fair amount of bitterness to proceedings. Decent, but lacks complexity and is not quite worth the price, imo. Prosit!!

4.1 rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

1402

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2011 17:15:49 | More by Bierman9

Sunnanek

Sweden

3.08/5  rDev -27.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: Pours deep murky brown with a large but still uneven tan head that sinks and leaves only faint lacins.

S: Tart! Dark dried fruits, sweet syrupy malt. Some yeast.

T: Dark dried fruits, sweet overload. Some malt and some yeast but not much else.

M: Full syrupy body and very low carbonation. Aftertaste lingers with sweetness.

O: A great beer, but not a great Quad. Reviewing the beer in this style kills it - a Quad is so very complex and this isn't in comparison with the greater ones. Still a fantastic beer, though.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2011 19:57:32 | More by Sunnanek

monitorpop

Michigan

4.47/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Deep dark caramel, with a one finger creamy off white head.

S: Sweet malts, candied figs, malts.

T:  Caramel and lightly toasted malts. A bit of sweet cherry, fig and bread.

M:  medium carbonation fades into a slight alcohol burn.

O: One of the better quads that I've had. Complex, with a nice level of sweetness and subtle alcohol.

Serving type: on-tap

10-24-2011 01:04:43 | More by monitorpop

rarbring

Sweden

3.93/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

The beer is dark brown, has some haziness, a tan frothy head, leaves no lacing, but some curtains.

A slightly sour fruit smell, yeast and boiled meat.

Tasting of sweet fruits, raisins, dried apricots, sour and bitter oranges, dry grass and some moss.

Medium high carbonation, small foamy bubbles, thick and oily, a slight dry round finish. A huge body.

A good solid strong Belgian, very good with hard cheese.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2011 15:09:59 | More by rarbring