St. Bernardus Abt 12 - Brouwerij St. Bernardus NV

heysuz

Indiana

4.72/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Intro: 11.2 oz. bottle served in a tulip glass

Appearance: Color is deep, rich, opaque, reddish brown that I would characterize as the color of nutmeg. The pour had a thick, dry head that was light tan in color, dissipated slightly, but stayed throughout with thick lacing that clung to the sides of the glass. Generally, I thought the pour looked very appealing and inviting.

Smell: The aroma is rich, layered, and complex, with a host of different ingredients. Initially, I detect dark fruits, caramel, brown sugar, malts, and spice. There's a lot going on with this one and the bouquet continues to develop and becomes even richer and more complex as the pour warms. All of this seems to hide the alcohol rather well.

Taste: Slightly earthy with a certain amount of sweetness that becomes a little stronger as the beer warms. There is a definite alcohol taste but also a fruit and nutmeg spice that adds to the richness of the full body in this beer.

Mouthfeel: Crisp and clean with moderately high carbonation without an aftertaste. Only a very slight oiliness is perceived. The alcohol is present but not overbearing.

Drink: Very smooth and leaves you wanting more. Went down pretty fast for being a rather high ABV. The alcohol is well hidden but the beer should still be a sipper. A dessert beer.

Conclusion: Again, there is a lot going on with this beer. One can tell it is the culmination of years of development. It is a rich, complex beer that needs a couple of sessions to really appreciate the nuances and complexity. I consider this to be in my all-round top 10 list and I always keep an ample supply to break out and enjoy with friends.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2011 23:24:52 | More by heysuz

madnismo

Florida

4.5/5  rDev +0.7%

06-19-2013 02:26:43 | More by madnismo

ACB

California

4.75/5  rDev +6.3%

06-19-2013 00:00:20 | More by ACB

taylor714914

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev -4.9%

06-18-2013 23:05:32 | More by taylor714914

InvalidPacket

Florida

5/5  rDev +11.9%

06-18-2013 19:02:08 | More by InvalidPacket

mrchrisray

New York

4.5/5  rDev +0.7%

06-18-2013 17:31:05 | More by mrchrisray

geedub11

United Kingdom (England)

4.75/5  rDev +6.3%

06-18-2013 11:35:38 | More by geedub11

Jpirkle2715

California

4.5/5  rDev +0.7%

06-18-2013 01:53:22 | More by Jpirkle2715

Iradel

Florida

4.75/5  rDev +6.3%

06-17-2013 17:38:12 | More by Iradel

dwoolley1

New York

4.5/5  rDev +0.7%

06-17-2013 17:08:54 | More by dwoolley1

Bobhoya

Arizona

4.5/5  rDev +0.7%

06-17-2013 13:35:49 | More by Bobhoya

tyelton2

Illinois

4/5  rDev -10.5%

06-17-2013 04:10:55 | More by tyelton2

peteh2112

Colorado

4.5/5  rDev +0.7%

06-17-2013 02:37:17 | More by peteh2112

FUwolfpacker

South Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +0.7%

06-17-2013 01:12:07 | More by FUwolfpacker

spants

Missouri

4.75/5  rDev +6.3%

06-17-2013 01:04:18 | More by spants

aeroparrot

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -16.1%

06-16-2013 21:29:50 | More by aeroparrot

spiatt

Ohio

4.75/5  rDev +6.3%

06-16-2013 20:50:39 | More by spiatt

TheBeeraholic

Ontario (Canada)

5/5  rDev +11.9%

06-16-2013 15:10:41 | More by TheBeeraholic

adityashekhar

India

4.5/5  rDev +0.7%

06-16-2013 10:11:31 | More by adityashekhar

jdhowe

California

4.65/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

750mL bottle, AB-22-11-17 printed on the base.

A: Pours a clear deep brown with hints of ruby with a finger of light tan fluffy, foamy head that leaves plentiful sticky lacing. The beer is dark, but light travels through easily when held to a light source.

S: Malt and yeast esters predominate, with fig and other fruits alongside dark candi filling out the aroma profile. A little bit of spiciness is detectable, but isn't strong. A little bit of eathiness, and maybe something vaguely metallic are evident, but again, not strongly.

T: Sweet, smooth, and delicious. Everything from the nose is there, and on the finish the alcohol shows through, strengthening as it warms.

M: Well carbonated with a medium mouthfeel that finishes smoothly and refreshingly. Incredibly drinkable. The conditioning and the mouthfeel that I get from the 750mL bottles is on the average much better than I've gotten from the smaller bottles or draught, so I tend to stick with these bottles. The mouthfeel is perfect. More highly carbonated than I'd expect, but it contributes only in positive ways. Wonderful.

O: One of my favorite beers. I can't say it's a perfect quad, but it's a very very good example of the style. For how easy it is to obtain, I try to keep at least one around almost always. Never a disappointment.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2013 08:18:51 | More by jdhowe

apasternak

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev -4.9%

06-16-2013 05:05:17 | More by apasternak

Satsuma

Florida

4.25/5  rDev -4.9%

06-16-2013 04:04:26 | More by Satsuma

12packpoet

Arizona

4.5/5  rDev +0.7%

06-16-2013 02:36:00 | More by 12packpoet

themegamancave

Virginia

4.75/5  rDev +6.3%

06-16-2013 02:31:47 | More by themegamancave

IndyDad

New York

4.5/5  rDev +0.7%

06-16-2013 02:25:03 | More by IndyDad