St. Bernardus Abt 12 - Brouwerij St. Bernardus NV

spoony

Colorado

4.45/5  rDev -0.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

From an 11.2 oz bottle (best by March 22, 2017) into a chalice.

A-The brew pours with a typically underwhelming (for a Belgian) one-finger head of grey-ish tan head that fades to a thin cap. The beer is murky and tea-colored.

S-The smell is mostly dark, sweet, malted fruits like black cherries, plums, and raisins. There is a light touch of molasses and a pretty significant whiff of sweet, warming alcohol. Just a hint of spice, too.

T-The taste mostly tracks the smell, but with more force. You get the same fruit components, but there is a more earthy, almost vinous taste (maybe tobacco and minerals) that underlies the whole thing. The alcohol, while noticeable, is well-integrated into the rest of the flavor profile. You notice the 10%, but it fits right in.

F-The weight is medium with a light touch of carbonation. Nice balance.

O-This beer was one of the beers to start me into craft some 12 years ago and it is almost as delicious as I remember it, which is a good thing. I cannot say that this is my favorite quad, but it is close and there is nothing wrong with this brew. More particularly, and less nostalgically, I can say that the taste is a nice, complex mix of sweet, fruity malts with subtle touch of earthy, Belgian character. The feel is spot-on for a quad and the whole package is well-balanced.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2013 04:05:05 | More by spoony

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

afallon86

California

4/5  rDev -10.5%

06-15-2013 09:14:31 | More by afallon86