St. Bernardus Abt 12 - Brouwerij St. Bernardus NV

tectactoe

Michigan

4.65/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Enjoyed this one side-by-side with an '11 Westvleteren XII - thanks to Mike for cracking his open. I've heard from many people that the Abt 12 is the closest (easiest) thing to get to a Westy XII, so I guess we'll see. The pour is certainly a very similar color - brown, copper and murky, maybe a little bit brighter. Unlike the Westy, the Abt 12 has quite a bit of tiny sediment particles. Another big difference is that the head on the Abt 12 is huge, frothy, and has excellent staying power - looks like the froth on top of a latte or something.

Whoof, I close my eyes and take a whiff, and honestly, I could have easily mistaken this for another pour of the Westy. VERY similar in the aroma. Huge complexity and just a never-ending array of components: grapes, figs, dates, candied plums, Belgian yeast and spices, brown sugar, molasses, sweet licorice, light bready malts.... Where does it end? It only gets more inviting and more perplexing as it warms up and introduced some new aromas; pecans, light herbal-ness, more earthy tones, fruity esters, mild booze aromas... So far, I don't think I could draw any "major" distinctions from the aromas between Abt 12 and Westy XII. And this was after having them directly back-to-back. Given only one, I probably couldn't accurately discern which was which from the nose alone.

At this point, I'm incredibly impressed, and I'm thinking about just copying and pasting my Westy XII review and using it as my Abt 12 review. Just kidding. The mouth feel is similar, though Abt 12 has a bit more of a sharpness from heavier carbonation, as evidenced by the superior head formation. They both share that delectable Belgian-esque creaminess and they are both full-bodied without being too heavy, sticky, or syrupy. I love the silky smoothness that most Belgian quads deliver, and these two beers are no exception.

I'm sitting here swishing Abt 12 around in my palate, and I'm almost as amazed as I was when I first tasted the Westy XII - just a huge romp around of seemingly millions of flavors. Candied and sugary fruits, grapes, plums - sweet and pleasing without being overly sugary or cloying. Licorice, toffee, light molasses, Belgian yeast, mild spice, and sweet breadiness from the malt. I can see why people compare this to Westy XII - it's the EXACT SAME THING. In all seriousness, the flavor profiles are eerily similar, but I did notice that the Abt 12 was a little "sharper" and "brighter" - sharper from the carbonation and brighter in the form of softer fruits - I picked up some more definitive apple skin and white grape notes. The Abt 12 also has a touch more of a hop profile, but maybe that's because the Westy XII was a year older? This gave the Abt 12 a bit more bitter leafiness with the bread, butter, and slightly boozy aftertaste.

Wow... Wow, wow, wow. People weren't lying. The Abt 12 really is ridiculously similar to the Westy 12. When all is said and done, I don't think I could tell the difference if I was blindfolded. You could hand me an Abt 12 in a blank glass, tell me it was Westy XII, and I wouldn't be able to argue. That being said, they are both fantastic beers - pinnacles in brewing, and quintessential beers for the style they both represent. At the end of the day, I must give a slight nudge to the Abt 12 though, given it's relatively low price point and incredible availability.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2013 17:57:57 | More by tectactoe

kvnstfrd

Missouri

3/5  rDev -32.9%

05-23-2013 04:53:34 | More by kvnstfrd

mikeincharleston

South Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +0.7%

05-23-2013 01:29:31 | More by mikeincharleston

Stickler

Michigan

4.75/5  rDev +6.3%

05-23-2013 00:20:44 | More by Stickler

velcrogrip

Florida

4.5/5  rDev +0.7%

05-22-2013 18:31:35 | More by velcrogrip

ACY73

California

4/5  rDev -10.5%

05-22-2013 18:05:39 | More by ACY73

tipfortap

New York

4.69/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

5 words to describe it: Clove, Plum, Carob, Brown Bread, Boozy

Paired it with: Nothing. (Okay, like three dark chocolate covered peanuts.)

Should have paired it with: Super rich brie, smoked meat

Drink it if you like: Superlative beer. Shiraz, American Strong Ales, Bourbon

A few other thoughts: Instead of finishing with a lingering sweetness, this finishes with a little bit of the 10% ABV, and paired with a very prickly carbonation, it balances out into a pretty much perfect beer that works alone and would also pair brilliantly with food.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2013 17:58:18 | More by tipfortap

MBlakeshow16

Illinois

4/5  rDev -10.5%

05-22-2013 06:38:11 | More by MBlakeshow16

SmellsofMahagony

Texas

4.25/5  rDev -4.9%

05-22-2013 03:29:30 | More by SmellsofMahagony

Busker

Connecticut

4.5/5  rDev +0.7%

05-21-2013 17:57:35 | More by Busker

CosmoHopHead

Kansas

4.25/5  rDev -4.9%

05-21-2013 04:09:56 | More by CosmoHopHead

ek_ek

California

4.25/5  rDev -4.9%

05-21-2013 03:51:28 | More by ek_ek

Stoutamus-Maximus

Colorado

4.75/5  rDev +6.3%

05-21-2013 00:30:04 | More by Stoutamus-Maximus

powz87

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -16.1%

05-20-2013 17:19:05 | More by powz87

kwkdmk

Louisiana

4.5/5  rDev +0.7%

05-20-2013 12:06:22 | More by kwkdmk

thampel09

New Jersey

5/5  rDev +11.9%

05-20-2013 03:46:49 | More by thampel09

assman79

Wisconsin

4.25/5  rDev -4.9%

05-20-2013 01:44:34 | More by assman79

HALB

California

4.75/5  rDev +6.3%

05-20-2013 01:43:07 | More by HALB

crwrunner

Virginia

4.75/5  rDev +6.3%

05-20-2013 01:31:24 | More by crwrunner

educorgan

Portugal

4.25/5  rDev -4.9%

05-19-2013 23:18:50 | More by educorgan

DMB

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -10.5%

05-19-2013 22:55:44 | More by DMB

lancecenter

Texas

4/5  rDev -10.5%

05-19-2013 20:09:16 | More by lancecenter

aty11b

Texas

4.75/5  rDev +6.3%

05-19-2013 19:44:16 | More by aty11b

nzerbe

New York

3.75/5  rDev -16.1%

05-19-2013 16:42:59 | More by nzerbe

ShawnMH

Indiana

4.25/5  rDev -4.9%

05-19-2013 15:09:03 | More by ShawnMH