St. Bernardus Abt 12 - Brouwerij St. Bernardus NV

smooth_aleing

Pennsylvania

4.84/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 5

Well-awaited, and worth with wait. Poured from tap into a snifter at Isaac's in Newtown, PA.

A= Murky, muddy brown with a thick, frothy head. Settles down to good lacing.

S= Strong notes of raisin, black bread, caramel, roasted malt. Very sweet and pronounced smell.

T= Wonderful. Sweet at first, then settles down to a rich, yeasty flavor. Strong notes of raisin, brandy, black bread, with lighter fruits in background, esp. plum and cherry.

M= Great carbonation, no bitterness.

0= Just a superb beer, one of the best I've had.

Serving type: on-tap

04-23-2013 20:09:39 | More by smooth_aleing

Alieniloquium

Florida

4.33/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

On tap at the House of Brews. Served in a Chimay goblet.

Appearance - A little on the murky side. Brownish red with a nice khaki head on arrival. Retains well and even leaves some lacing.

Smell - Caramel dominates with some dark fruits. An earthy nuttiness separates this from other quads.

Taste - Sweet at first and briefly seems like it won't go anywhere interesting. Nice dark fruit flavor comes through keeping it interesting. That nuttiness comes back in the end.

Mouthfeel - Almost boozy. Not quite as dry as I'd like for a quad. Threatens to be oversweet but never is.

Overall - A great standard to have readily available. It's a shame how often I overlook this in exchange for an inferior beer I've never had.

Serving type: on-tap

04-19-2013 20:32:58 | More by Alieniloquium

facundoCNB

New Jersey

4.4/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Holy fuck, served in a goblet and filled to the brim for $5?? Thanks!!! A deep brown pour with Slight amount of head. Smells like port wine, caramel, grapes.. Holy crap a big difference from the bottle. Flavor is excellent of course like a port wine slightly carbonated, grapes, caramel, honey, dates, raisins. Full body, low carbonation. Still like a carbonated wine though.

I don't even know. This is a fantastic beer and just a great fucking bargain

Serving type: on-tap

04-02-2013 23:57:40 | More by facundoCNB

nefelim

Virginia

5/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I don't typically write full reviews as I find that I have trouble describing exactly the different characteristics and nuances of the beers that I drink. I just like them or I don't. So what has prompted me to write this review you may ask? In my many years of trying different brews in many different places, I have never had a better beer than st bernardus abt 12. It is simply the best beer that I have had in the world.

On a recent trip to Philly, the wife and I popped in to Monks as I heard they had Pliny the Elder on tap and I was very eager to try one of the highest rated IPAs on this site. I ordered the Pliny while my wife got the St Bernardus. The Pliny was unbelievable but the St Bernardus was just on a different level. I tasted burnt banana, caramel, delicious Belgian yeast, cloves, figs - basically everything you want in a quad.

Before our trip was over, I had bought thirteen 750ml bottles from the local liquor store to take home. This beer is without equal.

Serving type: on-tap

03-23-2013 19:42:18 | More by nefelim

SheHatesMe

Arizona

5/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Have tried them all...Quads, Trippels, Strong Darks, yadda-yadda-yadda. I will save you a lot of time & effort: If you EVER get the chance to order Abt 12 on Tap...Please don't pass up the opportunity.

>Beautiful, consistent ebony color.
>Aroma is a blast of malty, yeasty anticipation.
>Head is ample, creamy & butternut in color.
>Mouthfeel is soft, yet full & even.
>Flavor is a symphony of malt, fruit, spices. Hints of caramel, fig, over-ripened banana swirl & dance upon the palate. Hopps are present & well-mannered. Alcohol is lurking, somewhere, but never, ever obvious. "Complex" is an understatement.
>Overall, drinking this Belgian Quad is a completely preposterous experience. A privilege.

Abt 12 in the bottle is malty Belgian Perfection. Abt 12 on Tap is better. Yeah...That may sound implausible, but it's not. Hold it. Savor it. Understand that it's your lucky day.

Serving type: on-tap

03-07-2013 21:22:29 | More by SheHatesMe

Retta123

Florida

4.1/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

serving: on tap

appearance: dark golden brown, no head

mouthfeel: low carbonation, smooth

taste: plum, prune, rasin, sweet, no bitterness

overall: very tasty beer. not overly sweet, and nice and smooth. Nice after dinner dessert beer. High alcohol content...

Serving type: on-tap

01-06-2013 04:40:19 | More by Retta123

NiceTaps

New Jersey

4.5/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Monk's in Philly.

A- dark brown, thick and rich. A mocha colored 1+ finger head that leaves a bunch of lacing.

S- Bready malts and ripe dark fruits. I pick up some licorice as well.

T- Rich malt sweetness teamed with those dark fruit flavors. A bit of licorice as it warms.

M- Smooth as silk, full body, just like it looks. There's no denying that it's 10 % abv, but it does not overpower.

O- A real deal Quad, flavor , body, and balance. So well rounded.

Serving type: on-tap

11-01-2012 19:03:38 | More by NiceTaps

Jayli

Massachusetts

3.98/5  rDev -11%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From notes 6/21
Served in a chalice at The Bier Garden in VA

A: Beer pours a murky, ruddy brown with a 2 finger of khaki bubbly head. Head recedes somewhat quickly, rather lack luster though leaves sheets of lacing.

S: Nose is coriander, yeast, and caramel malt.

T: Taste starts with a yeast, hay and coriander mixture. Caramel malts come in to fill out the middle. Some lemon zest, orange rind and a hint of banana apple in the finish.

M: Medium carbonation, light body, dry finish.

O: Goes down somewhat easily, nice taste, not too filling, was a rather lovely beer on a steamy VA summer night.

Serving type: on-tap

11-01-2012 00:34:54 | More by Jayli

michael69

4.98/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Beer was medium bodied with a sweet, slightly fruity smell. It had a nice creamy head, about 1-1 1/2" thick, and for the % of alcohol, it was well balanced. Bought some in the bottle and noticed that it taste better at around 50 degrees rather at 40. I must say though that it is one of the best beers I have tasted.

Serving type: on-tap

10-31-2012 20:00:04 | More by michael69

thagr81us

South Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served from tap into a chalice. Poured brown with a very light tan two finger head that subsided to one finger slowly. Maintained phenomenal lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, dark fruit, fig, bread, fruit, and sweet alcohol. The flavor was of sweet malt, dark fruit, bread, sweet alcohol, and fruit. It had a medium feel on the palate with medium-high carbonation. Overall this was a great brew. I saw this one on tap and had to jump on it as it is the first time I've seen it on since I started reviewing. I was definitely not disappointed at all. All the right flavors and aromas for a great Quad were definitely present and made themselves known right out of the gate. This brew does this while still remained very well balanced and drinkable. Really glad I got the chance to have this one again and will be doing so again in the future. Maybe in the form of the 60th Anniversary I have sitting in my cellar...

Serving type: on-tap

08-07-2012 16:49:03 | More by thagr81us

kevanb

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on tap at Lucky Baldwins into a chimay chalice, review from notes.

Pours a nice dark opaque burgundy color, big lively caramel/bone colored head, lots of fizzy bubbles, leaves behind a touch of lacing, not much, no real head retention, pretty standard for the style. The aroma is pleasant, lots of yeast up front, dark fruits, a bit of alcohol sweetness and some dark grain. The flavors are wonderful, lots of yeast, cherry, fig, plum, grain, sweetness from the alcohol, which is less detectable, but the yeast provides so much flavor here and it's balanced very well. The body is a bit thinner and crisper than I'd like, not as thick and syrupy as some of the other famous quads.

Verdict: This is definitely one of the best beers that's as available as it is. Not sure it quite ranks up there with Rochefort 10 and Westy 12 but it's damn good and so easy to get.

Serving type: on-tap

07-25-2012 23:04:24 | More by kevanb

Darkmagus82

Montana

4.2/5  rDev -6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on tap in a 10 oz chalice glass

Appearance – The beer was served a brownish-red color with only a tiny white head. The head faded very fast to give only a light amount of lacing.

Smell – The aroma was a nice mix of fruit, bread and yeast. There were stronger notes of dark fruit, such as prunes and plum, as well as a good yeast cake aroma. These were all balanced by a semi-sweet brown bread and biscuit aroma. Overall it was quite nice.

Taste – The taste starts out with a good shot of fruit and malt. A sweet dark cherry flavor mixed with a biscuit base great the tongue. As the taste moves on other dark frit flavors enter the tongue and are mixed with notes of a yeasty flavor as well as some candied/sugary flavors. All the while a prune flavor accompanied by an alcohol flavor creep into the taste. At the end a somewhat alcohol flavored, dark fruit sweet and lightly bready flavor are left on the tongue. Delicious.

Mouthfeel- the body of the ber was about right for its abv., being on the creamier and thicker side, with a carbonation level that was on the lower side. Both the body and the carbonation accentuated all the dark fruit and malty flavors as well as complemented te warming feel of the alcol quite nicely.

Overall - Rated high for a reason. It has a wonderful taste, aroma, and feel . Delicious.

Serving type: on-tap

07-18-2012 00:43:22 | More by Darkmagus82

DmanGTR

New York

4.98/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I've had this beer from both bottle and from tap. The 2 styles are identical in all respects in my opinion, except of course, the carbonation can be adjusted accordingly when on tap. Thus, my review for the draught version is identical to that of it from the bottle, except for the mouthfeel category. I will add, too, that I had a slightly overcarbonated pour from tap at a bar once. I talked to the bartender and they dialed the carbonation down a little bit. I tried it again the next day and it was much better and thus, the review came from the better of the two experiences:

Deep plum brown with a nicely retained beige head in a St. Bernardus goblet. Garnet hues barely shine through in the light. Nicely sweet, predominantly caramel, plum, raisins, and a light toffee hint. Perhaps even a touch of burnt sugar in the very farthest reaches of the crevices of your palate. This beer commands respect to all those savoring its greatness. Very, very light hint of hops keeps it from being cloying, yet remaining undetectable by conventional means. It's almost as if the hops are simple leaving a shadow to dance with the malts and fruity flavors. Carbonation is spot on. Sweet and almost chewy body, but still incredibly smooth.

Serving type: on-tap

06-28-2012 03:29:12 | More by DmanGTR

BostonHops

Massachusetts

4.4/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

have had bottled and on-tap, this review is from the draft. (@ deep ellum, allston, MA)

served in a st. bernardus draft chalice.

pours a murky amber/russet brown tone with two solid fingers of creamy, slightly tan/off-white head... dark, though not as dark as some quads i've experienced. great retention; moderate lacing. the nose is a potpourri of belgian yeast, caramel malts, and spices, with strong dark fruit characteristics.

taste exceeds the smell, with the dark fruits having expanded; yeast, sweet malts and spices, a hop presence, brown sugar and a not unpleasant warming alcohol which follows. complex and delicious.

heavy, full-bodied mouthfeel with medium to light carbonation. drinkability is high. dangerous so. in the final analysis i'd put this a step below rochefort 10, but still a truly great beer.

Serving type: on-tap

06-20-2012 00:51:44 | More by BostonHops

barleywinefiend

Washington

4.88/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A: Poured a deep brownish purple color with a nice tannish cap and a good cap, with some lacing

S: Big grapes, juicy purple grapes, some light fig, dates, plums with fresh red apples, candy

T: Wow, nice sweet upfront with huge amount of grapes, plums, light fig, dtes and prunes and a dash of raisins but the grape juice goodness is so nice. Lots of candy sugar and some fresh apples are hanging out as well

M: Medium mouthfeel, but a big body which is sweet and rich. Fantastic

O: Hands down, one of the best, if not the best I have tried. World class.

Serving type: on-tap

03-31-2012 15:36:49 | More by barleywinefiend

russwbeck

Virginia

4.83/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Deep hazy purple to brown pour with a small light brown head. The lacing is quite nice 4.5

Tons of dark fruits here, plums, slight booze, Belgian yeast, candied sugar, very balanced. 4.5

Classic quadruple taste. The balance is unbelievable. Dark fruits, not overly boozy, not overly sweet, just exactly what a good quad should taste like. 5

Heavy body, medium to low carbonation. Crisp finish. 4.5

This is one of the beers that got me into craft and my love for it
has not changed. Just wonderful. 5

Serving type: on-tap

03-28-2012 01:24:36 | More by russwbeck

RodneyFarva

Spain

4.5/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

8oz on-tap pour into a snifter

a: pours a dark brown mahogany with some ruby undertones. one finger white head slowly dissipates with wonderful lacing

s: aroma of dark fruits, plums and raisins, some yeasts and Belgian spices, brown sugar, ripe figs.

t: similar to the aroma, with a sweet brown sugar creaminess, dark fruits, and Belgian funk. very smooth, very creamy. alcohol incredibly well hidden. low carbonation.

o: an amazing quadrupel, maybe would have been even better from a bottle, but very enjoyable and smooth.

Serving type: on-tap

03-18-2012 14:50:35 | More by RodneyFarva

stampfler07

Georgia

4.4/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served on tap at the Brick Store Pub, Decatur, GA in a St Bernardus goblet

A- Very deep brown-amber with a thick and frothy brown head that leaves excellent lacing

S- Sweet dark malt, dried raisins and plums

T- Very fruity throughout, full flavored malts with a certain roundness of feel to them, finish is lightly bitter for balance and clean, very complex and deep flavors throughout

M- Light carbonation with a heavy body, quite smooth and goes down easy

O- Just an excellent beer in every aspect, loved it

Serving type: on-tap

03-11-2012 14:16:42 | More by stampfler07

RefugeeStryker

California

4.5/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Barely translucent milk chocolate brown color with a half inch of lasting head. Poured into a St Bernardus goblet on tap at The Refuge.

Faint aroma of cocoa dust and nuts.

The taste can be described as nothing less than perfect. Full of milk chocolate without being overly sweet. Hazelnuts maybe? Belgian yeast esters definitely there. Mild molasses.

Mouth feel is also amazing. Leaves the palate clean and wanting more. Luscious and velvety. I could drink this all night, until I fall off my stool.

This is my go to beer that I have been drinking for years. Maybe not the most unique or creative beer, but a quality that is consistent and ever satisfying.

Serving type: on-tap

03-08-2012 04:54:28 | More by RefugeeStryker

Louski

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On-Tap into Goblet

Appears a deep, dark brown with a nice finger of off-white head. Smells of caramel and malt with slight hints of fig and nuts. Tastes just like it smells with a smooth malty finish that leaves a nice coating on your mouth. Despite the high alcohol content, the bite is masked by the richness of this Quad. A great beer overall. It's pretty expensive here in the States so I'm not sure if I'll pay to drink this again, but I certainly wouldn't oblige if one were offered to me.

Serving type: on-tap

03-01-2012 03:24:17 | More by Louski

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

4.78/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured on-tap and served in a chalice, the beer is an opaque, rich, blood-brown coloring with a slight filmy sparsely coating the surface. Aromas are rich and complex, with notes of licorice, molasses, and slight pepper and spicing. The flavors are rich and deep, with a blend of plum, date, and raisin on a crisp, well carbonated body. The alcohol gives a nod here and there, highlighting the palate. Biscuit and bready flavors throughout balance the other characteristics, and the overall malt profile is complex and delicious. At any given time you can get notes of caramel, toffee, molasses, old world fruits, and even some buttery tones. The aftertaste is creamy sweet and rich, almost like cake batter. The finish, remarkably, is kept light by the carbonation, and leaves the palate fairly clean. Great beer.

Serving type: on-tap

02-29-2012 17:29:20 | More by GarthDanielson

tenesmus

United Kingdom (England)

4.4/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap @ Het Elfde Gebal, Amsterdam into a St Bernardus Trappist Glass.

A deep ebony appearance, but when held to the light of a candle it becomes translucent and the whole glass glows deep burnished maroon. A gentle carbonation runs through the liquid. The head, when first poured, is half a finger of ivory foam, which quickly settles down to a thin layer.

Aroma is not pronounced, soft and benign - hints of sweet dark fruit and fails to prepare you for your first taste. Complexity, initially hard to pin down what's going on. Its sweet, soft and warm, the alcohol is here but melded with deep malts and a tumble of fruit on the tongue; figs, cherry, lexia raisin, come licorice and spice perhaps. Its is leavened out with bitter chocolate and coffee, finished with lacing of Fruit Salad sweets. There's other elements I can't describe but it is certainly an experience and highly recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

02-26-2012 08:53:13 | More by tenesmus

DrDocRudge

Florida

4.68/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Enjoyed this on tap at a beer bar in West Palm Beach. Served in a tulip glass, the dark nectar had a beautiful tan head. Definitely fruity but somehow butterscotch and vanilla notes arrived about mid-glass. Has very smoooth and long finish. Huge sheets of belgian lace clung to the glass. Not sure how it would go with food but I'd drink several as a substitute for dessert.

Serving type: on-tap

01-13-2012 15:57:17 | More by DrDocRudge

Hopdaemon39

Massachusetts

4.63/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Cleveland's Bier Markt- served in a 12 oz tulip with a small head. Appears to be a dark amber color (sorry dim lighting in the bar makes it difficult to determine). Has minimal head retention and no lacing. Smells mostly of yeast but has some hints of nutty malts. The taste is medium bodied with the same nuttiness and yeastiness as the smell. It is well carbonated and not syrupy at all. It tastes different on draft than in the bottle but of course still very enjoyable and drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

01-10-2012 02:43:22 | More by Hopdaemon39

BeRanger

Michigan

4.58/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - A dark brown with one finger of creamy head - plenty of lacing throughout.

S - Rasins, Prunes, Vanilla, Yeast - plenty of sweet dark fruit aroma. The smell was fantastic.

T - A few sweet, fruity flavor. It finished very smooth - all the aromas that came out in the smell were captured in the taste. It all blended together quite well.

M - Light body, medium carbonation.

O - Fantastic Quad - the alcohol was masked very well through all the fruit flavors that came out. One of these beers that you could certainly drink multiples of, however with being 10%, it'd get you into some trouble.

Serving type: on-tap

01-08-2012 23:04:42 | More by BeRanger