St. Bernardus Abt 12 - Brouwerij St. Bernardus NV

bbluemzbeer

California

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

This is a world class beer! It is not cheap but for a treated myself for my birthday. You can get this pretty easy in my area too.

Appearance: It was a dark brown look to it,. The haed was 1 1/2 inch with thick lacing.

Smells" It is sweet spiced fruits, apple, some banana (with cloves), An aswesome smell to it

Taste. Tremendous ! It has some tartness but not overbearing. I get sweet fruit at first. It has a very comlex taste for a beer. I never taste nothing like it in the world. Roasted malts come through with a great after taste.

Mouthfeel: It is great with good carbonation. Excellent balance. It is full, and yet so slick on my tongue.

Overall,:jThe best beer in the world. If you have never tried you are mssing out on one of the greatest beer in the world!

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 15:39:47 | More by bbluemzbeer

cindyjeffsmith

Georgia

4.53/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

appearance: medium dark brown that looks much lighter when held to light. Quite hazy. Very full tan head on the pour.
smell: Dark fruit, yeast, some spice. very nice.
taste: oh man, that's tasty. all the promise of the nose with lots more. A huge dose of goodness up front, that thing that makes you want to chug a great beer, then an almost bitter spice towards the finish and then a dry/sweet balance in the homestretch. Damn.
overall: not sure why i haven't gotten around to trying this now. Awesome.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2013 23:10:27 | More by cindyjeffsmith

STEELERFAN2390

Florida

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

awesome stuff,and very available.
I found this stuff everywhere I looked for good beer in upstate ny when I traveled there yrs ago...its a great brew that is highly drinkable and very powerful ,yet subtle in taste and mouthfeel...it can be good with food but I prefer it at the end of a night of drinking great beer!!! cheers !!

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2013 22:57:19 | More by STEELERFAN2390

rangerred

Tennessee

4.56/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

330ml bottle into a snifter.

Pours a clear very dark ruby with really no head at all. Just some lace that swirls on the surface and also leaves a bit of wispy lacing.

The aroma is very vinous with an almost port-like quality. Lots of dark fruit such as raisins, prunes, dates, and figs. A little bit of toffee and roast is in there too with even a very quick whiff of coffee. Quite deep and complex.

The flavor outdoes the aroma in terms of depth with a huge hit of dark fruit and red wine along with plum and fig. Some underlying notes of overripe fruit and toffee with a touch of roast coming in at the very end when all of the fruit dissipates. There is just a light hint of bitterness and a breath of alcohol at the end with a silky mouthfeel and a lightly sticky finish.

Overall, what a wonderful and complex brew. There is just so much depth of aroma and flavor here it is indescribable. Truly a world-class beer that all beer lovers should experience.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2013 01:49:19 | More by rangerred

faulkster4

Virginia

3.68/5  rDev -17.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Huge head...and who does not like head! Color is rather non-descript. Lools like a root beer gone bad. But I can safely say, I've never drank a beer or not drank a beer based on appearance. Smell is more alcoholic than most beers with little other smell. Again, I've never enjoyed or not enjoyed a beer based on smell. Now time to taste it...the true test. Exactly what you would expect from a trappiste beer. Makes you think, what the heck am I tasting! Can't say I enjoy this trappiste offering as much as Westvleteran or Rochefort but has a complexity that makes you think while you drink. Is it the tastiest beer? No, not really. But is it enjoyable? Absolutely. Overpriced for what you get. Maybe with a nice piece of beef it would really shine but on its own, doesn't really stand up to the other trappiste offerings. Oh well, at least its helping me get drunk!

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 02:24:09 | More by faulkster4

arfenhouse

California

4.28/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A: Brown, dark amber with large white head. Retention is good and some lacing.

S: Toffee, brown sugar, raisins, and some grape. Bit of alcohol peeks out.

T: Toffee and roasted malt. Raisins with a bit of a grass-like taste.

M: Medium-light bodied with medium-high carbonation. Smooth.

O: My favorite Belgian so far. Nice and sweet with lots of dark fruit flavor.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 07:52:05 | More by arfenhouse

smooth_aleing

Pennsylvania

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

Well-awaited, and worth the 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

TastyAdventure

Kentucky

3.95/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

A - Solid brown. not what I think of for a quad. 1 finger, slightly chunky head with good retention. microscopic bubbles slowly going up the side. lots of sediment suspended.

S - Caramel. raisins?

T - well dang it I might have served this a little too cold.... here it goes...

Some caramel, clove, spicey alcohol. Waiting for it to warm to pick up more...

is that a nuttiness there? Dark fruit somewhere in between not-that-sweet dates and raisins.

Much better as it warms. I almost gave this the thumbs down... :/

M- silky and delectable. and the head is like the best latte foam ever!

O - Very good, but does not stand up to Rochefort 10. I havent had Westvleteren 12 yet to make that comparison.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2013 23:50:01 | More by TastyAdventure

capnamerica

Arkansas

4.73/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Dark ruby-brown color, caught me off guard a little mainly because I was going through the pre-drinking picture-taking motions. Caramel and figs and raisins, enjoyable aroma. Excellent flavors and an exceptionally creamy texture. Figs and raisins and cherries, nice depth and richness while also letting you know they've been sipping the 10% alcohol. Molasses, caramel and brown sugar add more interest, this time a bit sweet.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 05:01:02 | More by capnamerica

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

MDDMD

Pennsylvania

4.36/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A-murky ,dark brown color with ruby hints and a decent tan head with some lacing

S-dark fruit, caramel , roasted malt, hint of chocolate

T-raisins, figs, roasted malt, toffee, little chocolate and caramel, alcohol well-integrated

F-medium body with light carbonation, smooth and creamy

O-a quintessential Quad near the top of the category, I prefer slightly the Westy 12 and Rochefort 10, but for price and availability this is tops

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 02:05:47 | More by MDDMD

midnitesun11

Illinois

4.53/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Been wanting to give this one a try for awhile due to its high rating and easy availability. The hype is real, this beer is quite good!

Pours a dark amber in color with a bubbly cream colored head. Plenty of carbonation bubbles and a nice lace trail.

Plum, cherry, grape, smell with an essence of caramel and a tiny bit of alcohol.

Sweet fruity flavor at first with a slight sourness to it after. A good malty caramel flavor also.

Mouthfeel is stellar! Light with some carbonation and next to no bitter finish

Overall I really liked this beer even though quads aren't my favorite. I will surely drink this one again!

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2013 23:35:56 | More by midnitesun11

dar482

New York

4.58/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

There is a decent head with a dark Cola color.

There’s an alcohol and dark fruit aroma.

This is very smooth compared to Rochefort 10. It has less of a fruit pop with a decent spice flavor. There is good carbonation. It is the most smooth of the beers I had with a blind tasting with this, Rochefort 10, and Chimay Blue.

If you want a lovely easy drinkable and smooth quad, highly recommended. Try it if you want to have a quad for the first time.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 07:38:20 | More by dar482

mg3

Mississippi

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

Probably my most favorite beer if not the best beer I have ever had as of now. Didn't exactly fall in love with it the first time, but after a few times it just kinda grabbed a hold of me and never let go. Definitely one of the best Belgian's I've ever had.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2013 20:17:53 | More by mg3

roundthewaygirls

Virginia

4.35/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

poured into a st. bernardus chalice (obligatory)

A: reddish/dark brown. murky. poured a finger of quickly dispersing head. nice lacing.

S: dark fruits, plums, figs, dates. belgian yeast. bready character under the sweetness. spices. something metallic.

T: dark fruits. belgian yeast. breadiness stays on your tongue. the booziness is concealed fairly well. deeply sweet and spicy.

M: heavy body. goes down with a slightly metallic smoothness. well carbonated. sticky.

O: i love quads. this is one of the best. lots of character. sweet and comforting.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2013 00:08:49 | More by roundthewaygirls

THANAT0PSIS

Wisconsin

4.68/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

St. Bernardus Abt 12

Appearance: This legendary Abbey-brewed quad pours a deep, opaque mahogany, bordering on the color of pipe tobacco. It is crowned with a massive, fluffy, khaki-colored head that overflows out of the glass on even a gentle pour; it is out of the range of measuring with fingers. The retention is astounding, and the lacing is equally as impressive. There is very obviously (and predictably) sediment floating throughout the syrupy liquid, and this makes it an ugly-yet-pretty beer not unlike Heady Topper. This beer has been made this way at St. Bernardus since 1946, and the recipe is presumably older than that, so it is difficult to dock the beer too much for being somewhat unappealing.

Aroma: As expected for a quad, dark fruits (plums, figs, cherries) and candi sugar dominate. Belgian yeast, of course, is also a big presence, which imparts the classic bubblegum, slightly medicinal notes. Alcohol is reasonably prominent, which hits beside with a curious wood character. Lastly, spiciness and indiscriminate fruity esters linger on the nose, along with a sugary sweetness. This smells like a classic and delicious quad.

Taste: Like most beers, this follows the nose pretty well. There are lots of the dark fruits described above, in addition to a nice malty nuttiness that was not detected in the aroma. The cherry notes even have a nice twinge of sourness. The middle of the mouth is sweet and sticky but not overly so, and it is swept aside by a slight hop bitterness and yeasty spiciness, as well as the warmth from the alcohol. The spices and fruit esters, just as predicted by the nose, linger on the tongue. This is a very tasty, and surprisingly drinkable example of a quad. To put the taste in a word: ripe.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, medium bodied, slick, chalky/yeasty, creamy, and perfectly carbonated are all words that could describe this beer. The alcohol is there, but in a pleasantly warming capacity. The sour cherries and mild hops impart the barest hint of dryness, but they really do not stand a chance to the huge malt bill and complexity of this beer.

Overall: While it does not quite match the complexity and overall drinkability of Rochefort 10, this is still a delicious and widely available example of a Belgian quad. The plus is that this beer is available in larger, more sharable quantities, whereas Rochefort is only found in 11.2 oz bottles. There is really nothing more to say other than this does the quad style damn near to perfection. Nothing more, nothing less. 18.5/20

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 06:09:30 | More by THANAT0PSIS

RyFikes

New York

3.84/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

Appearance- Dark ruby color. Nearly opaque, but some light gets through. Almost no head.

Smell- Plums and cherries

Taste- Dark fruits, tartness, smokey, slight limey sourness. bourbon oaky after taste.

Mouthfeel- Low carbonation. Heavy on the palate but no stand-out flavor to speak of. The after taste is dominated by alcohol; as if you had just taken a shot of smooth bourbon.

Overall- There just wasn't enough flavor. It smelled a lot sweeter than it tasted and I think it could have used a bit more sweetness to balance the alcohol burn. Still a great beer, true to the style.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2013 21:28:54 | More by RyFikes

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

ajramirez1

Washington

4.43/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Long awaited & glad i did since I've discovered my preference of Belgian style beers are high. Beer poured into a tulip glass.

Very good looking quad. Brown murkey look to it, smells okay. Initially tried cold, not to bad. The taste of the beer is quite good but compared to Westy 12 its not there. Beer is very good. Solid Quad.

A-

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2013 03:02:16 | More by ajramirez1

Flashyspoons

Louisiana

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

This beer takes me to a small countryside castle. The appearance is dark brown, with light/medium foam which vanishes in a short time, leaving only what is to be remembered as a great belgian beer. The taste is comparable to other highly rated quads i.e. Trappistes Rochefort 10 but imo; surpasses its classmate by a wide margin. I would highly recommend this beer to the individual partial to a strong belgian delight.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 01:00:17 | More by Flashyspoons

SebD

Ontario (Canada)

4.93/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

Birthday Beer!

Appearance: It has a nice merky brown color to it. It has a nice light beige head that dies down moderately and leaves some nice lacing.

Smell: The aromas definitely give out hints of sweet dark fruit (dates, plumes, raisins), with some caramel, Bready Belgian Yeast, brown sugar and spices.

Taste: Like the aromas, it has a nice complexity of dark fruit, a nice breadiness from the yeast, some cloves and sweet caramel and brown sugar. Amazing!

Mouthfeel: It has a medium carbonation with a great overall balance, feel and complexity.

Drinkability: It's a very smooth drinkable beer accompanied with great flavors and aromas. Exceptional Quad, it definitely competes with Westy.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2013 18:28:34 | More by SebD

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

ubenumber2

Arkansas

4.79/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Poured from 750ml bottle into somewhat appropriate glassware , deep dark brown colored beer , seems somewhat hazy , nice two finger tan colored head

The smell is simply amazing sweet smelling , almost like candied dates , malty smell to start off then the candied smell comes through then the alcohol finishes it off , just a well balanced aroma.

Nice full bodied beer on the tounge , lots of carbonation on the first drink that clears off fast with the beer smoothing out and going down smooth

The taste of this beer is just outstanding , a complex bunch of flavors that I can not even start to try to justify with words , but I'll try. Everything is just so balanced to me. The malts really come through , then the yeasty flavors witht he alcohol coming in with a little bite at the end , like the aromas of this beer. I love the flavor of this beer , I wish I had grilled up a nice big ribeye tonight , I think it would go well with this , at least to me it would

Overall this beer has earned a place in my fridge and my cellar , I cant wait to put a few away and try them after a year or two and see how much better they get

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 00:34:09 | More by ubenumber2

tonton

Hong Kong

4.43/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Poured from the 33cl bottle into an oversized burgundy wine glass. Nice caramel color, average looking 1.5" khaki head with medium dissipation.

Nice smell. Dark rum with caramel and toasted malts.

Goes down very easy. Amazing for a 10%. Could absolutely chugalug all nightif that's what you wanted to do. Also great to sip and savor.

My new favorite Belgian.

Awesome beer. Or maybe I was just in a good mood.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2013 11:18:38 | More by tonton

mts198

Pennsylvania

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

Appearance: dark brown, creamy one finger head

Smell: Vanilla, fruitcake, Brown sugar, stone fruits, old wood, burnt sugars

Taste: Very smooth mild bitterness, slightly muddled in a good way. Overlapping of flavors, Dark liquid candy, sweet, stone fruits in sugar, old wood, fruitcake, jelly.

Mouth feel: high carbonation, fuller mouth feel the warmer it gets, very smooth

Overall: It's an Amazing beer, sweet but not cloying, light bitterness but without harshness, very smooth for a high alcohol beer, the alcohol hides very well, The flavors muddle together in a perfect balance without one over powering the other, Dark fruits take hold as the slight bitterness pushes back with maybe some lighter fruits popping through, old wood seems to be in there too. But everything layers over each other and gives it a great quality. Reminds me of an old plum tree.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 19:25:32 | More by mts198