St. Bernardus Pater 6 - Brouwerij St. Bernardus NV

TheDinger

South Carolina

4.33/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at World of Beer- Savannah. Poured into a pint glass with a nice deep brown/amber hue and generous beige 2 finger head that hung around a bit. Smell is of dark fruits (figs, raisins) and some carmel and spice. A bit bready as well. Tates is exact to the nose with a nice subtle hop finish. Similar to the 12 with the smooth/balanced finish. The monks are doing it right! Love the fruit/bread on the front end. Exceptional taste. Feel is nice for the style. A good bit of carbonation and silk to it. Overall- A great brew that is very smooth and complex. Nice combination of malts, spices, fruits and hops. A must have-

Serving type: on-tap

08-20-2012 02:10:00 | More by TheDinger

barleywinefiend

Washington

4.33/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Poured a hazy reddish, burgundy color with moderate carbonation leaving a dirty white 1/2 head and some minimal lacing

S: Sweet sugar with raisins, red grapes and chocolate some earthiness

T: aImmediate sweetness with red/purple grapes, a few raisins and some candy sugar, subtle bitterness with some eathy notes and a stickyt back end with lingering dark fruits and faded chcolate

M: Creamy, medium bodied, well carbonated with loads of swee and dark fruits coating the palate

O: Very good

Serving type: on-tap

06-24-2012 16:33:38 | More by barleywinefiend

RoamingGnome

Wisconsin

4.33/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Arrived at my table in a St. Bernardus Goblet.

A) A very dark amber to brown color. Nearly a finger of off white head. Okay head retention. No lacing noted.

S) Not as powerful as the 12 but that is probably to be expected given the style. A very nice aroma of sweet malt, some dark fruits, cider and spice.

T) Very pleasing taste. Nice malt sweetness, a hint of brown sugar, light spice, some raisin, earthy. Nice finish and aftertaste.

M) Medium body, maybe a tad heavier, decent amount of carbonation, but not prickly. This was quite smooth. Well done.

O) Really enjoyed this. I know they are different styles, but I can't help but compare it to the 12, which I liked just a little better. You really can't go wrong with either. The bottom line is St. Bernardus makes some mighty fine brews.

Serving type: on-tap

11-27-2011 13:28:00 | More by RoamingGnome

Reaper16

Alabama

4.43/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

served on-tap(!) @ The Alcove, Tuscaloosa, AL, into a St. Bernardus goblet

Pours a nice russet brown color with auburn overtones throughout. Only about half a finger's worth of eggshell foam sat on this pour (likely due to the bartender's technique), and it dissipates quickly. Lacing is pretty nice, though it forms in little speckles. Good looking stuff.

This smells like a dubbel should. If you were in a double-blind tasting, you'd nail this beer as a dubbel without any difficulty. Pater 6 smells immediately like bread crusts dredged through a sauce of reduced dates and green raisin. A nice flourish of cocoa powder comes through, as expected. Things get complex from here. Subtle, strange yeast aromas. There's some straw in here. Maybe some alfalfa. It's a very green ale, which I have no complaints about.

The taste follows the nose. It is very complex, but also very subtle. Pater 6 requires careful attention to be able to pick up on every note. Lots of straight-up baked bread flavors. Subtle cocoa. My palate confirms that it's specifically green raisin that I'm picking up on. There's a distant, muted cinnamon roll sort of flavor. Some pecan & walnut action. A nice kick of clove on the finish. Dates. This is a lovely, composed flavor profile that rewards the drinker capable of spending time with it.

Pater 6 has an intriguing mouthfeel that I'm having a hard time deciding how I feel about. As far as the body goes, it's on the lighter side of medium-bodied. It works, but it may leave fans of the Rochefort or Westvleteren Dubbels unsatisfied. What gets me also is the relative dryness of a beer style that is typically pretty sweet. It's unexpected, but again, not unpleasant. It works given the subtle greenness of this beer. Ultimately, I think the unusual mouthfeel makes sense here. Drinkability is pretty tremendous. You could, if you wanted to, knock back a couple of these pretty quickly. It also very much rewards slow sipping. A versatile beer, this.

If you like Dubbels then please seek out Pater 6. It's such a rewarding beer, and I'm not often crazy about Dubbels. St. Bernardus once again shows why they are a world-class brewery.

Serving type: on-tap

02-19-2011 18:24:43 | More by Reaper16

ncaudle

Virginia

4.25/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

on tap into a Maredsous goblet.

deep reddish-brown with little head and no lacing. the lack of head does not reflect a lack of carbonation.

notes of plum with a mellow, low key sweetness. very slight spicyness on the back end.

very nice balance of flavors to alcohol. while not thick there is definitely something there. easily drinkable, almost to a fault.

Serving type: on-tap

10-02-2010 00:48:59 | More by ncaudle

WhiteOak

Connecticut

3.83/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- Hazy amber-brown with a white head that settles quickly.

S- Dark, overripe raisinated fruits, brown sugar and faint spice.

T- Dark overripe fruit sweetness up front, with a pronounced sourness in the middle and a lingering, yeasty dough finish.

M, D - Lively CO2, with a medium body and good drinkability. Not unpleasant, but I perceived a lack of something... body? complexity?

Serving type: on-tap

07-12-2010 23:18:44 | More by WhiteOak

jrallen34

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I drank this on tap at the Map Room into a chalcie.

The beer pours dark brown with a little ruby red highlights. The head is light tan, not a ton of retention or lacing.

The aroma is nice and malty, with raisins and caramel.

The taste is nice, very smooth and drinkable. Pretty sweet throughout.

Overall, very good.

Serving type: on-tap

01-10-2010 19:27:42 | More by jrallen34

Travlr

District of Columbia

3.93/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Dark brown with medium tan head, some lacing. Aroma of raisins, vanilla and malt. Medium-mouthed, flavor of raisins, caramel and more malt. Good balance with a slightly bitter finish. A junior version of the Prior - in strength, not in flavor. Very nice.

Serving type: on-tap

10-31-2009 23:32:52 | More by Travlr

rvdoorn

Netherlands

4.25/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sint Bernardus, the former Westvleteren beer brewer (until early 80's). This time I had the little brother of one of my favorite beers, the St Bernadus ABT.

Poured into a St Bernardus glass. The beer pours a nice brown-amber color, with a medium head that doesn't last too long, but leaving a nice lacing.

Smell: Yeast, dark fruits (plum, but also clearly raisin), banana and roasted malts.

Taste: Malts, hops and fruits (dark and red fruits) predominate this beer. Also nice, spicy and slightly dry bitter hops in the aftertaste. More bitter than the ABT. Taste is much stronger than the ABV suggests.

Mouthfeel: creamy, with high carbonation and medium-bodied.

Overall: Nice beer. Really different from the ABT. Will have this one time after time after time...

Serving type: on-tap

10-14-2009 20:33:34 | More by rvdoorn

JimsArcade

Pennsylvania

4.75/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Served in a St. Bernardus chalice.

Pours a deep ruby-brown with almost no head.

Smells of dried fruit and yeast dominate. Any alcohol is muted if not imperceptible in the nose.

Tastes of belgian yeasts, red grapes and caramel, but not too sweet. It's actually pretty dry all things considered.

Surprisingly light-bodied for a dubbel. There's little if any malty stickiness. The silky carbonation makes this a treat to sip.

This is a very easy beer to drink. I only planned to order one, but I couldn't help but get another because drinking it was such an effortless experience.

Maybe it's because I'm reviewing this in the middle of summer, but this has become my favorite offering from St. Bernardus. The low alcohol level for the style makes this an excellent dubbel to drink in hot weather.

Serving type: on-tap

07-27-2009 19:32:28 | More by JimsArcade

glid02

Georgia

4.33/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had this on-tap at Leon's in Atlanta.

Pours a slightly hazy dark purplish-brown color with ruby highlights. Head is one-finger of off-white foam that settles into a thin pancake on top leaving solid lacing.

Smells of sugar-coated dark fruits - mostly plums and raisins - with hints of spices.

Tastes similar to how it smells. Belgian candi sugar shares the spotlight with dark fruit flavors. A light amount of spiciness comes in near the end of the sip.

Mouthfeel is good. It's right in the middle in terms of thickness with soft carbonation that make this go down smoothly.

Drinkability is good. I was outside playing bocci ball while drinking this and it hit the spot.

Overall this is a very nice beer for the style, you really can't go wrong when Bernardus is in the name.

Serving type: on-tap

03-07-2009 22:20:24 | More by glid02

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4.22/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at the Abbaye in Federal Hill (Baltimore) the other day.

The beer pours a rich looking brown color with pretty good head retention and lacing. I don't get a lot on the nose, but some brown sugar, a hint of chocolate and some underlying spice. On the palate, however, this beer is flat our delicious. The beer is long and creamy with a boatload of chocolate. There is also a hint of coffee, as well as some bitterness in the finish which helps to keep the beer from tasting overly sweet. The beer is fairly light on the palate for a dubbel, and drinkability is very good.

This has to be one of the better dubbels I've tasted in some time. Not bad at all.

Serving type: on-tap

03-02-2009 13:28:39 | More by johnmichaelsen

Atricapilla

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Beer is a medium mahogany color and has an off white foamy head.

Aroma consisted of malt, earth, banana and grass.

Flavor consisted of malt, earth, cocoa, and a hint of oak. Not as sweet as what I expected, given the maltiness; the flavor has a slight dryness at the end.

Serving type: on-tap

02-01-2009 00:02:56 | More by Atricapilla

WishYouWereBeer

District of Columbia

3.98/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I really liked this beer. It appears like the run-of-the-mill brun; but doesn't have the overtly sweet malty taste which I sometimes find not so pleasing. In addition to the lack of plenty malt, I still detected some hints of toffee and burned caramel. In the mouth it was a mid-weight feel and had some carbonation. Due to its mildness in flavor I think it'd be an excellent beer to enjoy a few glasses of.

Serving type: on-tap

10-20-2008 23:43:32 | More by WishYouWereBeer

Biscuit033

Pennsylvania

4.72/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Dark brown with a bit of red showing through. There was a nice off-white head the had great retention and nice lace.

S: Malts and spices with a lot of fruitiness, mainly red and dried fruits.

T: Nice malt backbone with very little sweetness, red fruits explode in your mouth, and the finish is prune and fig.

M: Slightly thinner than most dubbels but nothing that takes away from the beer with great balance.

D: If I could get this on tap everyday I would drink it everyday. Thanks to the Fly Pig for having it on.

Serving type: on-tap

07-24-2008 01:23:58 | More by Biscuit033

Golden2wenty1

Wisconsin

3.75/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at the magnificent Maduro cigar bar here in downtown Madison for a ridiculous $3 during happy hour.

Pours a dark, opaque garnet with a spotty skim of tan head in a beautiful St. Bernie's chalice. Nose is predominately of Belgian yeast, bracketed by an earthy fruitiness - rather subdued for a dubbel. Taste is dominated by a doughy maltiness and a rather pronounced metallic bite, with a spicy apple-cinnamon, plum, and mild vinuous finish. Mouthfeel is medium and lightly carbonated. Quite a drinkable dubbel, light in nose and palate, but the light fruitiness that I enjoy in a good dubbel was muted by the astringent metallic bite.

Serving type: on-tap

06-05-2006 23:35:24 | More by Golden2wenty1

Darkmagus82

Montana

4/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured from bottle into a chalice glass

Appearance- Pours an orange-copper color with a light haze and a small off white head. The head fades rather fast leaving only a light level of lace on the sides of the glass.

Smell- The aroma is of heaviest of a dark brown bread smell mixed with plenty of darker fruit aromas of prune, cherry and raisin. Along with these smells comes a light yeasty and caramel aroma as well.

Taste- The taste begins with a bready and darker fruit flavor of raisin and prune. As the flavor advances some banana and yeast mixed with a bit of a caramel sweetness also enter the taste. The banana is joined by some other lighter fruits of apple and citrus as the flavor moves more toward the end lightening the taste slightly. At the end, some bitterness of a earthy hop flavor joins the taste leaving a nice somewhat crisper flavor to linger on the tongue.

Mouthfeel-The body of the beer is on the average side in terms of thickness and creaminess with a carbonation level that is on the average side as well. Both are appropriate for the style and act as a nice medium for the fruity and yeasty as well as lightly hoped and bready flavors of the brew.

Overall- This brew is a quite tasty dubbel overall with a very nice flavor profile and a good drinking feel.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2013 00:10:46 | More by Darkmagus82

sfprint

Germany

3.46/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Exp November 22, 2013

A: Look like these orange/cola mixes you get in germany, tons of rootbeer like carbonation. Two finger head.
S: Light, slightly plasticy yeast. creamy.
T: A bit watery and sour, leans towards a flemish sour. Better as it warms up, creamy, unsweet rootbeer float. Tangy
M: Nice body, a bit drying.
O: Good, half sour, half dubbel

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2013 00:30:55 | More by sfprint

SHODriver

California

4.25/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A: poured into a SAt Bernardus Chalice to a deep mahogany with a half ich of off white head that fades to a small mat
S: smells of bready malt, dark fruit, caramel sweetness and a bit of spicy yeast
T: bready malt sweetness, some caramel, spicy yeast, dark fruits, slight candi sugar like sweetness and a tinge of bitterness. swallow brings more bready malt, dark fruits and spice
M: lighter side of medium in the mouth with slightly prickly carbonation and a semi dry finish
O: good complexity, good flavors, solid balance and very enjoyable. very smooth and easy to drink. a fantastic Dubbel

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 01:28:12 | More by SHODriver

hackmann

Michigan

3.83/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Appearance: ruddy brown body with a light tan 1-1/2 finger head; spotty lacing

Aroma: dark bread, dark fruit, light overall, builds character as the ale warms

Flavors: dark fruit – raisin like; pumpernickel with a little rye swirl; touch of spice;

Mouthfeel: fizzy carbonation sparkling wine like, mild-moderate body, nice balance between sweet malts and hops, light dark fruits linger on the palate; to me it is fairly simple: raisin, pumpernickel bread with a touch of rye grain spice and a light aftertaste.

To the Point: a nice Pater, pleasing to drink, easy to enjoy, I think I like this better than the Prior 8 which has a cinnamon raisin bread likeness;

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 17:36:51 | More by hackmann

jeranbrews

New York

4.28/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - light auburn with faint beige head. Pretty lacing that glides down the glass gently

S - faint nutty aroma.

T - well balanced malty. Slight abv burn sweet gentle

M - slightly sparkly not to hot stays in your mouth just the right amount of time

D - high not as good as the 8

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2013 01:55:39 | More by jeranbrews

Hopswagger

Oklahoma

4.4/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

P: A speckled mahogany body with a dollop of off white head that fades to a bubbly wake.

S: A controlled caramel, great Belgian yeast strain, subdued sweet dark fruits, clove, the black bottom part of a banana, pumpernickel bread and spicy hops. Aroma is similar to a musty cardboard fruit container.

T/M: Malty caramel, bready yeast, dark fruits, booze, and spices. Vivacious medium body that finishes dry with green apple tartness and bitter spiced tea tannin.

O: Complex and perfectly balanced. I gotta say I love it and want some more of it. The balance is what really shines here. Not over barring in any way but just nicely married. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 01:45:39 | More by Hopswagger

alex_hart

Oklahoma

4.35/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured into St. Bernardus glass.

Appearance is a beautiful milk chocolatey brown with a one finger beige head.

Smells slightly sweet, effervescent belgian yeast, and hints of spices and citrus.

Taste is very much like the smell. Invitingly sweet, but well complemented by a bitterness. its hard for me to put this one down because I can hardly wait for each sip to come. Yet again some hints of spice and citrus. Beautifully balanced.

Mouthfeel is somewhat sticky, yet smooth, and is medium to light bodied. Enjoyable all the way through.

Overall just a plain and simple great beer. Recommend to anyone.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2013 17:30:01 | More by alex_hart

themind

New Jersey

4.2/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

This is a quality brew that I very much enjoyed. The only draw back for me was a high level of carbonation which effected my mouth feel score. Overall I would purchase this again. St. Bernardus scores another knock out with this offering.

Bottom Line: Great beer that I would buy again.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2013 00:04:45 | More by themind

Patou

France

3.93/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Bottle 330ml. Pours beautifull brown/deep with creamy beige head. Aroma is of malt, caramel, citrus, sweetness. Taste is of malt, medium sweet, caramel, citrus, hops, belgian yeast and a rather long dry and slightly bitter agreable finish. Palate: Medium body, average carbonation. Overall: Very good, tasty. Interesting body and balance. A serious beer, with a reasonnable abv.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 19:08:09 | More by Patou