St. Bernardus Pater 6 - Brouwerij St. Bernardus NV

Brenden

Ohio

4.3/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

The color is a rich, dark mahogany sort of red-brown. Like many St. Bernardus beers, there's a bit of bubbly activity that lasts without being spritzy. A light brown head is simultaneously creamy and dense, rising to about a finger tall. It shows some stick, clinging spottily to the glass as the beer falls.
This beer showcases a complex bouquet; after so many Belgians, and most having been of the lighter variety, I've gotten used to a bubble gum/banana/clove profile and brightness. This one shows off its darker side, though, as the clove and a hint of banana come through with less of the bubble gum, more earthiness, and the faintest hint of barley-like darker grains presence. It's slightly more peppery in the flavor, though everything unwraps slightly better in the aroma and comes out more distinctly than in the flavor. Alcohol is warming but otherwise well-masked.
The feel is classic, light and fluffy without losing body. It flows without being overly filling, Carbonation is active and constant. It's both crisp and smooth, and both very much so. I don't know what more one could want in the feel; this is velvety smooth and still bites, but not too hard. Perfect.
Overall, a fantastic beer, and what I expect from the great Belgian brewers.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2012 20:53:07 | More by Brenden

brewskifan55

Mississippi

4.15/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a snifter

A: amber with a tan one finger head that dissipates to medium sized bubbles. Good lacing.

S: Wow, an interesting strain of apricot, yeast and malt. Dark fruit, cola, leather.

T: follows nose. Smooth, sweet, malty with Belgian yeast and toffee. A slightly floral finish. Let it warm it; the taste evens out to a more caramel groove.

M: medium to heavy. Good carbonation. A semi-dry finish.

O: A few steps beneath an abt 12, but still superior to many beers.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2012 16:22:15 | More by brewskifan55

benfons

Belgium

4.03/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Hazy brown colour, decent head that drops to fast but leaves enough

S: loads of apple flambé, dark chocolate, some caramel some sugar and alcohol (smells great)

T: plums, bread, burned coffee, at the end some yeast and loads of alcohol

M: medium feel, a bit too alcoholic, dry finish

O: very good beer; taste's pretty good smells even better

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2012 20:37:13 | More by benfons

DARIVA

Netherlands

3.53/5  rDev -14.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Amber light cloudy beer with a beautiful head.

S: The scents of caramel, nougat and raisins.

T: The taste of slightly bitter beer.

M: Nice carbonation and a slightly bitter long finish. Reasonable foam feel.

O: Good beer and reasonably drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2012 10:58:30 | More by DARIVA

matjack85

Illinois

4.4/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Served in its own wide mouth chalice at Cooper's Bar on Belmont in Chicago. Not cheap at $7.75 for an 11.2oz serving. Expiration date of 10/3/14 on the label, so apparently this beer keeps well in the bottle for awhile.

The beer poured a slightly cloudy chestnut brown color with a ½-finger of off-white head that lasted about 30 seconds. Lacing was light.

Malty nose with dark fruits, Belgian yeast, and even a hint of chocolate in it.

Delicious mix of caramel malt sweetness and dark fruits of dates, figs, and raisins. Also picking up some cherry fruitiness, chocolate flavor, and a bit of warming alcohol. Then add to all this some Belgian yeast and a mild bitterness and all I can say is "yummy".

Medium in body, the beer manages to remain smooth despite a high prickly carbonation.

I'll be looking for this in the stores where I'm sure the price won't be as prohibitive as the price in the bars.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2012 12:28:14 | More by matjack85

lacqueredmouse

Australia

3.98/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Purchased from Plonk in Canberra.

Pours a deep ruby colour, with a depth that suggests it might have some haze to it. But in fact, it seems pretty clear. Carbonation is very fine, but persistant and vibrant, and feeds into a thick, off-white head that leaves firm, sticky lace. Looks very good.

Nose is slightly yeasty and spicily aromatic, with some dusky earthiness coming through as well. It's slightly funky, with a touch of musk. There's a smoothness to it overall, but all from that earthy sweatiness—there's not much sweetness.

Taste is lighter than expected, but powered by those slightly spicy estery characters which give notes of fruitskin. Again, there's not a lot of true sweetness, but there's a smooth roundness to the palate, which balances some of the spicy spikes. Finish has a gritty, earthy twang to it. Feel is split by that smoothness and spiky sharpness.

Overall, a nice beer, but not the equal of its stablemates.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2012 05:52:04 | More by lacqueredmouse

BedetheVenerable

Missouri

4/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Presentation: 330ml brown pop top, best before 2013. Cool, typical St. Bernardus label. Figured this would make a good 'Easter' beer.

Appearance: Nice ruddy mahogany brew, fairly bright, but with a lot of tiny sediment in suspension. Creamy ivory cap with nice staying power.

Smell: Deep notes of dark fruit (plum?), bit of Belgian yeast spiciness, and sweet malty tones. Perhaps a ghostly hint of bubblegum? Very nice overall.

Taste: Excellent mix of dark fruit, Belgian yeasty spice, sweet dark caramel, and mild, warming alcoholic notes. Ends a bit earthy (cellar-like quality), with a medium, firm, clean bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Perfect for the style; light for the gravity, adds to drinkability/digestability.

Overall: Really nice dubbel. I dunno what 4 packs of this go for, but I'd pay 10-12 bucks once in awhile for this.

Strong B to B+

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2012 02:26:06 | More by BedetheVenerable

Mebuzzard

Colorado

4.05/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This one is pretty much a 'lighter' version of the 8. But light isn't quite the correct term. Maybe less involved.

Nice hazelnut, amber pour. Good thick head, rocky. Lacing dims a bit.

Aroma has apples, currants, raisin, sweet bread, and candied sugar. Sticky sweet and fruity.

Whereas the 8 seems more fruity (apple and such) this one is more floral. A nice bouquet of flowers and orchard fruit. Sweetness of bread and candied sugar. Molasses is light. Dark cherry?

This is a very good beer. I can see this with some applewood smoked BBQ pork.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2012 03:34:24 | More by Mebuzzard

beergoot

Colorado

4.45/5  rDev +8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A big beer that pours out caramel-orange and leaves a thick, off-white head. The aroma hits you with rich malt sweetness; orange and citrus notes; dates and raisins; and sweet, newly mowed grass. Excellent mixture of malts and hops in this one...

Caramel and cinnamon accentuate a rich, sweet bread malt character. A distinctive alcohol warmth melds nicely with the bitter, spicy finish.

Mouthfeel is rich and creamy; nice carbonation to soften things up...

A top-notch dubbel. Rich and sweet with great spicy flavors.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2012 23:24:39 | More by beergoot

ADZA

Australia

4/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a dark murky orange hue which leaves a two finger head and a nice rim of lacing,the smell is jarrah honey,biscuty malts,floral hops and yeasty bread,the mouthfeel is medium bodied and has tastes very similar to smell with hints of jarrah honey firstly followed by some fruitcake,yeasty bread,raisins,caramel candy and finished with a mix of floral hops and bread pudding and overall its nice and very drinkable cheers.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2012 12:16:37 | More by ADZA

JRdaSconnie

Wisconsin

3.73/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

P: 11.2oz bottle, best by 19the 09 14. From fridge into St Bernardus chalice (part of sweet 4 pk gift set).

A: Deep brown with copper hues. 2 finger creamy, frothy head settles into thin, but full surface foam. Big laces.

S: Not huge on aroma to me. Some caramel malt with some Belgian fruitiness in background. Wish this one had a little more.

T: similar to smell. Not a major player on flavor up front. Nice maltiness and again, Belgian fruity yeast. Little banana and spice, just a little. Not bad at all, but not mind blowing awesome.

M: Beautiful Belgian mouthfeell. Crisp, effervescence but creamy. Full but not tiring. Very nice.

O: nice dubbel, wish it was a little more spicy. Nice maltiness and excellent body. Definitely worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2012 23:07:09 | More by JRdaSconnie

Bakerwine

3.83/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Best Before batch 06-05-13

lite brown/med copper core with streaks of garnet and brick orange pours pleasantly into a medium, tapered, wine glass. Noticeable fine beads steam thru medium+ cloudy intensity. Head is medium- impressive and quick to fall.

The nose here, along with the mouthfeel, are the best parts of this beer. The nose is clean, with sweet and fresh malts, baking spices, vanilla, pepper, light caramel, banana. There is a lift and energy to the nose, though I wish there was a touch more complexity.

Flavors on the palate and confirmed, but mouthfeel quickly steals the show. A med+ creamy texture with velvet qualities is not heavy, and is balanced nicely by the CO2 and higher toned flavors/acids. The finish is long with a hint of balanced bitterness. Again, flavors lacking a bit of complexity.

This beer will most likely improve with more oxidation, and become tastier as I near the bottom of the glass, ahem.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2012 02:47:00 | More by Bakerwine

flagmantho

Washington

4.15/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from 330mL bottle into a tulip.

Appearance: rich amber-brown hue with a light haze to the body. Head poured two thick fingers of creamy ivory foam. I like it.

Smell: nice malty aroma with some dank character of cherry, raisin and tobacco. Quite appealing but not overwhelming. Good.

Taste: rich malty flavor with the same kind of flavor character as present in the aroma, but with a little less intensity. Added to this is an interesting light sourness plus a hint of chocolate. Quite nice.

Mouthfeel: bodacious creaminess brought on by a huge carbonation. Medium body and this creaminess make it extremely satisfying, texturally.

Overall: a very nice dubbel indeed. Besides being tasty, it is eminently drinkable. Possibly the best overall dubbel I've had.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2012 23:07:16 | More by flagmantho

jrenihan

Ontario (Canada)

4.35/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

BB Sept 19, 2014

Beer is dark brown, a bit reddish. A fairly large off-white head. Very good retention- recedes at a very slow pace, leaving some lacing behind.

Smell is quite yeasty and contains a lot of prune, raisin, fig and plum. Very rich and nice.

Taste follows the nose. Bready with dark fruit flavours. Mildly sweet, not nearly as sweet as the style can sometimes be. A very malty beer and very tasty.

Moderate carbonation, medium to full bodied, very chewy. Alcohol is minimal.

Overall, a great beer and an excellent dubbel. Nice stuff!

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2012 01:05:48 | More by jrenihan

martja

South Carolina

4.28/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I had this 11.2oz bottle as part of a variety pack of St. Bernardus beers. I poured this one into a gobblet. It poured a medium-dark, murkey brown that is completely opaque. A light one-finger head of white foam appeared. quickly dissaperaing lacing was presenet as i drank it.
In terms of smell, a sweet roasted malt with some fruit comes through. The taste carries this forward with the addition of something similar to banana. In the mouth, this beer is of medium heaviness with lots of bubbles. Overall, this beer is quite nice, and i was plesantly surprised. Not too heavy and sweet for a dubbel. Quit drinkable and will definetly have again.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2012 19:27:54 | More by martja

Teleweizen2

New Jersey

4.38/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - pours a murky burgundy with brighter reddish hues twoard the bottom of the glass. tons of tan foam, 3-4 fingers worth. not much lacing.

S - the aroma starts off sugary, but as it warms notes of chocolate, dried fruit (raisins), yeasty spice and bready notes.

T - a mild malty sweetness on the front. in the middle the sweetness softens to notes of fruit and caramelized sugar. spice (pepper) notes come out as it warms on the tongue. finish is fruity (rasins/dried fruit) and sweet.

M - medium bodied verging on full. medium carbonation. creamy feel.

O - excellent. This is a great example of Belgian Dubbel.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2012 05:35:33 | More by Teleweizen2

KiltedCulinarian

Georgia

4.08/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served in a branded goblet, poured a chestnut colour with a light head. First impressions when served chilled were not impressive, but the flavour developed considerably as it warmed up. A crisp and malty nose, consistent with the flavour, and a slightly buttery finish. A mild spice accompaniment throughout.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2012 02:04:37 | More by KiltedCulinarian

Blanco

Pennsylvania

4.63/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

First I should start out with the fact that I initially had no intentions of reviewing this beer. But I poured it into the matching St. Bernadus glass and was immediately captivated by this beers appearance. The color is a dark brown with red/amber tones. Large billowy head fits neatly in the glass. The aroma is typical trappist, but cleaner than most. Malts and dark fruit are there as well. The flavor is amazing. Clean, crisp and dry. Hard to describe but definitively enjoying to. Light bodied and very well carbonated. Overall this was great.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2012 04:18:21 | More by Blanco

garymuchow

Minnesota

4.25/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Both the aroma and appearance very quickly give away that this is a smaller dubbel than most. Lighter brown color and a thinner more aqueous aroma tell that tale. Neither is bad, but apparent. Still a big full dense head lends nicely to the look.
Aroma is a soft darker malt and the yeast qualities are mild. It's a pleasant aroma, but not impressive.
Tasty malt flavors with a really nice sweetness towards the finish, but the start defines it as Belgian with a nicely mixed flavor of the dark malt with yeast taste. Soft dryness towards the finish, but the lingering flavor is more malt. Caramel, a soft butter quality (not a bad dms thing).
Only a slightly thinner body. Fully carbonated adequate to style.
In spite of the less than impressive start, this finishes rather nicely.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 01:23:05 | More by garymuchow

Immortale25

Florida

4.33/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Poured into a St. Somewhere wine-style glass. The back label says best before end 05 05 14 meaning drink by May 5th, 2014.

A- Pours a somewhat murky dark brown color with a two-finger head that retains decently before lowering to an 1/8 inch ring around the edge of the glass and sporadic surface foam. Spastic lacing looks quite cool.

S- Man, the Belgians love their yeast and for good reason. Lots of sweet, banana-laced yeast aroma along with a sufficient amount of grain to back it up.

T- Malt, yeast and spice cover the overall spectrum of flavor. Hops are not nearly as pronounced. Somewhat soapy, somewhat glassy but both are mild enough to be complimentary rather than a burden. Lots of dark fruit like black cherry, plum and raisin.

M- Carbonation is very high with this one, making me almost hiccup with every sip while providing plenty of tingle and snap on the tongue.

O- Awesome as expected.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2012 23:36:25 | More by Immortale25

Drinkerofales

California

4.13/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours an opaque dark brown with hints of almost red. A large tinted head leaves behind some fine lacing.

Smell is that special yeast with some spice and slightly nutty/caramel malt.

Taste is a hint of the spice and lightly fruity up front with a lightly roasted malt flavor in the back.

Feel is smooth and mellow, fine carbonation gives it a good texture. Easy to drink and well made.

After having the triple and the quad versions, this one seems underwhelming, but I took into account it's only a dubbel, and in comparison, it's still a great beer.

DOA

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 03:26:19 | More by Drinkerofales

donkeyrunner

Massachusetts

4.18/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Rusty copper color in my brand spankin' new St. Bernadus chalice. Hooray for appropriate glassware. Expansive tan head leaves retention that spans the goblet mouth like a snowfield. Few larger drifts pile up here and there among the beery winter wonder land.

Steely toffee, dried raisin, dark and nutty bread aroma. Taste follows up the steely dark fruit and dark bready nose. Bruised red apples. Sharp, bubbly carbonation cuts through an otherwise plush, creamy mouthfeel. Once the carbonation bubbles itself I find the body much more enjoyable. Idllyic almost.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2012 21:14:47 | More by donkeyrunner

Ricelikesbeer

Colorado

4.22/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I'm a big St. Bernardus fan and easily consider the whole range of beers to be as good or even better than the monastic breweries, although this brewery is about as close to having the trappist label as there is.

A:
Light brown, copperish color, when held to light it is ruby red and almost purple. Nice foamy head with large bubbles. Excellent head retention.

S:
Big brown or carmelized sugar right off the bat. Some dark fruity aroma of raisins, and prunes. There is a yeasty mustiness, and plenty of sweet, malty, bready aroma. Some alcohic notes as it warms, Like rum or dark liquer.

T:
More dark sugary notes, plenty of rum and dark liquor hits, no to little hop presence, and lots of maltiness. There is a range of sweet flavors like toffee and caramel. Some light frutiness, but more sugar. Plenty of esters. Well balanced and very complex, especially as the beer warms. I would guess this has a simple malt bill that gets its complexity from candy sugar or syrup.

M:
Creamy and smoothe, well carbonated and prickly on the tongue. Medium to thin body, and appears to be well attenuated. Nice aftertaste and you crave more every sip.

Overall:
A very nice dubbel. Simple yet elegant, with plenty of rummy and sugary flavors to make you want to sip it into the night. A very nice dubbel, worthy of high praise. I could drink this one all night, especially on a cold night, and the medium alcohol lets you do that.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2012 02:56:41 | More by Ricelikesbeer

S7R4nG3

North Carolina

4.6/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

My first St. Bernardus brew, I was somewhat hesitant at first due to the price, but after the first taste I immediately fell in love.

A: This brew poured with a deep chocolatety, hazy brown with very little head. What head there was, was slighty creamy and still managed to give a nice lacing.

S: A very complex aroma, I was unable to pin-point a lot of the scents but definitely caught some very complex dark fruits with a nice malty sweet earthiness and some sweet chocolate flavors.

T: Very nice flavors in this beer starting with a smooth chocolate sweetness followed by the nice dark fruit tart flavors with some slight malty sweetness moving into rich coffee that left an excellently smooth finish.

M: As with all Belgian ales I have had, a great combination with a nice syrupy mouthfeel that coats very well balancing perfectly with a nice bubbly carbonation that keeps everything nice and light.

After trying a few of the St. Bernardus brews, they definitely have me hooked! A fantastic brew and a must try Dubbel to get the true feel of the style!

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2012 05:14:13 | More by S7R4nG3

StonedTrippin

Colorado

4.15/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

cork and cage set up at a bargain price. follows a whole bunch of saisons and farmhouse ales real well in our little tasting here. pours the darkest orange it could possibly be, caramel orange. lively white head in my leffe thick stem glass. smells like a malty belgian and thats it. maybe a gentle cherry apple aroma too, fruity but not fruity at the same time. flavor is just a balanced smooth belgian dubbel. glorious and simple. mouthfeel is magic, smooth and well carbonated with a creamy afterfeel. really nice beer. very drinkable at its tolerable abv, this will go well with the chorizo basil arrabiata sauce which is happening on the stove at the moment...

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 02:10:08 | More by StonedTrippin