Christmas Ale - Brouwerij St. Bernardus NV

Retta123

Florida

3.83/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Chilled Bottle – served in tulip glass. Drank alone while husband hunting.

Appearance: Cloudy, medium red-brown with basically no head and no lacing, some bubble

Smell: Sweet, clean, crisp. Made my nose twitch.

Taste: Apple, honey, banana, cherries, but somehow not overly sweet. Did not taste or identify any spices, no oats, maybe some wheat. Not hoppy. Got a warmer feel as I drank it. Leaves honey flavor on my lips!

Mouth feel: Carbonated but smooth. Not creamy.

Overall: It was much sweeter and lighter than I expected for a Christmas Ale, but I liked it. I don’t know if it is the taste, mouth feel or just the glass, but it reminds me of a good wine. It taste lighter than an 10% ABV, but I got a nice little buzz from one bottle.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2012 04:25:25 | More by Retta123

BedetheVenerable

Missouri

4.15/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Presentation: 750ml brown cork and cage, cool Christmas-themed Bernardus label. Stamped on the top of the cage is 5-27-15 (Guessing that's the best-by date, but I picked this up last year). Poured into two Chimay glasses and split with my wife.

Appearance: Warm mahogany brew with beautiful garnet highlights. Lots of carbonation and a big light tan cap fades to a creamy half finger after a few minutes and leaves some gorgeous sheets of lace.

Smell: Lots of bready yeast, red wine fruitiness, and some Belgian (yeast) spice. Perhaps a hint of candy sugar. Really nice.

Taste: Lots of dark and red fruit (cherries, sweet red wine) with notes of cellar, earth, and a hint of candy sweetness. Green apples on the finish. Mild (balanced, and nowhere NEAR hot) alcohol, ends dry, with a very light bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Awesome; creamy, fluffy, tingly...perfect for the style.

Overall: Even more than the sum of its parts; this usually goes for between 11-13 for a 750 and is relatively widely available. At that price, I think this is (still) after several years is probably my favorite BDSA/Quad out there and, honestly, is close enough to give Westvleteren 12 a run for its money.

A = 93

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2012 02:01:29 | More by BedetheVenerable

Chaney

District of Columbia

4.25/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in an Elysian tulip.

A: Poured out a prune, dark brown/purple color, with about a finger or so mocha head that stuck around for a bit.

S: Belgian yeast strain for sure, along with some grape-flavored popcicle. Brown ale-like for sure, along with a healthy dose of prunes and raisons.

T: Nice bitterness here, along with lots of dark fruit, and candy coated booze. Impeccably balanced and then some.

M: The carbonation was fairly high compared to most American versions of this style, but I thought it cut through the potential sugariness quite well. The lacing was moderately splotchy.

O: This brewery produces some awesome beer for sure, and this is one of the many examples!

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2012 01:29:03 | More by Chaney

DaveBlack

Virginia

4.1/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Deep brown color with reddish tints. The head is about 1 1/2 fingers, light tan, and has a seemingly infinite retention.

S: Candied fruits, Belgian yeast, alcohol, and sugary malt. Lots of smells going on here, and they all complement one another.

T: Burnt sugar, earthy yeast, a touch of banana, a little bit of a nutmeg hint as well. Herbal hops balance out the end, along with phenols. The alcohol is definitely present, but in a way that plays nicely with the rest of the flavors, bringing a nice, warming sensation to the beer.

M: Creamy, heavy body with a LOT of carbonation.

O: Not a whole lot about this beer says, specifically "Christmas" but there's a lot that says winter. The spices are warm, the alcohol is warm, the beer is thick and sweet and delicious. Honestly, no single part of this beer stands out to me, but the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2012 00:26:54 | More by DaveBlack

Darkmagus82

Montana

4.23/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on tap in a 10 oz chalice glass

Appearance – The beer was served a deep mahogany colored brew with a decent haze and a thick one finger head. The head faded holds on for some time, eventually fading to give a decent level of lacing.

Smell – The aroma was heaviest of dark fruit aromas of plum, raisin and some fig. Mixed with these aromas is a very subtle spice (cinnamon and nutmeg) aroma as well as a yeast aroma and a little bit of banana.

Taste – The taste begins with the dark sweet fruits that were detected in the nose. The raisin and prune character of the taste are soon joined by a yeasty taste as well as a spice flavor. While the spice starts off on the weaker side it soon grows stronger with flavors of cinnamon and nutmeg becoming more potent. Flavors of a banana nature and some bready tastes then come to the tongue. These flavors all mingle together to in the end , with the advent of some alcohol taste, leave a warming fruity spiced taste to linger on the tongue.

Mouthfeel –The body of the beer is quite creamy with a carbonation level that is rather moderate. The creamy body is fantastic as it baths the tongue in the fruit, bready, and warming alcohol flavors of the brew. The carbonation seems to add just the right excitement to the mouthfeel to complement the spice tastes. Overall rather pleasant.

Overall – Quite tasty of fruit, warming and just the right amount of spice. A delicious winter warmer.

Serving type: on-tap

12-04-2012 01:54:39 | More by Darkmagus82

ckollias

Maryland

4/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed this 750ml bottle out of a Belgian tulip glass.

A: Pours a dark amber hue with a huge, off-white, fizzy, 5-finger head that spills over the top of my glass. Head last forever, leaving a nice trail down the side of the glass and ends in a large solid fizzy lace.

S: Aromas of dark fruits, chocolate, and spicy malt.

T: Similar to the smell dark fruits and hints if chocolate. Solid malty background with a smooth middle and finishes slightly sweet.

M: Very strong and boozy. Heavy body and heavy carbonation.

O: Excellent strong Belgian Christmas ale. Great flavors, aroma, and mouth feel.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 01:40:50 | More by ckollias

dirtylou

Washington

4.25/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml bottle, split

appearance: served in the seldom-used de koninck chalice, garnet-mahogany body, big creamy beige lace. nice

smell: dark belgian sugar, dark fruit, holiday spice

taste: big dark fruit, clove, banana, dark fruit soaked in booze, some holiday spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, cherry, brown sugar, crystallized dates. Another nice classic from St. Bernies.

mouthfeel: rich and full, boozy finish

overall: nice

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 01:00:39 | More by dirtylou

alkemy

Ohio

4.45/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Fluffy, voluminous creamy tan head. I had to cut the pour short for fear of overflow.

A—Cloudy, deep mahogany with the afforementioned head…which does not soon dissipate. Sticks to the glass like
Whipped egg whites.
S—Thankfully, the “christmas” spicing is absent. Plums and apricots. Also a whiff of muenster cheese as odd as that sounds.
Beyond that it has the typical banana and bubble gum.
T—Dark fruits dominate the taste. As with many Belgian’s, the taste follows the scent quite closely. It’s sweet, but the alcohol lends enough warmth to make this feel really balanced.
M—Pretty carbonated, but it has enough weight to keep it from “biting”
D—It’s good…it’s real good. The first few drinks, the warmth of the alcohol was noticeable, but that quickly faded. I think it’s less boozy than the abt 12. Very good.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 23:34:09 | More by alkemy

Beer-A-Lot

Virginia

4.45/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a goblet.

A -Beautiful brown-black color. Amazing head, 3 fingers or more.

S - Lovely complext flavors. Raisiny, hints of fig.

T - Just an awesome beer. Perfectly balanced. Hardly taste any alcohol while it's going down. Candy for adults. Wanted to give this a 5, but you gotta leave room for better.

M - Lucious, medium to full bodied.

O - What a nearly perfect beer for those who love strong Abbey ales. And I do. Could drink this from the Macy's parade to first day of spring.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 23:09:03 | More by Beer-A-Lot

brewdude1982

North Carolina

3.86/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This was a bomber poured into a snifter.

This pours an opaque brown and smells like Belgium yeast an then sweet. It tastes belgiumy and is sweet and malty. It had good carbonation and a medium body. Overall I would recommend if you can find it but its seasonal and I got it after Christmas.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2012 21:44:23 | More by brewdude1982

Fatehunter

Oregon

4.13/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Big three fingers of head, a dark reddish/brown colored body.
Smells of pine, caramel and overripe plums.
Quite malty and the accompanying sweetness. A bit of lemon at the end, but not really bitter. Some plum and banana in the mix too. Great balance and flavors.
Medium body, slightly sticky texture. Carbonation on the high end.
Can't go wrong with this beer, though the high carbonation did detract from the otherwise amazing experience.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2012 02:10:30 | More by Fatehunter

frankiepop

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Now this is a CHRISTMAS ale! This one was done right. Why. When you first pop the cork you get a nice present. SMOKE! A ton of smoke is packed under that cork. I love the smoke.

Then you pour out this beautiful dark ale which floods the top of your chalice glass with a big creamy head and plenty of lacing.

The aroma is not so strong though, but the taste is lively, spicey, strong, rich, sweet, and bold! You get that malty taste right away with a hint fruity sweet apricot taste with a some nice Christmas spice. However the malts rule the day here on this beer.

There's only one recording to listen to while drinking this Belgium gift and that is the best. "A Charlie Brown Christmas" by Vincent Guaraldi!

This is the beer that makes Santa go HO! HO! HO!

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 14:35:16 | More by frankiepop

jtd1969

North Carolina

4.43/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - reddish brown color with lots of lacing and carbonation

S - sweet Belgian yeast, some Christmas spices, dark fruit

T - dark fruit like cherries and plums, some fig, hints of nutmeg and cinnamon

M - full bodied, medium-high carbonation, smooth

O - Really really good. I could drink this all Christmas. Alcohol is so hidden, Special beer.

Serving type: on-tap

11-17-2012 05:51:59 | More by jtd1969

zac16125

South Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750mL bottle into a chalice
2012 Vintage (08-08-17)

Incredible pop when I uncork it, so heads up and be careful.

A: Pours a rich dark mahogany with faint reddish hues when held up to light. 2 fingers of dense light beige head forms and takes minutes to dissipate down. 1/2 fingers width hangs around for the entirety of the drink, and leaves a good amount of lacing clinging to the sides of the glass.

S: Aroma is big and can be appreciated even as its sitting on the table far from your nose. Spice, sweet Belgium yeast banana, a bit of dark fruit, nutmeg/cinnamon. Spice is the predominant characteristic. Smells like Christmas.

T: Follows the nose. Spice up front with some sweet banana on the finish. Clove, black pepper, sweet dark fruits, hints of orange, plum, nutmeg,
Super complex and very delicious.

M/D: Creamy and smooth but with a pronounced carbonation. Coats the palate wonderfully, and leaves you longing for the next sip. It gives a great whole body warming sensation. ABV is completely masked, and drinkability is good. Wonderful mouthfeel.

O: Those monks sure can brew beers. Excellent from top to bottom. I think I like this more than the Abt 12. Merry Christmas!

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2012 00:10:35 | More by zac16125

mountdew1

New Hampshire

4.08/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a tulip glass. Color was a nice dark reddish color with a frothy dirty white head, small traces of carbonation rising from the bottom in a few places.. Head clung to the sides nicely, and then lasted a bit. Aroma was sweet, slightly fruity. Had hints of a mid range wine as well with just tad of alcohol. Flavor was fruity sweet, but not overly so. A small bit of spice hiding in there, but reminded me very much of a barleywine. Coated the mouth extremely well, felt nice and rich and creamy, with just a hit of carbonation in the mouth. Overall, a solid beer. Hid the ABV well, but was definitely a sipper, and most likely suitable for cold weather, not late August.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2012 23:52:21 | More by mountdew1

LiquidAmber

Washington

4.2/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Review from 1/2010 notes. Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours a dark, ruddy brown amber with a nice one finger light tan head with good retention and lacing. Aroma of sweet malt, dark and dried fruit and Belgian spicing. Flavor follows with strong dark fruits, brown sugar and spicing; somewhat astringent aftertaste. Medium bodied with some creaminess. A very nice Belgian winter warmer from a great brewery.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2012 23:36:29 | More by LiquidAmber

julian89

Georgia

4.53/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I had this beer a long time ago, found a paper record of my review and figured I'd transfer it to BA.
Poured from bottle to snifter.

Appearance: Light opaque brown with a creamy 2 inch head and good retention. Minimal lacing.

Smell: Glorious dark fruit and sweet malt smell. Dominated by all spice, plum, pear, and apricot. Very Christmas like.

Taste: Right off the bat it has that strong Belgian sweetness. Fruit taste is prominent just like the Bernardus Triple. The spices make it a very festive beer.

Mouthfeel: Medium to thick bodied with excellent carbonation.

Drinkability: Great beer and easily drinkable. You can drink this beer pretty much year round. May be a little heavy for summer though.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2012 15:54:58 | More by julian89

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

4.05/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle from Harvest Wines. From notes.

A - Poured a dark reddy brown colour with good carbonation and a lovely, thick one finger of light brown head. Great thick lace and one finger of retention. Looked lovely the whole way.

S - Vinous, dark fruit, yeast, sweet dark fruit.

T - Yeast, dark fruit, sweet. Pretty nice. The vinous element is subtle but nice and clearly there but tucked away behind that fruity sweetness. Little to no spice.

M - Medium carbonation and a full body with good carbonation.

O/D - Lovely stuff. Rich and malty. I can imagine loving this with snow coming down. Good stuff. Tad sweet perhaps.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2012 01:08:03 | More by tbeckett

BostonHops

Massachusetts

4.08/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

750ml bottle served in a snifter.

pours a murky chestnut tone while yielding a generous 2"+ beige/tan head. strong retention and patches of lacing evident. nose offers a strong spice presence with other notes of dark fruit, caramel, brown sugar, and belgian yeast.

flavor follows the aroma with strong opening salvo of spices, followed by the malt and caramel / brown sugar elements, then the dark fruits. tasty, relatively complex. medium-plus bodied mouthfeel with some prickly carbonation.

overall, it's a bit reminiscent of (at the risk of being simplistic) a spiced version of the abt 12 - which i would prefer. a very good christmas ale, just nothing overly spectacular.

(originally reviewed: 12-07-2011)

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2012 22:50:12 | More by BostonHops

jjanega08

Minnesota

4.25/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

No freshness dating on the bottle.

A= Pours a deep bark hazy brown color with a huge off white tannish head on it that holds great retention and great lacing. Pretty typical of St. B's beers in appearance.

S= This doesn't have any "christmasy" spice to it which is nice since it's May. There is a great spicyness to the yeast odor to it that covers some darker fruit aroma as well as some candied sugar typical of a Belgian.

T= The taste is similar to the aroma. Dark fruit and spicy Belgian yeast that gives off an almost bannana like flavor to it. Nice amount of candied sugar that I usually associate with St. B's beers. A solid pick.

M= Highly carbonated and light on the tongue.

O= Another solid beer from St. B's. Bought as a gift and I appreciated it so much I bought another. This is a solid beer that will put you in the holiday spirit no matter the season.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2012 22:11:29 | More by jjanega08

gtermi

Texas

4.28/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: This beer pours a VERY dark copper body with a thick white head that slowly fades. As the beer fades, it leaves a lot of thick lace on the glass.

S: This has a strong amount of Belgian yeast that gives off that amazing fruitiness and a sort of floral scent. Its very sweet too that tingles the nose.

T: This is where the beer REALLY shines for me. It just has that perfect amount of malt, sweetness and yeast. It is very sweet and lingers for a very long time. It almost has a fruit juice flavor to it.

M: Now I don't exactly love the mouthfeel because the beer feels so thick when I drink it. The carbonation is a killer and makes it a little less enjoyable to drink.

O: This beer is great and I would for sure buy it again. I seem to find beers that use Belgian yeasts a little too carbonated, but I guess thats just how the yeast works.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2012 06:16:18 | More by gtermi

kylehay2004

Florida

4.13/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Word of caution, make sure you aim this one away from anything breakable or your face as my cork rocketed across the room unlike any I have ever seen. Large frothy head, nice retention on a deep clear amber body.

S: rich dark fruit aroma with mostly fig and cherry and strawberry, not too sweet.

T: more dark fruit but more sour than sweet. Spicey Belgian yeast as well.

M: medium body and moderate carbonation. Semi dry in the finish.

Overall: a Little sour but overall a nice drinkable strong ale from this brewery.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2012 06:41:05 | More by kylehay2004

jdhilt

New Hampshire

4.38/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Will pour a five+ finger cream head that fades very slowly, leaving some lace. Deep, opaque brown color. Good carbonation and medium bodied. Nose is Belgian yeast and flavor is sweet Belgian yeast and spice, nice Christmas ale. Higher ABV is hidden. $11.20 for a 750ml caged & corked bottle from Tully's Beer & Wine Wells, Me.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 23:45:55 | More by jdhilt

IronLover

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Deep walnut brown in color and murky. Poured with a billowy off-white foam with awesome retention that left huge sheets of lacings on the glass. Spicy aromas hit the nose first with sweet estery and dark malts in the background. Medium bodied with aggressive yet smooth delicate carbonation. Dark fruit and banana flavors from start to finish with spices overtop. Herbal hops come and go through the middle. The flavors are consistent and coexist nicely as not one flavor overwhelms the others. Finishes semi-dry with a light yeasty and spicy aftertaste.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2012 18:00:38 | More by IronLover

JohnnyMc

Ohio

4/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This stands out as one of my new favorite Christmas Ales. The aroma has a nice blend of spices, malts and cherries. From the first sip the great balance of cherries and honey mix with the malts and spices that evoke memories of Christmas.

While a very strong beer there is no taste of alcohol and even with the cherries, honey and spices this is not a sweet beer either. This is great for the holiday season.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2012 04:11:06 | More by JohnnyMc