Christmas Ale - Brouwerij St. Bernardus NV

rangerred

Tennessee

4.65/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a tulip out of a 750ml bottle.

Pours a hazy dark brown with some reddish hues. Billowy tan head with incredible head retention and huge chunks of lacing hanging onto the sides of the glass.

Instant Belgian character on the aroma with clove and banana from the yeast. Brown sugar and some molasses are present along with some toast. Licorice along with a hint of cinnamon, nutmeg, and dark fruits.

Lots of dark fruit in the flavor along with more banana and clove. More brown sugar with strong caramel notes. A very slight bit of tartness on the tip of the tongue. Moderate sweetness that perfectly compliments the other flavors. The finish is moderately dry leaving just the smallest hint of residual sweetness. Alcohol is completely hidden save for a slight bit of warming making this a pleasure to drink.

Overall, this is really one of the best beers I have ever had. Just so much going on and all the flavors and characteristics are perfectly balanced. Dangerously drinkable and one to really savor during the holidays.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 02:49:08 | More by rangerred

Hatzilla

California

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

Pours a dark ruddy amber with a thick head and minimal lacing. Smells of spices, raisins, plums, cherries and brown sugar. Taste is more spices, dark fruits, brown sugar and molasses. Mouthfeel is smooth with medium carbonation and a dry finish. Overall a fantastic Christmas ale (my new favorite)! which is a nice alternative to the Abt 12. Alcohol is well hidden for 10% ABV. Merry Christmas!

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 01:56:53 | More by Hatzilla

acevenom

Louisiana

5/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured into a Duvel tulip glass. Pours dark caramel brown with a thick, eggshell colored head that dissipates slowly. Plenty of lacing is left on the side of the glass during consumption. There are aromas of banana, spices such as cinnamon and clove, malt, fig, and some caramel sweetness. The malt backbone is bready and mildly sweet with banana, cinnamon, clove, and fig. The 10% alcohol is well hidden in this beer. Saying the taste follows the nose is true, but it also understates the execution of the well-balanced and complex flavors in this beer. One flavor does not dominate the other. The beer is medium to full bodied with strong carbonation. This makes the beer smooth and dangerously drinkable. If you are looking for a great Belgian strong dark ale, this is a great place to begin.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 00:35:59 | More by acevenom

ThickNStout

Georgia

4.05/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

750mL bottle from Minks (Marietta, GA). 10.99. Served in an oversized snifter.

Pours deep but opaque mahogany with a finger and a half off white head that fades quickly.

Smells of dark fruit, sugar, yeast and toffee.

Taste of is a rich and complex mixture of plums, cherries, toffee, molasses, yeasty funk, brown sugar, spice and a little booze.

Creamy medium full body with a crisp carbonated effervescence. Long sweet finish.

A well made strong dark ale for any season. Another great brew from good ol' St Bernardus.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 00:34:00 | More by ThickNStout

brentk56

North Carolina

4.33/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Expected a bit more carbonation when I popped the cork so I was not surprised that the head was not overly impressive; after a few minutes, all that remains is a film and a ringlet, though it is rather leggy, leaving quite a smattering of dots and dashes

Smell: Spice cake aromatics, with ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon and clove joining the dark fruit (fig and date) elements

Taste: Spice cake with caramel frosting; in the middle, the fig and date flavors develop, along with all the spices detected in the aroma; a little tartness, after the swallow, along with a balsa wood dimension, brings an interesting phenolic angle to the finish

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body with moderate carbonation

Overall: One of the better Christmas ales to come out of Belgium; my bottle was a bit undercarbonated but still quite good

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2012 21:28:57 | More by brentk56

TBoneJones

Texas

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

2012
Pours deep and dark, with cherry brown mahogany highlights when held in light. Beautiful-looking ale, with a perfectly thick off-white head.
Smells like light banana esters, malt, spice, some fig and sweet bread.
First taste I can tell this is an ongoing complexity. Raisin, bread pudding and sweet dark fruit (date/ raisin), nutty and with nutmeg, some peppering, with a long burning finish. Pretty well carbonated. This sipper was a great choice for a Christmas beer. Complex, strong, nice seasonal flavoring. Would recommend to anyone, especially those who enjoy Abby beers..to try Christmastime or anytime during the winter.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2012 21:08:41 | More by TBoneJones

Gatch

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2012. Says it can be aged up to 15 years. I can't imagine how good this would be after a few years, let alone 10 or 15.

A: Deep, dark brown with shades of ruby red. Big, fluffy, off-white to light brown head that builds and fades quickly leaving behind a fizzy, thin layer of foam on top until the first sip.

S: Mmmm...figs, raisins, dark and sweet malts, ripe plums, dark bread, sugar. Very nice. But as the beer warms, some of this disappears, surprisingly.

T: Crazy amount of carbonation (expected from the huge pop from the cork when opened). Thick, creamy, and full of flavor. Sweet, sugary, roasted malt complemented by dark, poached, sugary fruits.

M: Super carbonated and full of roasted flavor. The flavor is stronger than the body makes you believe. A tad cloying in the finish with some warmth from the alcohol.

O: It's a great beer but doesn't seem to be anything crazy or special. Spot on for the style, though. Spiced enough to make this feel like a holiday ale.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2012 02:44:56 | More by Gatch

HuskyinPDX

Washington

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

Bottle opened on 12.7.12

A - Pours a deep brown with a ruby hilights. A huge foamy light tan head with amazing retention forms.

S - Spices, raisins, figs, light fruit, cola.

T - Similar, spices are more up-front and dominating.

D - Great carbonation and a medium to light body.

O - Belgian Abbey with Christmas Spices.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2012 06:34:14 | More by HuskyinPDX

Treebs

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

750 ml c&c bottle served in an English pub glass. My future mother-in-law surprised me with this on Christmas.

A: Pours a hazy, dark cherry wood color with a deeper brown body. A thick light tan head forms on the pour that slowly recedes to a hefty cap. Sticky sheets of lace are left down the glass.

S: Dark malts and some honey sweetness. A little fig in the periphery. Bready notes with some musty yeast.

T: Dark bread sweetness with some underlying cinnamon and nutmeg like spices. There are some minimal banana esters from the yeast. Oaty and nutty as well.

M: A little too prickly on the carbonation. Medium bodied with the booze nicely hidden.

O: Very nicely developed flavors with some hidden booze. Definitely drank like it was 7-8%. I would have liked a little less carbonation to smooth out the mouthfeel, but overall it was very nice.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 20:48:29 | More by Treebs

RonaldTheriot

Louisiana

4.93/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

St. Bernardus Christmas Ale has a thick, frothy, light beige head, made up of very tiny bubbles. The appearance is brown, with evident tiny bubble streams up the side of the glass and a nice lacing sheen. The aroma is of a strong, yeasty, fruit (plum, raisin, dates), brown bread, and a mild spiciness. Taste is similar, with even some banana showing up. There is an underlying alcohol presence, which, however, is not unpleasant. The mouthfeel is light to medium and prickly, and St. Bernardus Christmas Ale finishes mostly dry, mellow, and drinkable. One can certainly detect brandy-wine type qualities here, and it’s nice to see a Christmas beer without all the offensive, over-the-top flavoring. Overall, this is a world class beer! A true beer fan must try it!

RJT

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2012 13:56:17 | More by RonaldTheriot

ksimons

New York

4.33/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A-a deep chestnut with ruby highlights and a good two fingers worth of cream colored head

S-caramel, toffee, chocolate, dark fruits of cherries, figs, raisins, and yeast

T-matches the smell nicely, lots of caramel and toffee, dark fruit, cocoa, light banana, Belgian yeast, and just a touch of hops to round things out

M-medium body, spicy carbonation

Overall a really delicious BSDA and Christmas beer. Really great tasting and nicely complex.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 23:55:35 | More by ksimons

Hex92

Virginia

3.75/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bought the bottle around Christmas 2011, just opened it in Dec 2012.

I hoped that it would be a bigger version of the abt 12. Not so much.

A- huge head that lingers. Reddish gold hue.
S- smells like a tasty beer.
T-typical dried fruits the alcohol is well hidden, but the flavor is nothing like abt 12. Its actually pretty tame for the style. Very dry not very malty, not much spice or much else present. Its tasty, but not great.
M- a bit thin doesn't coat the mouth really at all.

O- for the money I would rather buy the abt. This is a decent beer, but not worth $13.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2012 02:21:01 | More by Hex92

Philly82785

Minnesota

4.6/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This is one of my favorite Christmas brews. Pours a nice dark brown, with several inches of head. A nose of banana, raisin, and cloves. Flavor of raisins, figs, and a tad boozy. Very malty with little to no hop presence. Has a nice velvet mouth feel.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2012 04:55:25 | More by Philly82785

macrosmatic

Florida

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

Reviewed from notes. Poured from corked & caged bomber into a Peg's snifter glass.

A: Nearly opaque, rich brown in color, with a huge light tan head that lingers.

S: Rich sweet malt, fruity esters with apple and banana prominent, some booze.

T: Follows the nose almost identically, but adds some spiciness. I suppose that's the Christmas aspect? The palate isn't as boozy as the nose suggests.

M: Medium body, good carbonation, moderate alcohol presence given the hefty ABV.

O: Pretty tasty! Don't know that I'm going to actively seek it out every year, but certainly enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2012 03:20:55 | More by macrosmatic

tectactoe

Michigan

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

Pours a deep brown, ruby red color; murky and opaque with a thick, fluffy, creamy, and long-lasting beige head. Sweet and malty aromas jump from the glass immediately upon pouring; wine-like in aroma, with grapes and phenolic smells meshing together. Apple skins, berries, prunes, and a subtle hint of clove from the signature Belgian yeast. In the taste, there are many more spices coming out than were in the aroma. Nutmeg, anise, ginger, tiny bits of cinnamon, maybe even a touch of white pepper. Some light cocoa notes all around, bready and thick in flavor, clove and some spicy bitterness hits fast on the tail end. Earthy, dirty, and again full of boozy fruits - plums, figs, apples, soaked in booze. Bread and a touch of rye in the aftertaste. Thick body, heavy, lots of fine carbonation.

A solid Christmastime BSDA that acts as a wonderful winter warmer. One of the things I like about most BSDA's are their complex flavor profiles, and this one is no different. Lots of things going on, but they work together well.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 12:36:23 | More by tectactoe

thierrynantes

France

4.35/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Beer bottle (75 cl.) purchased from La Cervoiserie, and tasted in 2012.

Appearance : reddish brown color with a huge tan foamy head.
Smell : dried fruits and spicy aromas.
Taste & mouthfeel : sweet and malty flavors, leading to a dry alcohol finish.
Drinkability : a very good beer in the style Belgian Strong Ale. To drink at cellar temperature.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 14:15:54 | More by thierrynantes

WillCarrera

Illinois

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

750 ml bottle, best-by date of 08.08.17, poured into a tulip glass.

A- Pours a dark garnet color, topped with a huge khaki head withnice retention, leaves excellent lacing.

S- Rich, sweet aroma of caramel, toffee, and sugary, bready malt. There's also a ton of dark fruit and a mild spice. As it warms a really excellent brown sugar aroma becomes a bit more prominent. It smells delicious.

T- Similar to the aroma, lots of brown sugar, caramel and dark fruit on top of a bready malt. There's also a very, very subtle spiciness of clove, nutmeg and cinnamon.

M- Medium-bodied, the feel is smooth and very, very soft.

O- A delicious beer, the flavors are rich and complex with a subtle spice that's really spot on.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 14:15:23 | More by WillCarrera

ummswimmin

New Jersey

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

I really enjoy this bottle with the cool monk in a Santa hat. I really appreciate this order of monks.

This dark ale came with three fingers of foam with a pretty decent amount of retention. I like the dark coloring to this one.

There is a great smell coming off of this one. You can definitely get a real sour presence. I also smell the dark fruit in there. There isn't much spice in the nose, though.

This is a great sipper by the fire or next to my really hot X-box.

Bernardus makes a great beer, including this one. There is great balance going on. This is an excellent Christmas beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 00:48:11 | More by ummswimmin

DaftCaskBC

British Columbia (Canada)

4.6/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A: 1/2" tan head over brown liquid.

S: Pears, green apples, green grapes, cherries, strawberries, grass and flowers.

T: Strawberries, pears, cherries, figs, dark grapes, biscuity malt, and grass.

M: Medium viscosity and and high level of foamy and soft carbonation.

O: One of the best Christmas Beers I have ever had. Somewhat dry and not too sweet, the flavours of the yeast are fantastic.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 00:25:35 | More by DaftCaskBC

Braz

Washington

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

Pours very dark ruby with huge rocky white head that stays bubbly throughout. Lots of fruity aromas. Citrus, banana, raisin, clove are all apparent.
Strong flavor. Can taste raisin and figs. Alcohol taste is heavy as well, like brandy perhaps. Very malty, little to no hop presence.
Huge body and tons of carbonation. Very lively and strong brew with a velvet like texture. Only minor complaint would be that it's almost too bubbly and it gets in the way of the flavors.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2012 20:29:41 | More by Braz

brureview

Massachusetts

4.2/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

First time tasting this beer.

It's a carbonated cloved sipper.

Pours an attractive caramel color with a 2.5 finger head. Quite nice.

The pleasant aroma, although light, is lemon and cloves.

Mouth feel at first tastes smooth- this is a deception- this bottle conditioned beer is highly carbonated.

The taste is cloves-lemon-banana. The carbonation overwhelms the finish, but it is an integral part of the beer's signature. A carbonated sipper.

I prefer the Southern Tier 2xmas for the season. Easy drinking and an excellent spice finish.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2012 02:41:41 | More by brureview

axeman9182

New Jersey

3.68/5  rDev -13%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

750 mL bottle, courtesy of Amanti Vino's Beer of the Month program. It was poured into my Brooklyn Brewery tulip.

St. Bernardus Christmas Ale pours a very dark mahogany, with a handful of cherry highlights. Roughly two fingers of bone colored foam crown the beer, but head retention and lacing are both a bit disappointing. The nose displays a nice ester and phenol balance. There's plenty of dark fruit in the aroma, with a solid, yet secondary spicy quality to it. There's not as much fruitiness as far as the flavor goes. There's a bit of plum, but overall the sweetness is more caramel than anything else. The clove phenol character is a bit more potent here, perhaps just a little too much for my taste. There's also a warming (but not hot) booziness that lingers a little bit. Can't argue with the mouthfeel though, as the beer is wonderfully dried out and drinkable for 10%, and the carbonation has plenty of life to it. The Christmas Ale isn't the most impressive beer in St. Bernardus's repertoire, but it's still a fairly solid strong Belgian brew.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2012 06:53:49 | More by axeman9182

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