Christmas Ale - Brouwerij St. Bernardus NV

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

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

eduardolinhalis

Switzerland

4.22/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750ml poured in a La Trappe chalice.

A: Pours a dark amber to brown color with a big creamy fluffly beige head. A bit cloudy. Good retention. A thin layer is always there and many lacings are left

S: Mainly dark fruits and caramel. Plums, dates, figs and raisins. Caramel malts, Belgian yeasts, toffee and alcohol in the end

T: Follows the nose: Dark fruits, toffee, caramel malts and Belgian yeasts. Sweet taste and mild on bitterness, quite bready as a traditional Belgian strong Ale. Alcohol can be also felt in the end

M: Full creamy and molasses body. Medium carbonation. Alcohol in the end

O: Very drinkable and tasty beer. What do you expect from a St. Bernardus beer? Yes, a quality beer...

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2012 16:44:21 | More by eduardolinhalis

lovindahops

New York

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

A- pours a firm cola color with ruby hues on the edges where light hits the glass. The foam literally becomes a batch of cake like frosting all over the glass. And it does not go away

S- dark raisins, candied sugar, and Belgian yeast all over. Some cinnamon and nutmeg too

T- good flavor with the dark fruit in the focus. Delicious Belgian components make this a treat.

M- great creamy and smooth flavors. Literally coates the palate with flavor

O- pretty good Belgium brew that has some good flavors. I will always grab one around Christmas time

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2012 04:20:24 | More by lovindahops

superspak

Michigan

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

750 ml bottle into signature chalice glass, no bottle dating. Pours crystal clear dark reddish brown color with a nice 2 finger fairly dense khaki head with great retention that reduces to a thick cap that lasts. Some spotty lacing clinging on the glass as well. Aromas of huge cherry, raisin, molasses, candi sugar, caramel, plum, bread, pepper, allspice, and yeast spices. Nice and well balanced aromas with good strength. Taste of big cherry, molasses, raisin, pepper, plum, caramel, cinnamon, biscuit, and tangy yeast spiciness. Lingering notes of big pepper, allspice, dark fruit, molasses, and tangy yeast on the finish for a while. Nice balance of flavors with spiciness not being overpowering at all. Lively carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a fairly creamy mouthfeel. Pretty smooth drinking, but it is still a sipper at 10%. Alcohol is well hidden with only a warming after the finish present. Overall this is an excellent Belgian style Christmas ale. Plenty of nice flavor balance and good drinking for the gravity. After letting the carbonation die down in the glass, this beer really shines.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 07:39:06 | More by superspak

kkipple

South Carolina

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

Grabbed a 750 of this to drink after Christmas with friends. It's been a while since I've had one. Love the bottle art. No idea how old this isn't.

A. Sint Bernardus Christmas produces a huge, 3 inch tall dense, moussy tan head almost immediately upon pouring. The beer is cola colored and dark. The head is impressive, but a bit much, and needs to fall before any 'headway' can be made on the brew.

S. Belgian all the way. Big dark malt sweetness, plus the candi sugar that takes it up a few rungs. Phenloic-spice, pepper, heavy on the Belgian yeast now, then pear, candi sugar, light banana, black bread, sweet, smooth, dark fruits... covers a highly diverse amount of smells and does them very well. The nose here is both complete and inviting, and while you can pick booze up, it is very restrained for 10%.

T. Classic Belgian Strong Dark, but with more spice that you might be used to. Sweet and estery-sour, raisin and dark prune / plum, then at turns rummy, spicy,sweet, cola-like. The Belgian character here is wonderful, lending a sprightly complexity that is (to me) better than the normal Abt 12, which itself is no weakling. This tastes aged, meaning all the flavors have blended and rounded out, and the booze is nowhere to be found until you get that welcome warming feeling. Soft, yet boldly flavored, and delightful.

M / O. Full bodied beer for sure, but smooth and sweet, the malt finish fading out slowly, lingering. What a tasty brew this was! If this is fresh, then it is a tremendous recipe. I really do think this is the second best beer I've had from this brewery, after the 60th Anniversary. Saint Bernardus Christmas is a true Belgian classic, and one that will be finding its way into my glass a good deal more often. Highly recommend.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2012 03:44:14 | More by kkipple

sweemzander

Illinois

3.8/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

750mL corked and caged bottle poured into a tulip.

(A)- Pours a dark burnt sienna color. Produced a giant head of fluffy tan colored froth. Great retention and tons of lace.

(S)- Rich bits of dark fruits, yeasty lemon and banana, and a clay-like earth. Very subtle bits of spices.

(T)- Same like the smell was. Though, a much sharper yeast presence than the smell led me to believe, but has the same great dark fruits: plum, cassis, grape, and raisin.

(M)- A good carbonation level and balance. A bit heavy in the yeast department, so it really gets a bit earthier and drier than expected.

(D)- Overall, another solid beer from St. Bernardus. Malty and rich with classic components.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 16:49:46 | More by sweemzander

3HovsepiansBrews

California

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

A - Dark brown/red with a tan head.
S - Plums, raisins, dried apricots, alcohol, cherries.
T - Alcohol, cherries, dried fruits, and toffee. There is also a slight dark chocolate at the end of the sip that lingers.
M - Medium body with mild carbonation.
O - Refreshing and drinkable considering the abv. Nice alcohol warmth with a good flavor and aroma

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 01:31:13 | More by 3HovsepiansBrews

ales4baldo

California

4.22/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

P-Old looking individual thats probably St. Bernardus himself. Either way label definitely shows a winter theme and a merry Christmas.

A-Pours somewhat thin and watery. Got a fluffy and airy looking head. Seems to stay put. About a finger and a half i would say. A cloudy rustic almond dark brown.

S-Smells good. Belgian candy and malts along with the sweet sugars that come with the booze that sneaks up the nose the longer you smell. Plums and black licorice and nuts, maybe a little nutmeg and cinnamon, can be found.

T-Lots of Belgian malts. The candy is ever so present as it usually is. Lots of yeast and black licorice. I do get a nutmeg and cinnamon feel to this one along with some nice booze. Nothing to heavy though. Little raisins as well and maybe some dark wheat bread.

M-Sits pretty easy on the palate. Seems to be a little thin and soft. Carbonation is pretty high but leaves a nice crisp finish. Medium body.

O-A nice beer. Nothing super unique about this one but would like to grab another one to age and let sit. Good all around BSDA with nice flavors. Would like to see more smoothness to this one but thatll probably come with aging.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2012 03:41:14 | More by ales4baldo

Bigbadbudman

Florida

4.9/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This was my first Christmas ale I have tried. And as usual like all St. Bernardus beers it was simply amazing. The fruits and chocolates all worked very well together. Tremendous amount of alcohol present which is always good. But it was very well balanced with the taste. There is an amazing head when poured out of the bottle. I actually had to use my Stella knife to cut the head off. A must try in my book.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2012 01:57:46 | More by Bigbadbudman

01001111

California

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

A: Cloudy, warm, caramel amber.

S: Sweet banana bread. Very malty.

T: Much like the smell; sweet, caramel bread flavors with hints of spice, nuttiness, and dark candied fruits.

M: Full bodied and smooth with a bit of zest.

O: Quite an amazing brew. If it weren't for the sweetness I could make this a regular indulgence.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2012 02:16:30 | More by 01001111

jpro

South Carolina

4.7/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Brought this one out to close out Christmas day. 750mL bottle poured into a Duvel tulip... (from notes)

A: Dark, ruby-brown; three-finger, beige head is nice and chunky, and leaves some serious gobs of lace; tiny bubbles keep a creamy head of retention going strong.

S: Toasted caramel malt; spice; light banana; clove; figs; very rich aroma.

T: Belgian yeast spiciness... especially clove, which peeks through more than on the nose; molasses; candi sugar; bubble gum; banana bread; very complex and satisfying.

M: Near full mouthfeel; high, extra zingy carbonation; alcohol shows up a little more with warmth.

O: A great winter sipper; complex and delicious; another superb ale from St. Bernardus! Mmmm....

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2012 16:51:36 | More by jpro