Christmas Ale - Brouwerij St. Bernardus NV

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

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