Christmas Ale - Brouwerij St. Bernardus NV

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

KAP1356

Pennsylvania

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

On tap at Capone's. Served in a 13 oz. tulip...

A - Presented a dark, murky brown, reddish-amber color. A one finger cream color head had nice retention. Some light lacing.

S - Dark, rich, candy-like fruits like dates, figs, and raisins up front. Some cherries and plums also stand out. Lots of bready malts and carmel come next with some light spiciness from the yeast.

T - Follows the nose well with deep, rich fruits standing out. Dates, figs, and raisins mix well with cherries and some plums. Candy sugar and breadyt malts also come through adding nicely to the sweetness the fruits present. Some sweet toffee also comes out along with a nice hint of chocolate.

M - Medium to full bodied beer with a very smooth mouthfeel. Carbonation was adequate. Very slight hint of alcohol as the beer warms. Really nice, rich body.

O - I really enjoyed this one. I actually liked it better than Abt 12, which I was pleasantly surprised at. I definitely look forward to trying this one again next Christmas!

Serving type: on-tap

02-02-2012 20:42:28 | More by KAP1356

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

Hopdaemon39

Massachusetts

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

Had on tap at Acme in Rochester. Unfortunately it was not poured into the proper vessel (it was poured into a strange pint type glass). The appearance rating suffered- it pours a deep mahogany with lots of head and good lacing.

Smells very sweet- ALMOST like alcohol but sweeter and with a little spice. Very pleasant.

Tastes rich and malty. It is a very sweet beer with the appropriate spices- maybe a little cinnamon and nutmeg. Also a little taste of yeast.

Mouthfeel is incredible- this is an amazingly refreshing beer for how sweet it is and how alcoholic it is. It is medium to full bodied with light to medium carbonation.

This a definitely a beer worth drinking again and again if you can find it and want to shell out the bucks.

Serving type: on-tap

01-28-2012 01:17:29 | More by Hopdaemon39

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

david18

New York

3.2/5  rDev -24.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

I had a twelve ounce draft of this at the Amsterdam Ale House on Manhattan's Upper West Side. This was an ok beer but not great. I usually don't like Winter Ales but it was really more of a typical belgian dark than what one might typically think of a winter beer as.

Appearance was typical of the style. A dark mahogany but not a lot of head. Belgian lacing was still there, however.

Aroma was a little thin. Dark fruit and esthery yeast, as expected, but a little underwhelming.

Flavor as well was not as interesting as I had hoped and the alcohol heat was a little bit much.

Overall an OK beer but not too great. Their quad is much better.

Serving type: on-tap

01-19-2012 20:27:18 | More by david18

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

BretSikkink

Mexico

3.65/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured with a decent foamy head of some stature, although by the time I get to my table it is much reduced. Colors of brown and red, hazy, leaning towards black on the shadowed side of the glass.

Nose is very malty, with dried fruit, molasses, allspice notes. Estery as well.

The bubblegum ester note is most prominent on the flavor, alongside the mulling spices. If this doesn't sound tasty to you, don't bother. Peppery hops. Lots of esters and phenols, but the spices are big.

Full body with a smooth carbonation. Finishes strong and sweet. Way too rich for me, but it's a fair Belgian winter ale.

Serving type: on-tap

01-06-2012 05:45:21 | More by BretSikkink

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

mltobin

Connecticut

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

Served on-tap over in NY state.

Appearance is deep red-brown, some lacing going on. Its` nose has raisins, yeast, candy, brown sugar and figs. A very robust smelling beer. Taking a sip of this strong dark ale and I taste spices from the winter season such as cinnamon and clove, along with some more dark fruits. MF leans towards full, the alcohol does not really hide. Sip this one and enjoy on a cold winter day.

Serving type: on-tap

01-05-2012 02:28:57 | More by mltobin

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

Vixie

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a very dark ruby red color. Looks black at first, but when held to the light, it is deep red. Forms a very large tan head, pour this one carefully, or you will overflow your glass with foam.

The smell is very malty, but I can detect some spice as well. Pepper, licorice, and cinnamon come to mind as I'm smelling it.

Fruity with a hint of spice. Raisin and a bit of cinnamon apple, with a bit of pepper behind it. There is some nice alcohol warming at the finish.

The feel seems a bit weak for the style, I was expecting a bit more presence.

A decent beer, but not as complex as I was expecting. I have had several beers of this style, and it doesn't quite match up to the best of them. Still, it is a nice beer to drink on a cold night, and glad I tried it.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2012 02:24:09 | More by Vixie

Boto

Connecticut

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

750ml bottle: This one pours a very cloudy mahogany brown color. There was almost no head on it, and left no lacing. Nice nose! Christmas spices, caramel malt, faint dark fruits, some breadiness and Belgian yeast notes. The taste is very good. Rich malts, not too much sweetness, Christmas spices. Definitely a keeper!

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2012 22:22:48 | More by Boto

DavidST

Texas

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

Poured from a 75 co bottle into a goblet, 2010 edition. This pours a slightly hazy dark tea color with a decent white head which dissipates quickly. The smells are of belgium yeast esters, dark fruit and spices. Feel is very high carbonation, medium feel. The taste is good pretty malts, lots of ripe dark fruit, a little alcohol burn, but tasty.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2012 03:35:27 | More by DavidST

BeRanger

Michigan

3.23/5  rDev -23.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - Pours kind of a murky brown with about 2-3 fingers of white head that stayed for quite some time.

S - The smell was nice, plentiful spices and yeast. Seemed rich of cinnamon, plum and other sweet smells.

T - Taste the cinnamon, plums and other spices/sweet flavors. Unfortunately for me the taste was ruined by the extremely high carbonation. It was too much to handle.

M - Medium body with extremely high carbonation.

O - I was pretty disappointed with this bottle as I felt the carbonation was extremely high compared to what it should be. I have one more bottle in my cellar that I hope to enjoy sometime in the near future. If it's less carbonated, I intend to possibly change the review. I liked the flavors that were coming through however.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2011 05:10:24 | More by BeRanger

zimm421

Ohio

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

Poured from a 750 ml bottle. Bottle was corked and caged. At first, didn't appear to be highly carbonated, but when poured, a huge head appears. Head is tan and very fluffy. Great retention. The beer appears a nice brown color with hints of red around the edges. The head leaves great lacing.

Nose is full of dark fruit, great Belgian yeast, dark bread and nice sugar. Not overpowering, but it smells wonderful. Taste is full of the dark fruit, alcohol and yeast. This is very sweet, and doesn't have a whole lot of balance, which is the only downside. There are some spices, but they don't do much.

Mouthfeel is full bodied, with high carbonation levels. Overall, this is a great brew, that goes down wonderfully. Besides the lack of balance, everything works together in great ways.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2011 01:49:25 | More by zimm421

jmdrpi

Pennsylvania

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

750 mL corked and caged bottle, with 10.02.16 printed on cage, I assume a best by date, probably 5 years out.

appears a murky dark brown, with thick foamy head that settles into a 1/4" covering of fine tiny bubbles. great lacing.

sweet and spicy herbal aroma. fruity, plum-like notes. taste is not as sweet, but rich and malty. the winter spices are fairly muted. medium body, extremely smooth carbonation. goes down easy.

Definitely one of the finer Christmas beer offerings.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2011 17:01:45 | More by jmdrpi

jimmy82063

Connecticut

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

750ml Bottle Best Before 8/24/14....Poured into a SB Chalice...

Have had this in the cellar dating to 2009....need to restock.

A) Nice frothy head that quickly fades,minimal lacing, lite brown colour.

S) Lighly spicey, banana, clove, all spice.

T) This has been in the cellar and has been properly aged for 2 years. I can still get some spiciness that distinguishes this from the 12. Wished I had more of this vintage.

M) Lightly carbonated.

O) Great beer...not much more to say...

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2011 00:32:14 | More by jimmy82063

seanyfo

United Kingdom (Scotland)

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

750ml bottle BBE 17 Sept 2015

Poured 3 times into Westmalle chalice

A- dark garnet bottle with little light perception. Clarity hard to measure. 2 finger head is thick and creamy. Retention is good and lacing is excellent

S- up front almonds and a hint of marzipan. A hint of barnyard Brett like quality comes through amongst a dark fruit plum note

T- almond sweet nut quality up front with hint of dark fruit. This balances with a medicinal/hint of Brett like bitterness in the full finish. Extremely smooth with no alcohol heat

M- medium to high carbination, medium body but due to
carbonation , overall it's quite light on the tongue. Fantastic considering abv, would expect it to be stickier. Very smooth indeed!

D- if I didn't know what I was drinking I wouldn't have said this had anything to do with Christmas. No real Christmas spice note for me but that's no bad thing. Would have liked to taste more malt depth/complexity but overall tasty and deceptively smooth. No alcohol heat at all. Dangerous stuff and potentially one to age!

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2011 22:58:12 | More by seanyfo

Converge

Alberta (Canada)

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

750ml bottle poured into a 22oz goblet. This review was originally planned for yesterday, but long story short, it just didn't fit in. So, here we go! Bought the bottle in mid-August, so it's had a bit of time to mature.

A - Nice thick and creamy head. Deep garnet hue, with moderate sediment haze going on. Unrelenting head retention that leaves behind thick webs of sticky lacing.

S - Figs, plums, candi sugar, Belgian spices and yeast. Traces of dark chocolate, dates, and dried bananas.

T - Dark fruits, candi sugar, and Belgian yeast. Figs, dates, Belgian spices, and caramel malt. Finishes with some dark chocolate and green apple sourness. Little bits of brown sugar and dried cherries appear as well, but remain fairly muted. Light hop presence in the finish, but not nearly as much as other reviews hinted at. Alcohol presence is minimal.

M - Creamy smooth carbonation with a medium-to-big bodied feel. Fits well with the flavor profile.

D - My first BSDA, and a solid one at that. Doesn't exactly show off a whole lot of seasonal flavors, but I enjoyed it a lot overall. Sort of reminded of the Abt 12, but I liked this one a bit more. Nice and easy to drink, but the 10% ABV is disguised way too well; this one will certainly sneak up on you!

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2011 06:21:18 | More by Converge