Christmas Ale - Brouwerij St. Bernardus NV

Atricapilla

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I poured from a 750 ml bottle into a Westmalle goblet. It is a medium to dark mahogany color with a medium sized, foamy, dirty-white head that laced away.

Aroma: Some light malt, dark fruits, apple, with a bit of ethanol.

Taste: Again, light malt with a bit of date. A hint of some medicinal herbs and has an ethanolic finish.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2009 14:01:21 | More by Atricapilla

natelocc787

California

3.73/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Red crimson beer with an off-white foamy head. The nose smelled like a Christmas fruitcake. Lots of nuts, toffee, mild chocolate and raisins. The taste was there, mouthfeel was not. A slow sipper for sure, dark brown bread, sweet almost cloying from the malts, dark candi sugar and spice cake in the taste. Mouthfeel was not alive, not sharp either but dull, slightly dry and semi-flat tasting. Definitely a complex beer, just not impressed with much else.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2009 22:18:40 | More by natelocc787

donniecuffs

New Jersey

3.73/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

At the Cloverleaf Tavern, Caldwell NJ: poured mahogany with one finger of khaki head with good lacing. Smelled of candied fruit, cloves, and blood orange; very unique. Tasted of orange, clove, allspice, and candi sugar; very similar to the nose. However, the alcohol burn was certainly evident in the finish. Very malty, velvety mouthfeel..probably the best aspect of this beer. Good sipping beer.

Serving type: on-tap

01-14-2010 05:22:13 | More by donniecuffs

mithrascruor

California

3.73/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

750 mL bottle poured into a chalice.

Appearance: Pours a hazy dark brown color with a nice tan head that slowly becomes a thick film and laces the glass.

Smell: Rich malty aroma of fruit (fig, pear), some sugar and spices, and a bit of orange peel.

Taste: Deep malty flavor with a bit of raisins and sugar towards the finish. Aftertaste has some bitterness. Surprisingly not much to the flavor, I felt.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with a good deal of tingly carbonation. Pretty smooth, but I thought that the carbonation was a bit too much.

Drinkability: Strong in the alcohol department, but it isn't really present in the taste.

Honestly this was a bit of a let-down. Maybe I'd set my hopes too high, having been waiting for a good time to enjoy this bottle that I'd had since Xmas, but that surely isn't all. I would have expected a bit more flavor and aroma; it didn't really feel like a Belgian Christmas ale, and for a beer of this style it wasn't particularly impressive.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2010 23:18:33 | More by mithrascruor

mwilbur

Minnesota

3.73/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 750 mL bottle into snifter.
A: Pours a dark amber color (more reddish with backlighting) with a thin creamy tan head.
S: Belgian yeast, spice (e.g. cinnamon, clove), and dark dried fruit (e.g. raisins, figs). Sweet and bready.
T: The spices take over here and drown out the rest of the brew a bit too much. There is still the belgian yeast, dark dried fruit, and smooth malt notes...but all in the background.
M: Smooth. Medium body. Taste lingers briefly.
D: OK drinkability. Yeah, this is a Christmas brew, but I would tone down the spice on this a bit. I agree with a recent reviewer: give me an Abt 12 any day over this one.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2010 04:55:00 | More by mwilbur

ryrust5301

Louisiana

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

Poured from a caged and corked 750ml. bottle into my St. Bernardus Goblet. Nice touch throwing a santa hat on the monk with snow falling in the background.

Appearance - This one poured extremely well. Color is a hefty dark brown almost chocolate color. Massive head crowned this one. Two fingers in size of tan, puffy, chunkiness. After the head calms down a blanket of clumpy white bubbles coats the top.

Smell - Very thick with an alcohol bite. Same as the regular Abt 12 with rich dark fruits, raisin, and a sweet mollasses coating. Dark fruits win out, but there's a spiciness there also.

Taste & Mouthfeel - This one definitely has a nice thick body to it. Lite carbonation keeps the body in check and pulls it back a little bit. Sweet dark fruits like plums, and raisins with a spicy bite in the back give this brew a nice round complexity. Thick bready malts coat the throat for awhile on the aftertaste.

Drinkability - I prefer the Abt 12, but this is one I can look forward to trying again come Christmas time. Would make a heavenly sipper on Christmas eve or night, shared with the family celebrating the holidays.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2008 06:10:33 | More by ryrust5301

IronCitySteve

Pennsylvania

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

A: Pours a dark brown color with some amber hues. Provides a nice thick tan foam head. There is some spotty to moderate lacing.

S: Lots of raisin, brown sugar, prunes, yeast and some clove spice.

T: Is a rather sweet tasting beer. The dark fruit tastes like it was store in booze. There is a lot of sugar taste in there as well. In addition, the alcohol is prevalent.

M: Leaves a thick sweet taste on the palate with a twinge of alcohol.

D: I enjoy the beer, but this was a tad too sweet for me. I would certainly enjoy another, but it is a sipping beer for sure.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2010 19:24:42 | More by IronCitySteve

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

Gueuzedude

Arizona

3.78/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Best By 09/08/2012, Sampled December 2007
Served only lightly chilled, the beer is clearly well carbonated as even a reasonably careful pour produces a billowing, slightly over-flowing, initially seven-finger thick, lightly browned, tan colored head of foam that slowly recedes while leaving a delicate lacing pattern on the sides of my 30cl Tripel Karmeliet tulip. the beer sits in my glass a burnt, amber tinged, very dark brown color, but shows a brilliantly clear, dark ruby hue when held up to the light. In passing inspection of the nose, aromas of dark fruit and spices mix quite equally. A deeper draught of the nose reveals aromas of raisins, figs, concentrated plum, brown sugar, sweet cola, clove, touches of allspice, a hint of molasses, dark chocolate, light ginger or maybe really galangal and even some cardamom like notes. The aroma ends up being a bit more focused on the dark, caramelized fruit notes with just a backdrop of spice character that leaves no doubt that this is a Belgian yeast strain.

The carbonation provides a prickly, lightening effect to what is really a medium full beer. It does not drink as heavy as the 10% alcohol might suggest, but is certainly has that Belgian lightness that is in many of the better made strong beers from their. The beer is definitely sweet, which accentuates the quite noticeable dark fruit character; caramelized plums, figs, raisins and even some apple flavors are individually noticeable. The beer finishes with a mix of spiciness and warming alcohol that is a touch pepper-like, with some spicy ginger, toasty brandy & rum, and some turpene driven phenolic clove / cardamom notes. Bread like malt notes reminiscent of toasted bread, hints of browned-whole-grain bread, touches of rye, caramelized-dark German bread, biscuit malt and roasted / broiled / concentrated figs.

The second pour has just as voluminous a head as the first, and the beer, a little more chilled now, tastes even a bit lighter than it did initially. The ample carbonation focuses the flavors more on the peppery spice notes, while softening the rich fruitiness that is there after it has mellowed. This is certainly a contemplative brew; I could wish for a bit more malt complexity in the flavor (at times the alcohol and spiciness can be a little too much), but the nose really is quite intriguing. While I certainly enjoy the lightness / heft of this brew as is, it seems to be missing a bit of richness that could add a bit more balance (these are not necessarily opposing characters though as some richness could be added without making this beer feel heavier).

Purchased: Plaza Liquors, Tucson, AZ

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2007 04:25:53 | More by Gueuzedude

far333

Connecticut

3.78/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Christmas gift from my wife. Served at cellar temp in a crystal snifter.

Murky orangey brown colored with a light brown head that settles out quickly leaving no lace. Yeast chunklets are suspended and moving around.

Aroma of sweet raspberry and honey, some heather and yeastiness.

Rich flavor of sweet caramel and toffee, raspberry and pomegranate, lots of other sweet fruits, hints of vanilla and leather. Honey notes, a bit floral. Subtle phenols. Very smooth for its strength.

Moderate carbonation, silky but bordering on syrupy. Tingly on the tongue. Finishes crisp.

Tasty beer, very rich. Good after dinner sipper.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2009 21:40:28 | More by far333

bluegrassbrew

Georgia

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

750ml bottle into a tulip.

Pours a deep brown with a massive head that leaves nice chunky lacing around the glass.

Smell is hot, hot, heat! Alcohol mostly.

Taste is heavy on the alcohol. Hints of nutmeg and dates.

Mouthfeel is creamy and good.

Overall, this is a solid beer, but not as good as I expected it to be. Compared to the Abt. 12 the alcohol is more noticable and it is less complex. That being said, it was still tasty and easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2007 02:47:28 | More by bluegrassbrew

FtownThrowDown

Ohio

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

Pours brown in color with a huge off-white head. The head was at least 2 inches and took several minutes to fall to a froth. Smell is belgian yeast and some dark fruit, figs. I'm not really getting a lot of christmas spice or taste in this. The mouthfeel is full and creamy, very nice. A decent beer, but I couldn't help but to get something metallic out of the taste.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2008 00:00:51 | More by FtownThrowDown

zdk9

Texas

3.8/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Pours black with amber to chocolate brown highlights. The head is initially about a fingers worth of tight white bubbles that change into swirls and eddies on the surface of the beer and small amounts of spidery lacing.

S- I'm getting raw alcohol, a small amount of ripe banana. I wish I could take out some brighter flavors or some malt, but I'm finding the alcohol to be somewhat oppressive on my nose.

T- I can appreciate the complexity of the taste of this beer. Theres alcohol again, but here the malt does claim its own space, with dark gingercake notes. The banana is present, joined by some rumraisins. Overall sweet and alcoholic.

M- The carbonation is at just the right level for this one, which leaves enough syrup on my tongue to enjoy for a bit. I do wish the alcohol were more hidden, but I can't decide how much to fault a 10% beer for that.

D- At first I didn't really get this beer- it seemed to be a high alcohol Belgian w/ lots of banana. But after reviewing it I began to enjoy the complexity of the taste and mouthfeel more. While I wouldn't rate it as my favorite Holiday beer it is certainly good, and probably were I in a colder climate during January I would like it even more (I bet it's great in front a fire as the label advertises.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2009 02:13:48 | More by zdk9

gpatt55

California

3.8/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

On-Tap @ The Daily Pint

Pours a rich ruddy brown with a nice thin head and fine lacing. Nose is fairly subdued with yeasty/dark bread, chocolate and fruitcake notes. Fairly rich and sweet on the attack but the body isn't as heavy. Compared to the Abt 12 this is less weighty and fairly drinkable. Mouthfeel lacks some weight and richness one would expect from this style. A little more density would help to balance the 10% ABV. Still the pedigree shows with excellent purity in the dark malt/yeasty/toffee flavors. A fine Xmas ale for a winter night but by no means transcendent.

Serving type: on-tap

12-31-2010 04:12:21 | More by gpatt55

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

cjgator3

Florida

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

70ml corked and caged bottle poured into a St. Bernardus chalice. Pours a dark brown color with a large tan head with excellent retention and lacing. The aroma is sweet malt, dark fruits, spices and yeast. The taste is sweet malt and an array of spices with a rather dry, spicy and boozy finish. Overall, this is another good beer from St Bernardus. I am curious to see how this one ages, it should improve greatly with a little more time.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2007 04:23:42 | More by cjgator3

deltatauhobbit

Maine

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

Best by date of 7/8/2012 on the bottom

Pours a nice murky dark brown/red color, lots of fluffy head and patching lacing, fasts fairly fast but there's so much of it.

Smell is malty with spice and dark fruit, nothing overwhelming or anything that overrides all the other aromas.

Taste is controlled by the load of fruits but not entirely sweet, some yeastiness, can make out some alcohol tones, way too carbonated, every sip and drink turns into foam in my mouth and becomes a bit distracting.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2008 17:58:27 | More by deltatauhobbit

RedBeerchetta

Massachusetts

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

Got a 750ml bottle at Publick House Provisions in Brookline, MA.

Lots of carbonation, almost as much as a cola. Color is milk chocolate brown. No red hue to it even when held up to the light. Large bubbles in the head that quickly disintegrate into a 3/4 coating on the top.

Smell is of yeast, some alcohol and a little bit of spice.

A bit cloying- quite sweet with more body than the other holiday beers I've had this season (like N'ic Chouffe and Affligem, both of which are more balanced).

Not my favorite holiday beer but still quite nice and enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2009 23:25:39 | More by RedBeerchetta

CampusCrew

Florida

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

appearance: dark brown ale with some reddish tint.

smell: heavy christmas spices. cinnamon etc.

taste: smooth and sweet, easy to drinking belgian.

mouthfeel: medium bodied and lots of carbonation

drinkability: Great Holiday belgian but I prefer a few others to this.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2009 22:25:01 | More by CampusCrew

drummstikk

California

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

This beer tastes like cherry cough syrup! But it's really not bad at all. It has none of the bitter or minty flavors of Robitussin, but all of the sweet estery plastic-cherry-goodness. Allspice and ginger combine in the tart medicinal finish, caramelized sugar and caramel malts fill out the middle, and bright Belgian phenols start us all off. Hop aroma is absent, while hop bitterness just peaks through the finish. Body is thick and syrupy, and carbonation is light. Color is hazy dark amber/ light brown. Fruits are present all throughout: cherries, plums, with a hint of peach and melon. Aroma is funky and phenolic.

Don't worry about the 10% ABV -- it will go down smooth, just like a good medicine.

My only complaint is that this beer is a bit sweet for all its medicinal flavors. The gestalt is an underattenuated ale with Brettanomyces cherry pie flavors. If I hadn't been a sickly child, swilling Dimetapp every winter, I am sure this beer wouldn't conjure the same images. As it is, a dryer finish would steer me into bliss.

Serving type: on-tap

12-16-2010 01:34:47 | More by drummstikk

philbe311

Pennsylvania

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

A - This one has a head that just doesn't stop... Four plus fingers of airy continually rising light khaki colored head with a slightly rocky top that is audibly fizzy... Excellent retention... Ultimately what is left is a full creamy lace with a mound of foamy head in the center of the glass... The head sits a top a murky medium-to-dark brown colored body... Still for the most part with no discernible carbonation... A good bit of lacing clings to the glass...

S - Belgian yeast and a slight bit of funk to start... Next are a truck load of dark fruit aromas highlighted by dates, raisins, and plums... Bread pudding... Perhaps some tobacco notes...

T - Not as malty as expected... Fig... Raisins... Dark breads... Some Belgian yeast notes... The finish is a unique blend of vanilla and tobacco... A touch of booze on the finish...

M - On the lighter side of full bodied... A delicate carbonated tickle on the tip of the tongue... Sleek and slightly sticky... A tinge of alcohol induced heat... Warming throughout...

D - An easy drinking Belgian Strong Dark Ale which should be no surprise coming from a Trappist brewery... I would gladly enjoy this offering each holiday season...

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2010 02:45:21 | More by philbe311

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

Springdogg

Missouri

3.85/5  rDev -9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a chalice. The beer had a nice, tan two inch head on it that seemed to last an eternity. It was a beautiful shade of mahogony brown. Smell seemed very bready with a hint of maybe figs and...raisins? The taste had a lot of alcohol. Alcohol was the first thing that I could tast and the last. In between, were the flavors of figs, a faint taste of anise, more bread and a hint of toffee. Overall, a very nice beer to wrap up to on a very cold evening. It did seem a little hot, but over the course of the bottle (and as it warmed to room temp), it seemed to mellow out quite a bit.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2008 13:55:24 | More by Springdogg

brewcrew76

Wisconsin

3.85/5  rDev -9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Murky brown with amber and ruby highlights and a thin beige head that leaves patches of foam behind.

S - Ripe fruits with a sweet malty nose, raisins and prunes with spicy Belgian yeast, nutmeg and other holiday spices.

T - Spicy, ripe fruits, sweet doughy malts, slight phenolics, candi sugar sweetness, holiday spices with an earthy aftertaste.

M - Medium and chewy, on the higher side for carbonation, slightly slick with the lightest alcohol sting but the 10%abv is extremely well hidden.

D - Very good but spicier and sweeter than other St Bernardus offerings making it just slightly less drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2008 03:48:41 | More by brewcrew76

whoneeds8

Texas

3.85/5  rDev -9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours out a murky brown into a Westmalle Chalace. Very good lacing all the way down the glass. Smell was very typical of a Bernardus Dark Ale. Taste was very complex, however I didn't like the initial mouthfeel of high carbonation. It was ticking my taste buds too much. It mellowed after sitting for a little while.

I might go buy another bottle to let age in the cellar to find out how well this ages for next year.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2008 15:45:36 | More by whoneeds8