Saint Arnold Divine Reserve #12 - Saint Arnold Brewing Company

Brabander

Netherlands

3.58/5  rDev -4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

I got this beer from my dear beerbuddy Robert (Torino). Thanks Robert. Poured this one in my De Molen tasting glass. Nice golden yellow fluid. Got some heavy pouring to do to get some head. Very light carbonation, little lacing.

Floral smell far away with some anice hints. Good mouthfeel. A decent drinkable beer but not too spectacular. The alcohol is pretty well hidden.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 20:15:50 | More by Brabander

rhoadsrage

Illinois

3.65/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

(Served in a teku)
A- This beer pours a hazy dark orange body with a thick ring of bubbly beige and a very faint pfsst hint is all that was heard when I twisted the cap off.

S- The woody caramel aroma has a slight sweet wort note to it with a sweet ester sugar note in the finish. The aroma is very light but also quite mysterious.

T- The slightly dry caramel turns to a sweet candy hint. There is some wet wood oxidation taste and some slight tartness in the finish. A light citrus juice note comes through in the aftertaste. There is an alcohol taste that grows and cuts the sweetness quite a bit as it opens up.

M- This beer has a medium-light mouthfeel with a full alcohol warmth and a fizz in the finish that gives a fullness texture without being fizzy.

O- This has some characteristics of a miabock and hints of a light barleywine with a soft sweetness and a full alcohol. The flavor and aroma were both pretty soft and I just couldn’t get behind this beer. There were moments it was tasty and then it was more odd characters like the oxidation or the tartness or citrus that outweighed the tasty. Thanks to Thickfreakness for sending to me it was fun to try.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 20:38:51 | More by rhoadsrage

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.79/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Also thanks to thanks to ApostleBrewing as well as dcloeren for this one as I just had a Jester King beer that came from them as well, coincidence.

Pours a decent fizzy almost 1 finger head, not bad for 10% abv, fades at a med pace with little lacing, hazy, slight suspended particulate, amber nectar orange color.

Nose starts like candy, butterscotch toffee, slight peanut brittle, candy syrup, sweet malty, reddish malts, hint of clean booze, light fruity touch as well, not much else though.

Taste starts with more candy, sweet slightly syrupy candy, light toffee and brittle, light apple fruit and candy apple flavor. Booze cuts in and let's you know with warming tingly booze but clean, some nutty caramel with the syrupy sweetness, rich buttery toffee comes out more on the back end. Finish is semi syrupy sticky with an anesthetizing booze feel, lingering nutty and buttery toffee, caramel, just a touch of earthy bitterness even slight creamy caramel and creamed honey.

Mouth is med to fuller bodied, plenty of warming tingly booze, decent carb.

Overall not bad, but nothing special. It's more like a big candy beer than anything, with the sticky sweetness, syrupy flavors, lots of toffee and brittle like flavors, pretty sweet as expected. Not much for the nice malty flavors though, esp aged soft malt characters I expect in a good old ale, but otherwise not too bad.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2013 14:04:51 | More by jlindros

elNopalero

Texas

4.2/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Bottle date on 7/12/12, if I read it correctly.

Thanks to XicanoBeerRun for this one. Imported from Texas!

This pours an amber-caramel color with a thin ring of foam.

The hops have faded on this, leaving behind a boquet of caramel and malt notes. It’s stickly piney, with a sweet finish.

The flavor is fairly mellow, with a rounded piney resin, and some light toasted coconut and almond notes.

The body holds up, and it warms well enough to savor for a spell. Certainly the Divine Reserve series is a high point of the St. Arnold stable and this does not disappoint.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2013 06:41:35 | More by elNopalero

Boto

Connecticut

3.94/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz. bottle: Thanks, Kevin! This one pours a slightly hazy, lighter orangish-amber color. The aroma is a bit light for a 10%er, but good none the less. It’s a bit musty, with caramel and citrus notes. Also a bit of breadiness, spices and grassy notes. The taste is good. Body is more towards medium. Slightly bitter/sour taste. Some caramel and spice, as well as some faint fruits. No evidence of the alcohol. Very nice!

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2013 22:06:25 | More by Boto

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

2.98/5  rDev -20.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3

Little head. Color is a clear golden color.

Very sweet and malty. Not a big taste profile. Just kind of boozy and malty. Caramel and some bready flavors. Maybe some citrus blended in.

Full bodied and hot. Ends sticky.

Overall, not really my type of old ale. It's kind of like a golden old ale. Odd.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 00:22:15 | More by mothman

DRyan

Texas

4.03/5  rDev +8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served in a Rager Creek Tulip.
Bottle dated 7/19/12

A: Ruddy orange color, that is pretty transparent. There is a thin white head that dissipates pretty quickly and doesn't lace very much. The color on this old ale is pretty different from any other I've had.
S: It's you regular "old ale" scent, but a bit lighter. There is some malty sweetness, a little bit of hoppiness, but very little of the dark fruit type flavors you'd expect from your average old ale.
T: It tastes a lot darker than it looks; the taste is almost your average old ale, but a bit lighter and a bit easier to drink. It is almost like an "old ale light," and brings a much more easily downable taste to the old ale canon.
M: Thin, but not too thin, and smooth. The carbonation is pretty light, as you should expect from an old ale, and the bubbles are pretty mild.
D: It goes down easy, amybe TOO easy for a 10% ABV beer. This one could get people in a lot of trouble. I see the DR#12 as a great way to get friends that are into milder beers introduced to the old ale genre of beer, and follow it up with something heavier like a Curmudgeon.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 01:36:30 | More by DRyan

cbeer88

Massachusetts

3.2/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Big thanks to raffy313 for blindly dropping a pair of these on my porch to attempt to prove to me how not awful this beer is despite the iffy ratings for a barleywine. :)

12oz bottle poured into Duvel tulip

Appearance: Color is a deep orange, thinnish off-white head that goes about a finger deep on an aggressive pour. Very nice lacing.

Smell: Boozy, bread, caramel malt, and a bit of earthy/grassy odor.

Taste: Alcohol, lots and lots of alcohol. There is a nice body here with caramel, and even a decent little bitter pine-y hop punch, but really this beer is all about the booze at the moment.

Mouthfeel: A bit thin for the style, but still medium. Carb level is nice.

Drinkability: Average. ABV is on the high side, and the beer is hot, but it goes down fairly easy, all things considered.

Overall: I'm glad I have another bottle of this, because it really needs some time to knock the edge off. I do actually think this beer will be better in a year or two, as what lies underneath is not bad. It's just not ready yet.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 03:55:01 | More by cbeer88

TMoney2591

Illinois

2.73/5  rDev -26.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Served in a Freetail 2012 shaker pint glass.

Thanks to twiggamortis420 for this bottle!

The underside of the cap instructs me to "Get a Head". As if that wasn't the goal of every man at all times anyway... So, yeah, this stuff pours a clear bronze-amber topped by a half-finger at best of sad little off-khaki suds. The nose comprises buttery biscuit, light melon, light grapefruit peel, and a few drops of dried maple syrup. The taste holds notes of maple syrup, caramel, honeydew, orange peel, light toasted bread, and a strong surge of straight-up booze. This last bit ruins things, as it washes over and o'ercolors all else, leaving only a bludgeon of alcohol to have its way with my tongue. The body is a lithe medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a generally smooth feel. Overall, I felt this old ale overdid it a bit with its alcohol presence, with little else going on in the background. Not my cup o' tea, right here.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2012 00:23:02 | More by TMoney2591

grittybrews

Washington

4.13/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a ruddy orange amber with two fingers of eggshell head. Relatively mild aroma of caramel, pine, and dark fruit mixed with booze.

Moderate carbonation and a full, rich mouthfeel. Grapefruit and orange up front followed by sweet caramel and toffee. Sugar cookie and dark fruit mingle on the finish, which features some bitter pine.

Interesting mix of strong hops and figgy sweetness. Not overly boozy. Looking forward to seeing how my other bottle develops.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2012 15:23:49 | More by grittybrews

Ford

Texas

3.63/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle poured into pint glass.

I'm not really sure what all is going on with this beer. There seems to be a lot. Very different from anything I"ve had before.

I picked up a six pack and a bomber. This was my first bottle to open. I think I'm going to age the rest for the next year and see where it goes.

There were a lot of different flavors going on and I had some trouble differentiating... I don't claim to be an expert.

Overall I liked this beer, but I want to see where it goes.

Love Saint Arnold as a brewery.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2012 14:25:49 | More by Ford

RonaldTheriot

Louisiana

4.38/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Saint Arnold Divine Reserve 12 has a thin, cream-colored head, a brilliant, yet somewhat murky, orange appearance with decent lacing and a lot of tiny little bubble steams. The aroma is faint, but one does pick up fruit juice of some sort. Taste is of fruit, with a surprisingly low bitterness, some faint malt, and that’s about it. Mouthfeel is medium to heavy, and Saint Arnold Divine Reserve 12 finishes semi-dry, mild, and drinkable. No real alcohol presence is detected here. Overall, it’s lovely, and I rate it highly. Get some!

RJT

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2012 15:05:31 | More by RonaldTheriot

FosterJM

California

3.6/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

1533rd Review on BA
Bottle to Snifter
12oz

2012 Release
Thanks to Lnashsig for this

App- A vibrant glowing orange with a big clear density in the glass. A small 1/2" of off white head that fell quickly. More bubbles around the edges.

Smell- This is a prickly smelling beer. Its very boozy with a big citrus and grass note. A full hop note with a big bitter aroma to back it up. 

Taste- Well I had much higher hopes for this one. Its a good malt base with a thick citrus and boozy addition as the backing flavors. It feels like an old ale but very bitter and prickly with a dish soap flavor.

Mouth- A big thick medium body with a prickly medium carbonation. Its a bit too bitter and citrusy and needs to mellow out. 

Drink- I believe this is a good beer. Its just too fresh right now and needs to mature as a beer. Prickly and boozy but the flavors need time. Malty and citrusy like an old ale but just lacking right now.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2012 04:18:43 | More by FosterJM

Ranz

Texas

3.83/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Poured in my Duvel tulip. Copper-red with a nice, thick head that unfortunately doesn't retain as much as I had hoped. No lacing that I see until I start punching through the beer about a quarter of the way.

S: Figs, raisins, dry earth, with a malt backbone. Pungent and dense.

T: Candied raisins first kick in with sweetly alcoholic tinge. The finish is long and thick, molasses in quality. Warm and succulent.

M: Incredibly creamy mouthfeel.

O: While I can't deny that it's pretty good, I had honestly expected a bit more. Still, it was worth a purchase. I bought three: one for me, one to share, and one to age, so I'm hoping that the third proves its worth.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2012 03:12:30 | More by Ranz

cosmicevan

New York

3.23/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

massive thanks goes out to chf64...brad is the man. sent me a few bottles of this just because i mentioned in passing that it interested me. that's advocacy. enjoyed from my SH snifter.

a - brew poured a semi-transparent ruby mahogany orange. a thin skin of white bubbly head was gone almost as soon as a set my glass down post pour leaving a small ring around the surface of the beer and a cluster of bubbles in the corner. lacing was spotty and slippery and didn't cling to the glass much at all.

s - some zesty autumn spices and sweetness. hints of bubblegum and almost belgian yeast. caramel vanilla. very malt forward. cereal...corn pops to be specific. not very old ale like, but not bad.

t - again, cereal...corn pops to be specific. some vanilla and caramel. fairly unique, but at the same time fairly mediocre.

m - medium bodied...you can feel the heat in the mouth. tingles nicely. medium to light bodied.

o - overall, not a bad beer...this is not the best old ale in the world, but for just being a beer. this isn't bad at all. slightly festive. seems like a fall beer despite the cap saying "Happy Holidays" but Halloween is a holiday.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2012 04:12:39 | More by cosmicevan

turfy

Texas

3.45/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I, like many other Texas BA's, spent the time to track down and purchase the latest DR release from St. Arnolds. I stashed away all I purchased with the intent of aging for at least one year per SA's advice, and forwarded that advice to my trading partners to whom I had sent some bottles. I was not interested in trying any 'fresh' until receiving one in a local trade, which I had stashed away in the fridge. Well, tonight I decided to open one up and see what the (non)fuss was all about.
The beer poured a copper-amber color with about a 1/4 inch off white head, which lasted a bit longer than expected. The aroma was one of sweet malts, I swear a touch of bubblegum, some breadiness and a slight metallic note.
The taste followed the nose, which was a slightly sweet, malty, bready taste with a touch of dried fruit. Mouthfeel was perfect...medium body and spot on carbonation.
Overall, this was very acceptable. It is not BAD. It is drinkable at this stage. Although not an expert by any means, I can see where this beer develops over time into a very nice ale. But if you can't wait, it is enjoyable at its young age.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2012 01:14:33 | More by turfy

tut2528

Illinois

2.9/5  rDev -22.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Thanks to fatbeats18 for this one

A: rust color in appearance, creates about ½ fingers worth of head that is pure white with mild lacing.

S: I get a musty wood aroma, nutmeg, some berries, a slight touch of toffee and a tinge of vanilla. I also pick up on some orange peel. Very weird mixture of aromas.

T: several different characters are present but all are subtle. I pick up on some toffee, oak, spices, very very mild dark fruits, alcohol and vanilla. I also pick up on a slight bitter hop note that pulls away the nice sweetening flavors in this brew.

M: medium bodied (fitting for the style). It doesn’t leave much of a feel or taste on the lips or palate in terms of flavor. But I do find the alcohol to sit around a bit too long.

O: nothing really stands out in this brew other than its weird complexity. There seems to be many aspects to this brew, but the components simply do not come out the way they should (even to the point where I doubt age will really help it out any, but I could be completely wrong). It’s a decent brew at best, and I’m thankful to have tried it since I do not have access to it.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2012 02:01:39 | More by tut2528

acevenom

Louisiana

4.2/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a goblet. The beer pours a darker shade of slightly hazy amber with numerous streaming bubbles in the beer. There is a briefly lived thin off-white head. A pour of the entire contents leaves the beer slightly hazy. The beer smells very sweet from the abundant malt. There's a smell that reminds me of bubblegum. There's plenty of malt in this taste, bringing sweet qualities to this beer. There is that bubblegum I picked up in the smell and some bittering and earthy hops in the back end. This blends into a mildly sweet and earthy aftertaste, though it becomes more bready as it warms and the aftertaste lingers longer. I can also pick up the alcohol, but which also becomes more noticeable as it warms. The flavors are actually quite complex and well balanced. The yeast characteristics start to poke through more as the beer warms and more bready flavors appear. The body is medium with plentiful carbonation. The finish is slightly dry. For such a young old ale, this is very solid. It can only improve with age, so I'm glad I invested in a six pack.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2012 23:03:56 | More by acevenom

champ103

Texas

2.85/5  rDev -23.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Thanks to my buddy Dave for hooking me up with a six pack of this.

A: I know there has been some problems with sludge/gunk in some bottles. This poured a perfectly clear reddish/orange color. A tiny white head forms and recedes in a second. No lace. Looks pretty lifeless.
S: Up front there is a slight woodyness in the aroma. Some dried tobacco leaves. Then caramelized malt and plenty of sweetness.
T: Again, up front is wood and tobacco leaves. Caramel malt and very sweet. Plenty of alcohol as well.
T: A medium body that is low on the carbonation. Really thin and watery. The alcohol is heavy, mixed with the sweetness, and this is hard to drink. I might not finish the bottle.

Without a doubt this is the worst DR that has been released fresh in my opinion. I don't know if it will get better with age, but I will have no problem holding on to the rest of my bottles to see. As is not something I care to come back to. Which is a shame because I am usually a big fan of t he DR's, and the style..

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2012 23:28:58 | More by champ103

whoneeds8

Texas

3.63/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a tulip glass a golden amber with barely any head. I had to agitate it a little to get a head and bring out a scent. I can't get much of a scent off of it, but my nose is weak. I sence some sweetness. The taste is rather weak for the style, some sweet carmel and that's about it. There's a very slight licorice after taste. The mouthfeel is low in carbonation, medium bodied, and high in alcohol.

Yeah, this is not Divine by any definition of the word.

I'd rather wish SA would stop using the winning home brew recipies for every other DR, because they're NEVER as good as what Brock can come up with on his own.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2012 00:23:40 | More by whoneeds8

GregSVT

Texas

3.43/5  rDev -8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle into a tulip

A: Pours a clear amber with a white head that fades to a ring and leaves a bit of lacing on the glass.

S: The nose is full of caramel, toffee, vanilla, and sweet malt. The nose is actually pretty nice on this one.

T: The taste is a bit weaker than what the nose lead on. There are faint notes of caramel, vanilla, and sweet malt but they are no where near as pronounced as I thought they would be.

M: The feel is medium bodied with a decent creaminess.

O: This isn't exactly the best Old Ale I've had but it's not too bad. Hopefully given some time this will develop into something better. I'll be visiting this again in a year or so.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2012 02:43:21 | More by GregSVT

specksnreds

Texas

2.58/5  rDev -30.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

SA says to age it. Does this explain its present mediocrity? Will it improve exponentially over time? I kinda don't care, since the bottle I had last night was rather ordinary and bland. I expect great things from the SADR releases, and they've previously demonstrated that their excellence is not a fluke. But this beer is not on that track of excellence. Pale in color for an Old Ale, uniformly 1-dimensionsal in taste and nose (think small malt with a hint of adjunct lager). One positive was that the beer tasted better as it warmed up, and the "cheap beer" overtones were muted.

It wasn't like I had to choke it down; it's not that bad. But dayum SA, this shoulda been a fantastic offering at this price point and level of expectation. Here's hoping #13 is back on track.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2012 18:57:04 | More by specksnreds

Omightytolkien

3.03/5  rDev -18.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A good beer, but not worth the ado that--like me--you probably went through to find it. At 10% alcohol, it has a nice wallop to keep you awake during your mid-morning "nip" at work. Also if--like me--you never eat on an empty stomach, it makes for a nice breakfast before you chase it down with food. It is however (alas) much like drinking a Belgian beer without the sweetness; as such, there was no "finish." Don't drive 40 miles round-trip on your lunch hour to find this. If you want a more wonkish review with descriptions of how its body is "infused with hints of pepper-bark grated from a Peruvian nutmeg tree whose delicate nuts were first lovingly crushed with an ivory mallet," then move along, because I speak plain English: the color was dark-reddish-brown; it will wake you up proper when you open your eyes to the harsh and unfriendly light of another blasted day, and the bottle is purple.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2012 19:07:56 | More by Omightytolkien

TX-Badger

Texas

3.05/5  rDev -18.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

I opened a 12oz bottle poured into a snifter glass.

A - This pours a hazy orangeish amber, not much head to speak of on the pour.

S - On the nose I get some light spice, small amount of hops, caramel malt.

T - On the palate I get the same as what I was smelling. The spices are very subtle, you almost have to be looking for them. The hops aren't overly noticeable, but the caramel malt gives way to toffee and caramel flavors. Sweet on the finish.

M - Medium-bodied and it seemed to be noticeably carbonated

O - This is interesting, it is only my second time trying a Divine Reserve from St. Arnold. I think that this beer tastes extremely young and age will do it wonders. I have another five bottles from a six pack that I purchased and plan on letting them sit for quite a while before opening another one. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2012 01:33:19 | More by TX-Badger

Mora2000

Texas

3.58/5  rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

The beer pours an amber color with a white head and a lot of bubbles. The aroma has some cherry and grape notes, as well as some caramel, toffee and alcohol notes. The flavor is very similar. The caramel and dark fruit notes are very heavy up front, with a little bit of toffee and some earth notes hidden in the background. I also get a little bit of cinnamon and some other peppery notes in the flavor. The alcohol is noticeable, but not overpowering. Medium mouthfeel and high carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2012 04:35:13 | More by Mora2000