St. Stefanus - Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V.

hops4life

Connecticut

4.03/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Could be a blonde with some tripel aspirations. Very good look, aroma, and head. A little dry in the taste department. While not mind-bendingly good, it is an extremely good blonde. The packaging and price set up higher expectations, but if you put this in a Leffe bottle your jaw would drop. Very nice. Will keep an eye on this brewer and importer.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2013 02:22:43 | More by hops4life

akostrowski

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -10.5%

06-15-2013 22:05:33 | More by akostrowski

brewcrew76

Wisconsin

3.7/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

7-2012 Vintage

A - Orange, copper color with an inch or two of fluffy white head that leaves behind a good amount of foam until the beer is finished.

S - Mineral aroma with green apple, pear, yeasty esters, fruity, slightly sweet.

T - Light mineral taste, fruity, green apple, herbal, sweet graham cracker, yeasty esters.

M - Well carbonated and crisp.

D - Pleasant but I seemed to lose interest as I drank it.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2013 01:02:53 | More by brewcrew76

khargro2

Georgia

4.25/5  rDev +8.7%

06-10-2013 10:49:11 | More by khargro2

Axnjxn

North Carolina

4.15/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

330ml bottle into a snifter. "cellar release 4-2012" stamped on the bottle

Pours a darker copper color with a 2 inch white head. extremely fizzy, bubbles shoot from the bottom to the top and seem to make the head even larger as it lingers in the glass for a bit.

sweet honey aroma on the nose. yeasty and bready as well.

taste is pretty great. sweet and fizzy, like drinking an extremely carbonated soda. classic belgian yeasts show through on the finish. tad of bitterness on the back end. this is a very complex beer that will change drastically depending on how long you age it. lighter side of medium bodied with high carbonation. this isnt something you chug down, but honestly you could if you wanted to. its quite easy to drink.

overall picked this up on a whim as it was extremely cheap, and am thoroughly impressed. glad i got a 4 pack.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2013 20:29:20 | More by Axnjxn

VAcrossr

Virginia

4.25/5  rDev +8.7%

05-26-2013 22:24:03 | More by VAcrossr

Kahlerbock

Kansas

4/5  rDev +2.3%

05-26-2013 18:52:21 | More by Kahlerbock

GRG1313

California

3.75/5  rDev -4.1%

05-21-2013 01:17:57 | More by GRG1313

timontheroad

Colorado

4.25/5  rDev +8.7%

05-19-2013 17:11:58 | More by timontheroad

nickfl

Florida

4/5  rDev +2.3%

05-18-2013 20:51:32 | More by nickfl

kylehay2004

Florida

4/5  rDev +2.3%

05-18-2013 00:13:27 | More by kylehay2004

eskybassplr

Michigan

4.75/5  rDev +21.5%

05-13-2013 21:56:55 | More by eskybassplr

PEIhop

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +2.3%

05-12-2013 13:05:24 | More by PEIhop

sendbeer

Georgia

4/5  rDev +2.3%

05-01-2013 15:50:30 | More by sendbeer

philbe311

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A bottle does not make a beer, but this is a pretty wicked bottle... Dated 4-2012...

A - An audibly fizzy active pour that yields three plus fingers worth of airy crisp off-white colored head comprised of huge chunky bubbles... Decent retention gives way to a fluffy delectable frothy lacing and moderate to thick collar... A light to moderate bit of carbonation which is a mix of sluggish and rapid... There is a slight haziness that lingers in this pale gold colored offering... A slight bit of lacing clings to the glass...

S - Golden raisins... Pear... Apple... A kiss of honey... Some candied sugar notes... Very light Belgian yeastiness... Apricots... Perhaps even some light peachy notes... Well rounded and quite complex... A very nice aroma... Each whiff reveals a new dimension...

T - A mix of over ripened sweet fruits... Apple... Pears... Banana... White grapes... Golden Raisins... Apricot... Peaches... Tangerine... There is also some very subtle Belgian yeast component mixed with a slight spiciness... Some rich doughy undertones... A very light bitter astringency on the finish that lingers for a bit...

M - Medium bodied sturdy... Perfect level of slightly prickly carbonation... A bit sticky... Sleek... Smooth... Sophisticated and refined... Goes down easily sip after sip...

D - A very nice Belgian Strong Pale Ale... I would gladly revisit and can recommend without hesitation... I only wish this one were a bit more widely available... Lots of character and depth in every facets... Truly enjoyable...

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 02:28:15 | More by philbe311

FliryVorru

Alabama

4.25/5  rDev +8.7%

04-29-2013 18:05:09 | More by FliryVorru

soxandbeer

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +2.3%

04-28-2013 00:37:41 | More by soxandbeer

scottbrew4u

Pennsylvania

3.81/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

A: Pours into chalice a slightly hazy blonde color with a light orange tinge and a bubbly white head that settles at a relatively quick rate.

S: Some fresh and lightly roasted malt aromas and a touch of honey with some fresh apricot. Light and flowery hop aromas and light phenolics from the yeast round out the aroma.

T: Honey kissed apricots with a pleasant fresh bread flavor from the grains and from the belgian yeast. Light floral and spice from the hops give the beer more balance and drinkability.

M: Light to medium body with bubbly carbonation and mellow alcohol.

D: Interesting but not too complex. This beer got better as you got half way down the glass. It is refreshing with a somewhat sweet aftertaste but not cloying. Worth a try if you have not had this before.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 21:12:26 | More by scottbrew4u

mick303

Ontario (Canada)

3.98/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Celler Release (8-12) so its been maturing about 8 and a bit months more. Poured into a wine glass there was a crowning head of pillowy soft white head with really good retention and lacing. Colour is dark for a blonde, more of a honey caramel brown, with a lot of visible carbonation. 4

S- malty notes and some aged fruitiness, cherries, lemon, also some definite strong yeasty farmy aspects. A bit of a light spice prickle, still some estery minerally florals, some caramel malt, but the yeast is the star, giving a bracing yet complex aroma character. 4

T- initial cloying malty sweetness, leading to some aged lemon, roast ham, toffee notes. A full yeast grip to it, straw, sour cherries, faint farm notes. Some residual malty sweetness and a blackberry note. A bit of a malty biscuit and also plummy notes, some roughness toward the end though. Finishes clean and drying. Some interesting complexities hidden in an allround tasty beer. 4

M - lots of soft carbonation, only a moderate slick body, with a bit of oiliness on the finish. But a surprisingly light and drinkable example of this style. Yet a bit cloying. 3.75

An interesting beer, it looks and smells very good. A decent yeast influence, yet short of fully embracing it. It tastes very nice as well, but I think the standard for potential complexity in this style is a bit lacking here. A bit heavy on malty sweetness, and I might have liked some more hops coming through. It has quite an interesting flavour with some complex notes, but the balance doesn't keep up for me to might have rated it higher. Really glad I tried this though, and its an allround pretty solid beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2013 17:04:53 | More by mick303

Strix

Wisconsin

3.7/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Clear dark-yellow with lots of tiny bubbles, huge lingering head.

Aroma of light fruit, mild bready yeast

Sweet grains punctuated by green apple, coriander, black pepper. Crisp, but not flavorful.

Delightful bubbly mouthfeel.

Certainly pleasant, but seemed to lose flavor the longer it sat. Didn't quite live up to my expectations.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 03:03:12 | More by Strix

bluejacket74

Ohio

4.05/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 ml caged and corked bottle, 4-2012 Cellar Release. Served in a Unibroue tulip, the beer pours a hazy dark gold color with about an inch and a half off-white head. Head retention is good, and there's a decent amount of lacing. Aroma is nice, the brew smells like orange and lemon peel, peppery spice, herbs, root beer, and some green apple. It tastes like cloves, peppery spice, orange and lemon peel, bubblegum, tangerines, pears, and a bit of licorice and apple. Very yeasty. Mouthfeel/body is medium, with a good amount of soft carbonation that makes this easy to drink. I liked this brew, certainly worth trying if you've never had it before. $11.99 a bottle.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 21:51:14 | More by bluejacket74

johnnydicfore

Ohio

3/5  rDev -23.3%

03-25-2013 00:36:10 | More by johnnydicfore

Danobold

Texas

4.25/5  rDev +8.7%

03-23-2013 00:30:21 | More by Danobold

RadfordBrewing

Illinois

4/5  rDev +2.3%

03-18-2013 14:37:00 | More by RadfordBrewing

JimmyCop

New Jersey

5/5  rDev +27.9%

03-14-2013 00:40:06 | More by JimmyCop