St. Bernardus Abt 12 Special Edition

Formerly brewed at St. Bernard Brouwerij
Style: Abt/Quadrupel
Watou, Belgium

For a special edition I was expecting this to exceed its regular version. However it lacks the depth and complexity. Anyway, it pours a dark ruby hue with a big white head that has good retention. The aroma is of dark fruit, candied sugar, molasses and belgian spice. The taste was plum, fig, raisins, belgian spice, and a nice light light bit of caramel. This beer hides the alcohol extremly well.

It must be very odd to live under the rule of a king for many years, only to find that the king was actually a prince, displaced by a far grander and nobler man whose own credentials are verified in some holy book or ancient charter. In a democracy it’s a regular occurrence for a king to become a jester, and in communism everyone is a peasant and nobody is a king, save for the kings you’re not allowed to talk about. In an entrenched monarchy, however, it’s a bit odd for reverse abdication to take place, which is why I was a little befuddled to hear the panegyrics surrounding the new St. Bernardus 12 Special Edition. Better ingredients? Better flavor? I scoffed at the idea. Bernie 12 was already in a supreme position – why bother? But the curiosity was too much, so I flipped my wallet for a bottle. Apparently it was so exceedingly regal that it had to come in a tin like aged Scotch. There was even a special glass for the occasion of the beer’s introduction. A kind of goodie bag that you get at parties where everyone is richer than you. The pompousness was nearly oozing out from under the bottle cap. Immediately upon it’s ejection from the bottle the Bernardus began to overlap on itself, producing a marvelous light wood colored scaffolding above its charcoal body. When the falling liquid had reduced to a trickle this simple roof had become a master piece in delicate contouring. I was convinced I was looking at a folded bolt of silk. Touching it would have been tantamount to desecration. The perfume that wafted around its beholden crown had a masculine touch to it like a cloud of dust, interspersed with hints of vegetable, hops, alcohol, anise and shoyu. On the tongue the Bernardus was much sweeter, employing a touch of wood alongside brown sugar and molasses, while keeping itself mellow and savory. As soon as the sugar introduction finishes it shows its true colors (truer at least) by transforming into a beer made of cream. Rich and smooth, it blesses itself with the tastes of luxury and high calorie count, all while ascending in dryness. Finally it concludes with slight gestures of almond and caramel contemporaneously peaking in its dryness and bitterness. I’ll agree to some extent that this is worthy of exaltation, but despite all the claims otherwise, I don’t think it’s better than the regular old St. Bernardus 12. The big difference between the two is the latter’s slightly higher alcohol content, which to me was a much better fit for the flavors present. It may be less refined, but it has more charisma, which no good king can go without. So let the master take his rightful place, but I’ll gladly swear fealty to the inferior beer anyday.

Bottled. Clear, deep garnet color with an ivory head. Sugary, malt aroma with notes of raisins. Roasty toffee, caramel and prune flavors with some notes of burnt sugar and candy. Somewhat bitter finish.

Cloudy red-brown body, medium buff head. Spicy bread pudding aroma with cinnamon, prune, fig, and chocolate notes. Bready body with abundant figs and prune, crackery, toasty, and quite sweet. Cinnamon, toffee, and cola punctuate the palate. An estery, potent beer with noticeable alcohol. Very good.

Thanks to Jasonmech77 for opening this... Appears a hazy, orange toned brown with a red hue. A Small white head slowly fizzles out. Spotty streaks of lace are left around the glass. Smell is of plums, raisins, dusty caramel, cocoa, fresh green hops, and mild citrus. Taste is of the mentioned aromas highlighted by raisins, plums, and earthy hops. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, raisiny, sweet, semi-dry, along with black pums running along the tongue.

hazy nut brow hue with a thin layer of off white head, the aroma is fruity with a hint of plume. complex body that justifies the alcohol content, rich and creamy.

i’m pretty sure this is meant to be aged.... doesn’t seem to have the same depth and unified smoothness as the standard 12, which is a top-notch brew, IMO... i have a feeling that in a year or two, this bottle could receive a nearly perfect score from me so will have to pick up another one of these babies at my local outlet for craft beer. the .5% alcohol increase makes it a nice and cozy beverage to enjoy alone after all the xmas chaos today :) craftsmanship of this kind always leaves me squashed and envious ~

Merry Christmas indeed! Shared this with my wife on Christmas day. Pours a rich brown with a lovely off white head. Smells of fresh baked bread, cherries and something else that is very sweet. Taste is amazing. Very rich and complex, getting better as it warms. I taste some sweet fruits, apples and pears, with a biscuity taste in there too. 11% alcohol? Gotta be kidding. I can feel it, but I can’t taste it. The beer almost makes me want to join a monastery. Almost. Big almost. I could join the ranks of the alcoholics if I had enough of this, though.