St. Bernardus Christmas Ale

Brewed by St. Bernard Brouwerij
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Watou, Belgium

Pours dark brown with an effervescent carbonation and big, creamy head. Aromas of fruitcake, prunes, and toasted rye bread; really rich. The flavor is heavily malty; toasty and lightly sweet like a little bit of apple butter on toast. The middle is dominated by prunes, figs, and a warming alcohol sensation; nice. There are hints of coffee as the beer warms. The finish is a bit metallic with an alcohol bite. Huge, smooth body. This is a Belgian Dark and possibly better than the much esteemed Abt 12. By a case and cellar it if you can!

This beer pours a deep cloudy brown with a thin white head. The aromas are clove, raisin, licorice and floral notes. The flavors are licorice, spices, and a little flower. This was a great Christams ale. Cheers!

750 ml. Deep amber body. Short, fizzy, tan head, fully diminshing to fizzy pools. Aroma of overripe fruits and spice, plum, prune, fig, cinnamon, anise, musty basement, sugar with hints of toasted grain and flowers. The flavor is moderately to heavily sweet and lightly bitter. It finishes lightly to moderately sweet and moderately bitter. Medium body, watery texture and lively carbonation. Some alcohol and licorice show up in the finish, but the fruitiness sticks around throughout. A really nice balance between fruity esters and spices in a Belgian Christmas beer that is not too sweet, unlike so many others.

Bottle from 2008. Pours chunky dark chestnut brown, with a lasting two finger beige head, very good lacing. Rich, full aroma of banana bread, toffee, dark fruits, and some floral notes. Medium body, velvety, smooth. Fantastic banana bread flavor, nutmeg, spice, caramel, some very light floral and grassy notes. Not much in the way of detectable hop notes, but well-balanced none-the-less.

Pours a deep dark red/brown with a heavy citrus fruit taste creamy and very smooth the 10% ALC is well hidden and the palate is rewarded with a wonderful blend of the hops, malts and spices . A fine winter brew, that would go well with desert.

amber brown pour with a thin tan head. aroma is rich dark fruit and dark cake. Some yeasty banana tones. flavour is again fruity with molasses sweet maltiness, light spice finish. Very nice

This brew is a somewhat murky dark mahogany color with a medium and dense off-white head that recedes slowly. Rings of lacing on the glass. Aroma of raisins, yeast, bananas and malt. Rich body with flavors of spices, dark fruit (plum and raisins), malt and yeast. The finish is robust malt with a fruity aftertaste. The ABV is well-masked throughout. Overall an enjoyable holiday-themed beer.

750ml. It’s Christmas Eve and snow is falling. Cloudy dark brown with very big frothy white head. Aroma of caramel, sweet bread, dough, some leather, lots of brett and some sour-vinegar smells. Taste is sweet (as expected from a Christmas ale), spices are more noticeable in the taste with clove, nutmeg and maybe ginger. Finish is slightly bitter. Palate has loads of carbonation, spice on the tongue and has dry bitterness.