St. Bernardus Prior 8

Brewed by St. Bernard Brouwerij
Style: Abbey Dubbel
Watou, Belgium

St. Bernardus non mi delude mai, perlomeno non quando fa le birre che deve fare (se affida un prodotto a Pierre Celis in nome della sua autorità birraria allora il flop è clamoroso); questa Prior 8 che ero convinto di avere già assaggiato (confusione mia) è strepitosa, di ottima complessità ma con un bell’impatto anche senza pipe, un po’ come certi sarcofagi romani del tardo II sec. d.C., un po’ come lo stile antonino sotto commodo e lo stile severiano, tutti quei chiaroscuri lavorati a trapano.... sono uno spettacolo.

(bottle) pours a dark amber-ruby colour with a creamy off-white head. aroma of fresh green apples, with subdued notes of chocolate and caramel. flavour is caramel and yeast, apples and dark fruits, chocolate and some roasted malts. medium-bodied with fizzy carbonation.

Poured deep brown/mahogany with a big frothy head. Semi-sweet malt flavor with varous spices such as corriander. Really well crafted beer.

Pours hazy dark amber brown, malty, maple, yeasty, caramel, vanilla, little dark fruits.

(Bottle - 0.33 l, BBE 260712 - at Pikkulintu, Helsinki, on 2009-01-03) Dark brown. Cloudy. Medium sized white head. Chocolate and raisin in nose. Full bodied and dryish palate with medium carbonation. Raisin, malts, chocolate, some bitterness and sweetness in taste. Malty and lightly bitter aftertaste.

Style and Glass: Belgian Strong, trappist ABV, Volume & Calories: 8 % in 11.2 fl oz. estimated at 200 C Purchased at: Canal’s Lawrenceville, NJ for $17.00 as a part of a gift pack complete with glass. Aroma: sour, fainter, flowers, metallic, mold Visuals: inviting, dark, moat, deep brown, nearly opaque, thin, staying, off white head, tight lace. Taste: well balanced, maple, syrup, sour, woody, fruity, plum, cherry, orange, slightly bitter. Palate: whole tongue active, sweet, bitter, delicious, mellow, blunt, long dark finish. Overall: Delicious and remarkable. Deep, dark, and multi-layered. I’d love to have it again, though generally, I prefer sweeter Belgian variants. originally posted at: <a href="http://beercritic.wordpress.com/2009/01

I love the blend of spices in this one. It’s spicy, sweet, and very smooth as most of the good Belgian beers are. I highly recommend this one. My brother picked up the St. Bernardus gift pack with the goblet. It was WELL worth it! I’ll be buying a gift pack for myself.

Horehound candy and cinnamon spicy nose. Medium brown color with huge head and nice lacing. Is spicy sweet, with a hint of bitter orange. Full bodied, massive, but silky carbonation. This finished nicely with a hidden alcohol warmth. Very tasty beer, this has some deep rich flavors, but never felt heavy.