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St. Bernardus Prior 8

St. Bernardus Prior 8

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 Percentile 
98
overall
A Belgian Strong Ale brewed by
St. Bernard Brouwerij

Watou, Belgium

bottled
common

on tap
common

Broad Distribution
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 Ratings  Average  Score  ABV  Style Pctl  Serve in  Advanced 
8923.89/5.03.88/5.08%94Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler P  Stats

Commercial Description:
Deep hazy-brown colour, big body, malt palate.

Most RecentTop RatersHighest Ratings Who's Rated This?
 GreatLibations (1294), Sasquatcho, Arizona, USA
5 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
10/105/510/105/520/20
Aug 28, 2006  
Pours burnt orange w/ full semi creamy froth. Aroma of red licorice and rock candy. Medium to full nectar w/ ample residual effers. Flavors are slightly sweet w/ stewed apricot, peach, raisons, brown sugar, angstura bitters, anise, ginger root, cinnamon, and chewing tobacco. The finish has a nice dry bittering. This is one complex specimen. Well balanced, not too sweet, alcohol is well hidden. Connoiseurs choice! Highly recommended. I have to say this again. I love this brewery. Everything they do is amazing.


Juhani (4), Montreal, Quebec, USA
does not count click to see why this rating of St. Bernardus Prior 8 does not count
5 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
10/105/510/105/520/20
Aug 8, 2007  
This is by far my favorite of all the St. Bernardus beers, and quite simply the best dubbel (if that’s what it is) that I have ever tasted. The ABT 12 is almost perfect but just a bit too sweet, the tripel is great but several tripels are greater (say, Westmalle). The Prior 8 in contrast has no bad qualities I have been able to discern and no other beer has it beat in any respect. It is a very substantial, vinous beer. In fact, I have never tasted a beer that was so similar to a wine before. We have here the aroma of prunes, raisins, various fruit, and yeast. Caramel is very pronounced, but what’s remarkable about the Prior 8 is that it manages to be caramel-y without being sweet (here the ABT 12 falls short). We have here plenty of carbonation and appropriate hop bitterness--the hops are definitely more pronounced than in most Belgian dark ales of this strength, and yet the beer is not bitter; it’s just very well balanced. "Dry" is the word, not "bitter". Another respect in which the 8 is superior to any comparable beer I can think of is that it manages to be quite dark and caramel-like without even a hint of roasty/burnt flavor (what some people call "coffee" or "chocolate"). In this respect I find it preferable to the comparable Rochefort (viz. 8, or 10 for that matter).


kitemax (1), Belgium
does not count click to see why this rating of St. Bernardus Prior 8 does not count
4.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
10/105/510/104/520/20
Feb 11, 2008  
One of the top Belgian strong Ales - no sugar taste - complex aroma’s and hints of spices - a good balance and to be true a beer of 8 % alc brewed to perfection - hard to find in Belgium regular pubs due the brewery is too small for field marketing - but they invest in quality ingriedients - cheers


LordCrabapple (68), Merseyside, England
4.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/105/510/105/520/20
Aug 9, 2006  
This is a very enjoyable drink, but rather difficult for me to come by. I look forward to drinking more of it.


rpattinson (82), Amsterdam, Netherlands
4.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/105/510/105/519/20
Jul 29, 2005  
Dark brown colour with a dense head; pepper, plum, spice and caramel aromas; sweetish/bitter taste with liquorice, dates, alcohol, cherry, pepper and caramel aromas; bitter finish with liquorice, roast, toffee, chocolate and chicory aromas. A wonderfully complex ale. Amongst the very best Belgian beers.



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