Abt 12
Brouwerij St. Bernardus NV

Abt 12Abt 12
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From:
Brouwerij St. Bernardus NV
 
Belgium
Style:
Quadrupel (Quad)
Ranked #3
ABV:
10%
Score:
99
Ranked #241
Avg:
4.47 | pDev: 9.17%
Reviews:
3,004
Ratings:
10,341
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 10, 2024
Added:
Oct 14, 2001
Wants:
  902
Gots:
  2,925
St. Bernardus Abt 12 is widely regarded as one of the best beers in the world. It is therefore no surprise that it is our brewery’s flagship beer, ranked at the very top of the St. Bernardus beer hierarchy. It is brewed in the classic quadrupel style and adheres to the original 1946 recipe.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by FirstMan:
Photo of FirstMan
Reviewed by FirstMan from Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
After all the hype that I've heard about this beer - especially here on BA, I must admit I was a little underwhelmed when I tried this for the first time last night. Probably I just raised the bar too high, but frankly there are a number of American beers that I would go for before trying this again... (blaspheme, for many of you, I know).

That said, this is definitely a world-class beer and sits high above most beers the average American will drink.

Pours a murkey, beautifully deep orangish-brown. Such a nice head of fluffy foam to gaze at, too. Eventually that head lingers down to little splotchy patches across the top of the liquid in the way that so many good Belgians do.

The nose is rich and complex. Cloves, ripe plums, raisins, and maybe a little tang of overripe orange in there. Subtle and changing. One of the great things about a Belgian is that you can often spend a lot of time just smelling them - oh, and the beer smells good too.

Clove and the tang of overripe fruit is the first thing to hit your mouth. This is very well balanced by the round, malty smoothness of the mouthfeel. This is a beer that lingers well and goes through many mysterious flavor changes as it ages on the palate.

Give this a try first at a colder temperature and then let it warm up. It's fun to notice the changes.

Overall a very good beer that's worth a try. I'd love to have it on tap, actually, because I imagine that will trump my rating of the bottled version.
Aug 24, 2005
More User Ratings:
Photo of turfy
Reviewed by turfy from Texas

4.54/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Murky dark brown body with a most impressive, foamy tan head, 4 fingers high. Nose of raisins, malt, some sweetness and a bit of booze. Dark fruit taste with some breadiness, malt, and a lingering light sweet taste. Medium body and carbonation. If the body was a touch heavier, I would love this beer to death. World class beer, simply.
Mar 10, 2024
 
Rated: 4.63 by Iggy88 from Ohio

Mar 02, 2024
 
Rated: 4.41 by BSW from California

Feb 18, 2024
Photo of brianstrong2
Rated by brianstrong2 from Tennessee

4.8/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
One of the best beers in the world. Fills up half the top shelf of my beer fridge.
Feb 16, 2024
Photo of ElijahWorships
Rated by ElijahWorships from Georgia

5/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Perhaps the greatest ever!
Feb 09, 2024
 
Rated: 4.48 by dhebert87 from Texas

Feb 04, 2024
 
Rated: 4.87 by Supper1

Jan 30, 2024
Photo of jneedham
Rated by jneedham

4.98/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
Amazing Beer! One of best I have ever had! Chocolate and malty notes! Perfection!
Jan 17, 2024
 
Rated: 4.26 by RoyalKaiju from Kentucky

Jan 14, 2024
 
Rated: 4.57 by asouth12 from Massachusetts

Jan 14, 2024
 
Rated: 3.93 by SeanP99 from North Carolina

Jan 11, 2024
 
Rated: 4.18 by Maxxis from Illinois

Jan 09, 2024
 
Rated: 4.5 by BrisLoganite from Australia

Jan 06, 2024
 
Rated: 4.13 by paylstep from Canada (ON)

Dec 31, 2023
 
Rated: 4.84 by superwho24 from Arkansas

Dec 30, 2023
 
Rated: 4.53 by Quikshark from South Carolina

Dec 26, 2023
Photo of Troy-Hawaii
Rated by Troy-Hawaii from Hawaii

4/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bought a single 11.2 oz bottle Village Bottle Shop $7.99
Dec 11, 2023
 
Rated: 4.85 by KeithGreatNorth from Canada (BC)

Dec 11, 2023
Photo of NqyRobbo
Rated by NqyRobbo from England

4.8/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
Sensational
Dec 10, 2023
Abt 12 from Brouwerij St. Bernardus NV
Beer rating: 99 out of 100 with 10341 ratings