St. Paul Special
Brouwerij Sterkens N.V.

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From:
Brouwerij Sterkens N.V.
 
Belgium
Style:
Belgian Pale Ale
ABV:
5.5%
Score:
82
Avg:
3.41 | pDev: 12.61%
Reviews:
11
Ratings:
13
Status:
Active
Rated:
Dec 04, 2015
Added:
Dec 24, 2003
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  1
No description / notes.
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Ratings by thierrynantes:
Photo of thierrynantes
Reviewed by thierrynantes from France

3.28/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Beer bottle (33 cl.) purchased from Bières et Chopes (dec. 2010), and tasted in 2012.

Appearance : dark amber color, with tan foamy head.
Smell : malty with caramel aromas.
Taste & mouthfeel : medium body with dark fruit and sour notes.
Drinkability : an average beer in the style Belgian ale, but in an wonderfull thin bottle (like a wine).
Feb 18, 2012
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4 by Richie71 from Ireland

Dec 04, 2015
Photo of janubio
Reviewed by janubio from Spain

3/5  rDev -12%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Reddish-brown colour, witha samll off white head that does not hold, leaving a small lace. Aroma of red fruits, spices, some caramel. MEdium body, soft carbonation. Taste of spices, red fruits, caramel. Good but simple, I was expecting more complexity.
Jul 11, 2015
 
Rated: 3.45 by mattfancett from England

Sep 02, 2014
Photo of FLima
Reviewed by FLima from Brazil

3.6/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Light brown reddish color with a thin fluffy head with short retention.
Light aroma of bready malt and grapes with a distant tartness.
Sweet taste of grape juice, condiments, prunes and some Belgian yeast. Slightly tart with a dry aftertaste.
Medium body with good carbonation with big bubbles.
Average Belgium beer, but still decent with a nice red fruit touch. Worth a try.
Sep 22, 2013
Photo of treque
Reviewed by treque from Mexico

3.83/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
A: deep copper in color, not sure if it should be a belgian pale ale, some clarity, semy tant head, with nice retention, waste on the glass left and yeast residual

S: caramel, dark fruits, sweet malts and tiny critusy lime or orange peel

T: fruity, some spicy, medium body, crisp on tongue, belgian yeast, toasty malt flavour, chewy end, not so very long last final
Sep 06, 2011
Photo of Andreji
Reviewed by Andreji from Texas

3.73/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
This might as well be their no. 2, by no means mindblowing but a decent ale that served me as a digestif after a meat-fest here.

Pour was- unexpectedly- dark, amber to brown and rather non-translucent. i expected it to be the exact opposite. somewhat of a surprise worthy of a decent score.

Smell was sweet, along the lines of red grapes perhaps. soft, though, and with a hint of bitterness. but not too much.

Taste wasn't bad, a rather sweet roast malty feel, dry at points but carries some fruityness to it. it's not too complex but it is satisfying, and is also quite full bodied making it a decent belgian experience. will do again.
May 17, 2010
Photo of dgilks
Reviewed by dgilks from Australia

2.98/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Darkinsh red colour with a big, pale tan head. Okay head retention.

Some pineapple aroma. Generally fruity and sweet. Interesting but not amazingly complex or rich.

Thin malt flavour. Some light biscuit. Hints of fruity yeast but not much. Disappointing.

Thin and fizzy. It's not great. The medium-low body and moderately high carbonation combine in a way that doesn't pair up particularly well with the flavour. It is smooth though.

Inoffensive and not really worth trying. While I'll drink it, it doesn't do anything for me.
Jan 02, 2010
Photo of LittleCreature
Reviewed by LittleCreature from Australia

3.47/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Appearance - 3.0
Poured a finger and a half of beige head that quickly reduced to half a finger. Colour is a darkish amber-brown with large chunks of sediment (should have been swirled before pouring), almost completely opaque.

Smell - 3.5
Very sweet and malty, aromas of ginger teacake and a little spice.

Taste - 3.5
Certainly no off-tastes, but I was expecting a little more complexity for a Belgian ale. Despite just 5.5%ABV the alcohol is warming which couples well with the light spiciness. Very much malt driven, with just a little bitterness to go with the butter, biscuit and brown sugar flavours. Becomes oversweet with warming.

Mouthfeel - 3.5
Light, fine carbonation coupled with a heavyish weight make this beer feel thick and smooth in the mouth.

Drinkability - 3.5
Perhaps a little sweet to be sessionable, but it's close. I'd drink it again.

OVERALL - 3.4
Part of me feels that this beer deserves a higher rating, as I was close to giving it a 4 for taste and smell, but the oversweetness and lack of hops for balance knocked it back down. Pretty average for a Belgian, but still a decent beer.
Aug 05, 2008
Photo of rec
Reviewed by rec from Australia

2.52/5  rDev -26.1%
look: 1.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
The pour reveals a chestnut-brown body with dismal head that fails to build - it appears like something you'd see at the top of a glass of soapy water.

The aroma is extremely plain, with some caramel malt and yeast with a certain nutiness.

The flavour is embodied by citrus and mild spice... it departs with a watery sourdough aftertaste.

Due to the low carbonation it feels quite smooth and chewy, and if anything that's this beer's saving grace, and actually makes it quite drinkable.

Not one I'd buy again, however.
Dec 15, 2007
Photo of Sigmund
Reviewed by Sigmund from Norway

3.65/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
330 ml fancy & slim dark green bottle, as St. Paul Speciale, now available in Norway (Vinmonopolet). ABV is 5.5%. Brown to amber coloured beer, huge beige head. Nice fruity and yeasty aroma, notes of cloves and other spices. Pleasant flavour, spicy and moderately oaky, notes of malts and caramel too. Not too sweet. Very moderate hops. The mouthfeel is maybe a bit thin, particularly in the finish. Not extreme in any way, but a quite enjoyable Belgian.
Sep 28, 2007
Photo of Gusler
Reviewed by Gusler from Arizona

3.92/5  rDev +15%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
The beer extracts from the 330ml dark green bottle luminous deep amber or copper color with a husky head that is semi-creamy in texture the color a nice light tan and as it slowly depreciates the leftover lace forms a velum like curtain to drape the glass. Nose is fruity, fresh and clean, hints of bubble gum, the start is sweet with a personable malt presence, the top light to moderate in feel. Finish is delightfully acidic, the hops delectable in their spiciness, very dry and long lasting aftertaste, nice and pleasant to drink.
Aug 12, 2004
Photo of feloniousmonk
Reviewed by feloniousmonk from Minnesota

2.9/5  rDev -15%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
Called an "abbey ale" on the label, I know very little about this beer and have never seen it before in my life. The importer is out of business, so the bottle has been resting for some time, before I rescued it, and lo and behold, no one on BA has reviewed it. Well, here we go!
Cool bottle, narrow and thin, tapering toward the top, with blue foil covering the cap, a bit unusual presentation for a 33cl serving, with a drawing a serious looking, long-white-bearded monk looking deeply into his glass of brew. Contemplative stuff, perhaps?
Dark amber color, short head, loads of carbonation, despite that, tons of bubbles everywhere.
Aroma: musty, heady, but not too deep, with dark fruit character (cherry, plum) and only a hint of hop.
Taste: a bit citric and a touch sour, right off, but nothing major, fruity, but, alas, terrifically weak. Body is medium, but very pale, finish is rather sad, and flavor is nothing to scream about. Sourness, though mild, continues, citrus remains, but it never connects into any kind of GOOD flavor, it just lies there. Sad, and uninspired.
I'm left wondering whether time and conditions turned this into a lackluster drink or if it's destiny was mediocrity. If anyone has further insights, clue me in, anytime.
Dec 24, 2003
St. Paul Special from Brouwerij Sterkens N.V.
Beer rating: 82 out of 100 with 13 ratings