Christmas Ale
Brouwerij St. Bernardus NV

 

 

A bit sweet, a bit spicy, quite carbonated

2022 release, poured into chilled whisky chalice at 55degF.

L: Pours dark, with a fine-bubbled tan head that dissipates within a minute or so

S: Dark fruits, malt, caramel, banana, clove, pear
Warmed S: Caramel and booze notes come out in full force, with fruit receding

T: Surprising blood orange note mixed in with clove, allspice, caramel, with boozy notes on the end reminiscent of cognac. Continued partaking sees a buildup of "barrel aged" flavors.
Warmed T: Sweet dates mix with the blood orange, spices recede somewhat

F: Medium/heavy mouthfeel that coats the tongue. Definitely a sipper that can stand without a food pairing. Satisfying to the palate on its own. The texture clings in a way that layers on flavors as you continue to sip, enhancing what comes through as almost a barrel-aged taste, although without the normal acridity you get from the tannins in barrel-aged beers. There is a light hopping that would cleanse the palate if drunk with food.
Warmed F: Coats the palate less the longer you drink, perhaps a buildup of the hops, or a thinning as the beverage warms.

O: An excellent quad. Not too sweet (thank god). I wouldn't say it screams "Christmas" but it is a spectacular trappist offering. So glad I managed to get my hands on this beer. Feels stronger than 10% when you're near the end of it.

It does make your breath smell Christmas-y

Poured from an 11.2 oz. can. Has a very dark brown color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is of dark fruits, light spices. Taste is dark fruits, alcohol, malts, light spices. Feels medium/full bodied in the mouth and overall is an enjoyable beer.

We should all look forward to the 2023 release, because every one b4 has been killer.
Spiced Quad Baby!

 

 

 

 

 

Classic Christmas ale, lots of flavoured, aromas (that change with warmth…I liked the cherry that popped out of the glass right off the bat)…high abv so a real sipper…a perfect after dinner treat, tho I got first taste before…paired with a piece of stolen bacon from the kitchen and a sunset on the back deck….perfect.
The salt and the sweetness of the ale contrasted beautifully….highly recommended.
This is why the old world old school breweries are still top of the line in this category.

 

Clear, copper-approaching-ruby-colored body with a creamy off-tan head; malty, bready, moderately sweet with some minor spices and earthy/herbal notes, some dark fruit characteristics typical of Belgian Quads. Smooth and sweet but really un-remarkable to me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Appearance: Poured fairly opaque brown from a can. The head started off on the low side of thick and creamy but quickly dissipated while remaining clingy.

Aroma: Sweetened, enriched bread and cookies. Indiscernible winter spice in the background. Think gingerbread.

Taste: The taste drifted ever so slightly from the nose, surprisingly. Very malt forward with some non-spicy pine.

Feel: Plenty of carbonation and not too dry.

Pairing: It was underwhelming with nuts, better with toffee, and good with chocolate. But, under no circumstances, should you enjoy apple or pumpkin pie with any other beer than this!

 

 

 

This was super delicious and mellow on Christmas evening with the fam. I picked up a four pack of cans at State Line Liquors kind of on a whim while headed for the register. Turned out to be a strong impulse buy. Dark chocolate with plenty of herbs and spices, with some fruity and minty flavors extant. Roasty and lasting finish. Solid choice.

 

 

Higher Gravity Beervent Calendar 2022 day 25

 

12 ounce can from last year, I think.
9.8% abv.

Moderate to vigorous pour yields a 3/4 inch tan head over a brown body with red highlights.
Head dissipates rather quickly down to a thin ring surrounding a flat foam island.

Nose is all Christmas-y with spices, cherry, slight malt, and a hint of earthy evergreen.

Taste follows nose closely with a bit of sherry, spice, and a finish of bitter chocolate which reduces the sweetness. As it warms the finish leans more towards the spice (cloves, nutmeg.)

Very nice feel with more than adequate carbonation.

Overall, quite complex, as it should be, and I'm glad I bought a 4-pack for one more after dinner!!
Cheers!!!

 

 

 

 

Fabulous combination of musty wood (likely attributed to the ancient St. Bernardus yeast), rich toffee and caramel malt, pipe tobacco and cigar wrapper, loads and loads of dried fruits bringing sweetness balanced by a kettle-full of winter spices, including coriander, clove, and nutmeg. Alcohol is mildly present and warming. The mouthfeel is incredible, luxurious and creamy, and the finish really does resolve to baking cocoa and chocolate. ‘Tis the season to treat yourself to a winter warmer - you could hardly improve on this.

Poured from a twelve oun can, the body pours a dark brown with fluffy head. Good lacing throughout. A nice looking beer in the glass.

Aroma is dark fruits, cherries and sweet malt with a waft of alcohol.

Taste follows nose and provides a moderately sweet with a delightful mix of cherry, rye, figs, malt and brown sugar. A little clove appears briefly. The booze is noticeable but not hot.

Good creamy mouthfeel that's bolstered by the carbonation. Very easy drinking even at 9.8% ABV.

 

333 ml bottle
Best Before Date: 20.06.26 => 20 June, 2026 ?
Glass: chalice/goblet
ABV: 10%
Temp: 55.5 F


Look:
Dark and opaque chestnut brown. The head is a dense and creamy light tan that starts at 1 finger and very slowly dissipates to half of that. The head has some staying power. Lacing is excellent.

Aroma:
Sweet and also dried dark fruits - raisins, currants, dark cherries, plums, maybe dates and figs. Some stone fruits (peach) far in the background. Touch of brown sugar. Sherry. Some leather and (good) cigar tobacco notes. Touch of earth. Soft spices (very light Ceylon cinnamon, nutmeg, star anise).

Taste:
Follows the nose. There is also a nice malty note underneath everything and a light bitterness that is enough to tone down the sweetness a tad. The spices get the addition of very mild ginger. The sip finishes not-quite-dry and very lightly spicy.

Feel:
Smooth and creamy. There is a nice (and building) warmth from the well-hidden alcohol. The body is medium.

Overall:
A wonderful Quad and a wonderful Christmas Ale. A treat to experience.

Sampling a 750 corked and caged bottle poured at cellar temp into my snifter. Surprisingly no date stamp on the label, but there is one on the cage. Looks like 6-26-202??. oh well. Im drinking it now anyway.
The cork starts moving slowly out once I remove the cage, hope this isnt a gusher!
I pull the cork with a pop! And pour the beer into my snifter. Even with a gentle pour, I get a large fluffy eggshell white head of 5 or 6 cm. Overtops the glass, but doesnt really spill over.
The beer pours a deep mahogany color with ruby highlights in the glass when held to a light source.
The aroma is some toffee and also very fruity. I get figs and red grape and plum. I also get some sweet spiciness, nutmeg and cloves by my nose. No hops. The foam has faded and left clingy dense lattice on the glass. No real hint of the ABV on this beer which is impressive at 10%. Overall the nose is pretty complex, and generally sweet.
First sip reveals a medium body with very fine and tingly carbonation. The texture is smooth, but a little sticky on my lips.
Flavor is sweet malts with toffee and fruit dominant. Again, figs are here and some red grape, almost wine character. I do get some brown sugar and again cloves show up. Still not boozy anywhere, no warmth, no black pepper either.
Pretty complex and enjoyable big beer. Glad I finally got around to reviewing this one!