St. Klippenstein
Allagash Brewing Company

St. KlippensteinSt. Klippenstein
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From:
Allagash Brewing Company
 
Maine, United States
Style:
Belgian Dark Strong Ale
Ranked #17
ABV:
11%
Score:
93
Ranked #3,337
Avg:
4.19 | pDev: 6.92%
Reviews:
81
Ratings:
305
Status:
Active
Rated:
Feb 19, 2024
Added:
Oct 13, 2015
Wants:
  24
Gots:
  85
At the brewery, we celebrate St. Klippenstein day to commemorate our love of free ham, pot lucks, and strong stouts. In honor, we brewed this Belgian-style strong stout aged in bourbon barrels. Rich cocoa brown in color, the first sip of this beer opens with a complex chocolate and roasted aroma. Notes of vanilla, coconut and oak infuse the palate and lead to a smooth, warm finish.

This full bodied beer is brewed with an array of dark roasted malts: dark chocolate malt, roasted barley, chocolate malt, and brown malt. After being hopped with Chinook and Northern Brewer, and fermented with a trappist-style yeast for a month in stainless, the beer spends three months aging in bourbon barrels.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by ummswimmin:
Photo of ummswimmin
Rated by ummswimmin from New Jersey

4.68/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Jan 18, 2018
More User Ratings:
Photo of LeRose
Reviewed by LeRose from Massachusetts

4.18/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
It pours as near black in the glass as it gets. Looking thtough the pour it is rootbeer colored. Can maybe coax a little deep red tint at the edge. Brief flush of fairly large bubbles. There's a ring after it settles down and oily fine bubbles drape the glass nicely.

Bourbon and vanilla take center stage on the smell. Backing that up is a heavy base of roasted malts. There's a mild spicy note that I think is clove but could be licorice/anise.

The taste is quite smooth. It hits as a whole rather than building layers. The bourbon, slight vanilla sweetness, a bit of oaky pheolics and a nice malt base all seem to arrive together. As it goes down, there's chocolate notes, more woodiness, a cola-like taste, and finally a small bit of spice at the end in that clove/anise ballpark but not clear to me which. Kinda leans to the licorice side. There's a very slight hint of oxidation. When warmed there is some dark fruit presence - sweet cherry, mainly. Initially it reads as a straight stout, but when at room temp there is more of a dark fruit rpesenece bringing in the BSDA presence.

It's mildly carbonated at best, fairly dry, no bitterness. Smooth and silky. A little chocolate chalkiness.

Overall, it's still good but it has probably fallen off a bit. Super smooth and mellow. It reads more Belgian imperial stout to me, but when warm there are BDSA elements.
Feb 19, 2024
Photo of ElGallo
Reviewed by ElGallo from New Hampshire

4.5/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
2016 batch, on draft at WHYM in Hampton, NH. Looks like chocolate mousse with a firm cafe-latte colored head and good lacing. Nose is of chocolate, biscuits, and dark fruits. Rich Belgian chocolate stout on the palate and incredibly rich and smooth after years of cellaring. Some barrel notes, for sure, but no heat or burn. Just a delicious beer that has held up very well over time.
Jun 06, 2023
Photo of sweetbrew82
Reviewed by sweetbrew82 from California

3.55/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
2016 Vintage.

Lost almost all of its carbonation so pours with next to no bubbles. Bummer

Still smells pretty dang good for being 7 years old though. Chocolate, espresso, dark fruit, oak and nutty caramel brownies.

The taste is all stout right upfront with bakers chocolate, cold brew coffee, caramel, oak, nuts and mild bitterness from deeply roasted malts. The dark fruity esters poke through from the Belgian yeast halfway through and there's some earthiness and just a pinch of spice on the finish as well. Bourbon has all but faded into oblivion and so has the taste of alcohol.

Wish it had more carbonation to provide the flavor more structure to build off of but it's still not syrupy or watery. Definitely past it's prime but I'm pleasantly surprised at how it's held up on the palate. Wish I could've had it about 3-4 years ago cuz I bet it was amazing. Still not half bad
Apr 23, 2023
 
Rated: 4.15 by TMoney2591 from Illinois

Aug 03, 2021
Photo of hopley
Reviewed by hopley from Massachusetts

3.77/5  rDev -10%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
2016 bottle, definitely past its prime - couldn't get any barrel and tasted kinda chalky. Nothing Belgian about it and had lost some carbonation. I still enjoyed it but do hope they release it again so I can try a fresh bottle. Hate to leave a bad review but do think it's important to note on the again process as perhaps this falls off at the 5 year mark. It was cellared properly btw. Cheers!
Apr 18, 2021
 
Rated: 4 by Urk1127 from New Jersey

Dec 01, 2020
Photo of StoutElk_92
Reviewed by StoutElk_92 from Massachusetts

4.68/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
750ml bottled on 12/07/16

Pours pitch black with maroon red brown highlights and a dense creamy tan brown foam head with good retention and lacing. Smells like dark chocolate, creamy vanilla, dark caramel, toasty toffee, molasses, coffee roast, sweet bourbon oak barrel, char, mild smoke, roasted malts, hints of dark fruit like plum, raisin, with earthy herbal floral hop notes. Tastes dark, roasty and chocolatey with lots of lighter malt flavors like toasted bread, dark caramel, toffee, sweet smoke, molasses, dark fruit, stone fruit, plum, raisin, fig, dark berry, spice, coffee roast, dark nutty roasted malts, creamy vanilla, coconut, char, oak barrel, sweet bourbon, hint of leathery tobacco, mild graham cracker, with earthy herbal floral piney hops. Feels medium bodied, creamy with smooth moderate carbonation. Overall a nice Belgian-style stout aged in bourbon barrels.
Aug 15, 2020
 
Rated: 4.28 by szmnnl99 from Michigan

Feb 09, 2020
 
Rated: 4.25 by Patches826 from Massachusetts

Dec 09, 2019
Photo of GuyFawkes
Reviewed by GuyFawkes from Illinois

4/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
2015 vintage; drank 4/17/16 on draft @ Jerry's Andersonville.

Brown/black appearance.

Big tan head; thick lace.

Milk chocolate, cream, caramel & candle wax notes in the nose.

Medium thick mouthfeel.

Caramel & cream flavors up front; black coffee notes on the finish. No booze heat.

A bit too sweet, but still a nice treat. I'd have another...
Oct 11, 2019
Photo of Rub_This_BBQ
Reviewed by Rub_This_BBQ from Massachusetts

4.23/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Looks the part nice dark body with great tan head and above average lacing.
s hint fruit cake and bourbon mix but light on malt
T is big rasin fruit cake sweetness but I normally love more roast stout this one i had a hard putting down.
M low carb nice lush and creamy
O; not a pastry or coffee stout but still super tasty
Aug 31, 2019
Photo of mnredsoxfan69
Reviewed by mnredsoxfan69 from Minnesota

4.21/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Poured from 25.4 oz. bottle into Friars Brewhouse Pint glass. Pitch dark with a two finger, rocky head and long legs. Chocolaty, roasty smell; dry, chocolaty taste with vanilla overtones from the barrel and some inherent caramel sweetness from the malt. Full bodied, velvet on the tongue. Sweeter than the standard Belgian stout, less so than an imperial. It tasted like some more was necessary for a better review and more pleasure. Pricey, but worthwhile.
May 21, 2019
 
Rated: 4.24 by Griffith from Connecticut

Apr 04, 2019
 
Rated: 4.5 by bigschoolrecords from Pennsylvania

Jan 06, 2019
 
Rated: 4.12 by justme from Massachusetts

Dec 28, 2018
 
Rated: 4.15 by Abe_Froman from Massachusetts

Dec 27, 2018
 
Rated: 4.21 by h4ger from Connecticut

Nov 29, 2018
 
Rated: 4.5 by Stengelfoot from California

Nov 17, 2018
 
Rated: 4.23 by BeardedWalrus from North Carolina

Oct 06, 2018
St. Klippenstein from Allagash Brewing Company
Beer rating: 93 out of 100 with 305 ratings