St. Bernardus Abt 12

Abt 12 is a classic quadruple. Beeradvocate classifies it as a Belgian Quadruple (Quad).

Brewer's notes: 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.

St.Bernardus Abt 12 has a very fruity aroma that is the result of using our own unique yeast. It brims over with different, complex tastes and stands out through its long, bittersweet finish. Thanks to its mild, rounded taste and perfect balance between bitter and sweet, this beer goes down very easily. When you drink an Abt you can enjoy life to the full!

Tasting notes: 

20260119: Alex and I split 750 ml at a dinner the night before his 40th birthday. It is a pleasure.

Rating: 5 glasses

(1103) A deep complex beer w/ fruit and yeast notes. Upgraded from 5 glasses. 

(0908) Shared bottel w/ GS. Apples, borown sugar, wheat. w/ a spicy bite. Complex and way too easy to drink. Each sip called for more. 

Click here to read an earlier review.  Previous ratings: 5, 6, then 5 glasses 

St. Bernardus Christmas Ale

Brewer's Notes
St. Bernardus Christmas Ale is a dark, seasonal beer, full of wintery character and flavours that we brew every year ready for the festive season. 

St.Bernardus Christmas Ale is an intensely dark beer with a full, yet slightly fruity flavour, overflowing with the tastes of winter and zesty seasonal aromas. Aniseed notes are complemented by hints of creamy caramel and fire-roasted chestnuts. This zestiness shows no signes of abating, pushing through to a magnificent finish of dried fruits and chocolate. Just like all of our beers, this brew bears the imprint of the unique St.Bernardus yeast (dating back to 1946), that gives it its own special complexity. Simply stated, St.Bernardus Christmas Ale is the perfect degustation beer to warm your heart and bring a glow to your loved ones on a cold winter night.

Jan. 25, 2021
Alex and I shared two bottles over the last couple of weeks. He liked the first bottle so much that I bought a second one for him for his birthday. It is a delight, a flavorful spiced Quad.

BeerAdvocate

Rating: 5 glasses.

Hardywood Bourbon Cru

Dec. 26, 2020
Oh no, a disappointment. The bourbon flavor is much too strong and overwhelms the Grand Cru. Also, I am not sure the bourbon is good. The beer has aged at least 1.5 years. I purchased it in May 2019. Perhaps the bourbon comes forward with age. Or maybe the beer varies by year brewed. The result is a dramatic decrease in rating. I might buy another bottle to try the beer again.

Rating = 3 glasses

May 10, 2013
Wow! A wonderful beer. A nice Grand Cru aged in bourbon barrels. The bourbon is present but not overwhelming and the underlying quad adds sweetness, depth and complexity. The 10.2% ABV is hidden but will hit you hard if you are not careful. A wonderful use of Bourbon barrels and a rare twist for a quad. Inventive and delicious.

6 glasses

Trappistes Rochefort 10

10 continues to impress. The best one-word description is complex. It is a wonderful balance of malt, hops, and je ne sais quo.

Previous review.

BeerAdvocate rating = World Class, 91st best overall, and the 2nd best quadruple.

My rating = 7 glasses.

10

Brewer: Trappistes Rochefort

Style: Quadruple

Tasting notes: (1002) A 1 mn 4 mn old bottle. Complex and quaffable. Luxuriant mouthfeel. Wonderfully balanced.

Previous review.

Top 100: 29 December 2005, 10 March 2007, and 5 March 2009.

Rating: 7 glasses.

Ommegang Three Philosophers

Beer: Three Philosophers

Brewer: Ommegang

Style: Quadruple

Tasting notes: (0905) Ditto. Goes well w/ a wide variety of food or by itself. (0802) A bottle from gift pack. Interesting and complex. A little apple and other fruits, a little sweet something. a touch of bitter hops and tart lambic at end, with a touch of alcohol. Thought about 6 glasses. When well w/ Country Captain, apples, Clementines, and cheese. Another winner from Ommegang.

Comments: This beer is 98/2% blend of quadruple and Kriek. (I may be off slightly on the percentages.

Rating: 5 glasses.

Dinner @ Mekong

Brewer: Trappistes Rochefort

Beer: 10

Style: Quadruple

Tasting notes: (3) Complex and quaffable. Massive, dark, sweet malt, w/ dark fruits alcohol, and wonderful sourish bite at end. A malty Baltic Porter? (2) A complex assortment of tastes. A little sweet, some fruit, a little sour, and some spicy bite at end. (1) A complex medley of cream brulee, sweet belgian candy sugar, brown sugar, hops, sour, funk, orange, and dark fruit. Dangerously quaffable. Would be great with beef and sweet chutney. Better than Orval.

Comments: One of six Trappist brewers and the only one in Belgium.

Dates on which reviewers at Beeradvocate rated it as one of the best beers on the planet: 29 December 2005, 10 March 2007, and 5 March 2009.

Rating: Top 10ish. The rating has varied but the last bottle pushed the beer back into my top 10ish list.

Brewer: Sierra Nevada
Beer: Celebration

Style: IPA

Tasting notes: (4) A bottle @ Mekong. Well crafted but too much pine. (3) A year-old bottle. Some age has improved the taste. Some sweet malt and hops. Still a piney bitter aftertaste that is not my favorite. (2) A fresh bottle. Spicy hops. Too much pine. (1) Well crafted but too much pine.

Dates on which reviewers at Beeradvocate rated it as one of the best beers on the planet: 29 December 2005 (Not 10 March 2007 or 5 March 2009)

Previous review

Rating: Good. It is a well-crafted and highly-regarded beer but does not appeal to my tastes.

St. Bernardus Abt 12

Beer: Abt 12 Brewer: St. Bernardus Style: Quadruple Tasting notes: (3) Sweet apples when cold. As the beer warmed, a tiche of alcohol emerged and a nice light hoppy spicy finish emerged. Did not make me go WOW. (2) A complex mix of alcohol sweetness, brown sugar, apple butter, and cinnamon with a touch of sour bitterness at the end. Made me go Wow!. (1) Complex, sweet, dark fruits, and alcohol. Good to sip and (too?) easy to gulp. Did not make me go Wow!. Would like to age some in cellar. Dates on which reviewers @ BeerAdvocate rated the beer as one of the top 100 beers on the planet: 29 December 2005, 10 March 2007, 22 January 2009. Recommendation: Recommended without reservation. I vacillate between highly and without reservation.

The Best Beer on the Planet?

Trappist Westvleteren 12 is Fantastic Quadruple. The reviewers at both BeerAdvocate.com and RateBeer.com rate it as THE best beer on the planet. It has earned its reputation. The beer is a complex medley of subtle flavors: sweet caramel, prunes, apples, pears, chocolate, alcohol, and an earthy hop bite. The malt and hops are perfectly balanced. The beer is too easy to drink given that it is 10.2% alcohol by volume.

Westvleteren 12 is brewed by the monks at the St. Sixtus monastery in Westvleteren, Belgium. The monks view brewing good beer as a spiritual activity and sell beer to support the monastery. The beer is sold at the monastery and buyers must make advance reservations to purchase a maximum of two cases.

Ommegang Gift Pack

I purchased an Ommegang Gift Pack today from Costco. It contains one bottle each of Hennepin, Three Philosophers, and Chocolate Indulgence. It also contains a glass. Ommegang beers are typically good values and the gift pack is really good - three quality Belgian style ales plus a glass for $18. Hennepin is Saison, very good, and a great value for a Belgian style ale. It is one of my go-to beers. Three Philosophers is Quadruple w/ some cherry lambic added. Chocolate Indugence bills itself as Belgian Stout. BeerAdvocate classifies it as Belgian Strong Dark Ale. My beer stash now totals 160 bottles.