Tonight's beer: St Bernardus Christmas Ale
A big rolling tide of dried/candied dark fruits: Cherries and plums and raisins and figs and gawds only know what-all else; that's just an opening salvo. Behind that: brandy and/or rum; deeply-toasted bread; dark caramel verging on nuts/toffee; a possibility of honey. A fringed and frayed perimeter of tobacco, leather, and smoke. Earthy-spicy (mostly cloves) bitterness—possibilities of flowers and grass—emerges toward the finish, as the beer dries out some. Intermittently, a flicker of tart.
QUite light-bodied for 10% ABV, with lots of dense fine carbonation. Some chewiness and a bit of stickiness, but surprisingly clean. Not scrubbing or scouring at all, but impressively cleansing and refreshing.
So, um, wow. To the surprise of roughly no one, I'm sure, this is an awesome beer. Staggeringly complex and seriously intense, gloriously well-balanced and integrated; fiendishly drinkable, with very little hint of the boozy payload. No matter what's on the label, an excellent and delicious beer any time of the year.
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| St Bernardus Christmas Ale |
A big rolling tide of dried/candied dark fruits: Cherries and plums and raisins and figs and gawds only know what-all else; that's just an opening salvo. Behind that: brandy and/or rum; deeply-toasted bread; dark caramel verging on nuts/toffee; a possibility of honey. A fringed and frayed perimeter of tobacco, leather, and smoke. Earthy-spicy (mostly cloves) bitterness—possibilities of flowers and grass—emerges toward the finish, as the beer dries out some. Intermittently, a flicker of tart.
QUite light-bodied for 10% ABV, with lots of dense fine carbonation. Some chewiness and a bit of stickiness, but surprisingly clean. Not scrubbing or scouring at all, but impressively cleansing and refreshing.
So, um, wow. To the surprise of roughly no one, I'm sure, this is an awesome beer. Staggeringly complex and seriously intense, gloriously well-balanced and integrated; fiendishly drinkable, with very little hint of the boozy payload. No matter what's on the label, an excellent and delicious beer any time of the year.
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