Tonight's beer: St. Bernardus Christmas Ale
Opens with a small explosion of dark dried fruits : figs and dates, plums and cherries and red grapes; dark bread smeared with caramel and edged with toast. Baking spice—mainly cloves—through the middle, giving way to earthy-peaty grassy bitterness as the beer dries out smoothly and thoroughly. Tobacco and dark spirits (rum and brandy) around the edges.
A bit on the light side of medium-bodied, with lots (and lots) of fine carbonation. Comes across as smooth, just a hint of stickiness, then massively cleansing and drying and refreshing. No warning at all of the 10% ABV.
A super-delicious beer, maybe a bit darker than the Abt 12 but very similar. Dark and rich and staggeringly drinkable; intense and complex, impressively well-balanced and magnificently integrated. Supple and graceful, subtle enough to demand and reward close attention. A reminder that Christmas beers are (at least sometimes) worth all the cruft that goes with the season.
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| St. Bernardus Christmas Ale |
Opens with a small explosion of dark dried fruits : figs and dates, plums and cherries and red grapes; dark bread smeared with caramel and edged with toast. Baking spice—mainly cloves—through the middle, giving way to earthy-peaty grassy bitterness as the beer dries out smoothly and thoroughly. Tobacco and dark spirits (rum and brandy) around the edges.
A bit on the light side of medium-bodied, with lots (and lots) of fine carbonation. Comes across as smooth, just a hint of stickiness, then massively cleansing and drying and refreshing. No warning at all of the 10% ABV.
A super-delicious beer, maybe a bit darker than the Abt 12 but very similar. Dark and rich and staggeringly drinkable; intense and complex, impressively well-balanced and magnificently integrated. Supple and graceful, subtle enough to demand and reward close attention. A reminder that Christmas beers are (at least sometimes) worth all the cruft that goes with the season.
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