Delightful full-bodied golden abbey with strong kick. Though watery carbolic consistency levels off spice-hopped honey wheat creaming and lemon-peeled fructose malting, decorative mulling-spiced banana-apple-pear conflux perfectly stimulates boozy finish.
Monthly Archives: January 2009
ST. DRUON DE SEBOURG FRENCH ABBEY ALE
White wine aromatics spur initial hop-spiced orange peel bittering, ensuing lemony grapefruit tang, and soured cider residual of obliging golden-hazed Belgian-styled pale ale (previously known as Sebourg French Wheat). Buttered corn sweetness drapes green apple tartness before bright tangerine-cherry-berry sheen lingers to soft-watered candi-sugared honeydew finish.
ST. BERNARDUS TRIPEL ABBEY ALE
Robust white burgundy palate aided by zesty lemony hop tingle, ripened cherry zest, juicy pineapple-apricot conflux and doughy malt creaminess. Mild clove-coriander-allspice seasoning stimulates charmingly sweet wheat wined finish.
ST. BERNARDUS PRIOR 8
Highly carbonated chestnut-hued Trappist ale overwhelmed at first sips by dry raisin prominence. Earthen cherry wood tones and meandering chocolate malt follow-up gently sweeten fig-date tartness while brawny 8% alcohol flow gives sugared maple finish a much-needed kick.
(ST. BERNARDUS) GROTTEN FLEMISH ALE
Crisp golden pale ale celebrates regional Flanders breweries with complex yeast strain, mild citric bittering, and herbaceous wisp. Sharp carbolic perk enlivens cork-y quirk, spry lemony grapefruit tang, tropical papaya-kiwi tease, and lavender-backed chamomile-spearmint-eucalyptus frolic. Fruity adjuncts further sweetened by butterscotch and banana bread illusions.
(ST. BERNARDUS) GROTTEN BROWN ALE
Belgian brewers’ busy cave-aged Pierre Celis Signature Selection retains rust-copper hue, mild buttery creaminess and intensifying cherry motif. Cascading bubbles float to billowing tan head, providing elegant visual inspection. Candied sugar sweetness invites dried fig assertion, ashy fruit segue, and peat-tobacco surge to spicy herbal tangent. Gingerbread-cinnamon-nutmeg illusions beneath get cedar shading.
ST. BERNARDUS BLANCHE WITBIER
Heavily turbid pale straw ‘white wheat’ beer with disappointingly vapid nose gets dull after a few sips. Lacking fullness and follow-through, its initial orange-lemon peel tang and gentle coriander-spiced hop sparkle evade bitterness, softening earthen wheat contingent before subtle sour-candied banana finish dupes weak yellow fruited skid.
ST. BERNARDUS ABT 12
Dry whiskeyed cherry frontage, persistent raisin-prune conflux, cotton-candied sugaring and cinnamon-spiced molasses sweetness envelop sparkling chestnut-hued barleywine-like Abbey ale. Pleasantly resonating dried fruiting overrides brown-riced rye-wheat backbone. Hefty 10% alcohol volume is sure to frazzle brain.
SAINT ARNOULD VLIMEUSE AMBREE
Amiable sunset-hazed amber ale brings lively orange-apricot resonance to reedy hop mildness, but lemony butterscotch mirage and fading chocolate malt gamut lessen overall inertia.
SAINT ARNOULD RIVIERE ROUGE
Dry red ale clenches candied sweetness to juxtapose mild hop bite, but unspecific pale malt quality and diffuse wheat tuft bring mediocrity.
SAINT ARNOULD P’TIT TRAIN DU NORD
Blonde artisan pale ale maintains neat corn whiskey palate and simple dry wheat backing as pertinent citric malt souring sways forth.
SAINT ARNOULD MUCHACHA EXTRA PALE ALE
Notwithstanding explosive carbonation and uncertain Southwestern motif-moniker, cloudy pearly-headed light-bodied pale ale retains sunshiny citric-hopped nature. Prolonged fizz hides cotton-candied banana bubblegum sweetness and appeasing orange-apricot mildness.