I just realized I haven’t mentioned this yet on Current Config: St. Bernardus Abt 12 is the best beer ever. From the moment I tried it on tap at the best Belgian beer emporium I know of in Philly, Monk’s Café, I was hooked. Just reading the description on the St Bernardus website makes my mouth water:
The absolute top quality in the hierarchy of the St. Bernardus beers. It is also the beer with the highest alcohol content (10.50%). A dark ivory coloured beer with a high fermentation. The show piece of the brewery. Thanks to its soft and unconditionally genuine aroma, the beer can be smoothly tasted. The Abt has a very fruity flavour.
The funny part about their description is that I wouldn’t quite characterize it as having a fruity flavor. For me it has a chocolaty, slightly nutty, flavor with a subtle banana flavor. Normally, the word banana would have me running for the hills, but in this beer it works brilliantly. Go figure.
I’ve had one other beer from St Bernardus, the Prior 8. This beer tasted very similar to the Abt 12 to me. A bit lighter and distinct, but very similar. It’s less alcoholic, as well. I bought one of the larger bottles at Whole Foods for a party at a friend’s place in Brooklyn (bless NY liquor laws). It was my classy 40 oz. It held me for pretty much the whole party.
Do yourself a favor and give it a try. It’s so delicious. It may not be for everyone, but those people are crazy. Don’t listen to them. Man, I wish I had some right now.
By the way, if anyone can locate a tshirt with this guy on it, I will be in your debt. I wrote St Bernardus but got no response.
danny and i concur wholeheartedly, and we applaud your taste in beer.
however, i am on a search for an organic beer with the smallest percentage of sulfites possible, and more than anything i am totally jealous of your access to ny liquor laws.
eBay has some coasters with him, and a bunch of stuff related to St. Bernards. But no t-shirts with that guy.
Oops,
Actually I find the St Bernardus too sweet. I like dark beer, but not in tandem with the fruity thing. I also like really sour beer. So StB just doesn’t do it for me.
But I love Spouse’s loyalty to StB.
Beer Advocate agrees with Chris, calling it the third best beer in the world.
As they should. Though now I want to try #1 & #2.