St. Bernardus Abt 12
Abt 12, a Belgian abbey-style from St. Bernardus, is often wrongly identified as a Trappist brew. While legally, they cannot call it an Authentic Trappist Product, there's a secret deep within the brewing halls of St. Bernardus - the reason many connoisseurs consider this highly regarded brew on par with the greatest beer in the world.
Many people think that Brouwerij St. Bernardus was once home to Trappist monks - or at least a monastery - but that's not quite the way it went down.
The history of St. Bernardus is probably best told by the folks over at Brew like a Monk where they succinctly wrap up the story of the Belgium brewer, and put to bed any of those crazy rumors.
The St. Bernardus building was born as a cheese factory in the 1930s, originally established by the nearby monks of Mont des Cats. White Beer Travels indicates that these are the same monks that founded the St. Sixtus monastery of Westveleteren fame.
[In] 1946 the monks at [Westvleteren] decided to devote less time to brewing, producing a small amount a beer at their abbey (close to Watou) and contracting Saint Bernardus to [brew] the Saint Sixtus line of “Trappist” under contract from 1946 until 1992...
After Westvleteren ended the deal, Saint Bernardus continued with its own brands, extending the range and boosting production to 10,000 hectoliters (8,500 barrels) a year.
Today it brews beers with no monastic influence...but still uses recipes the brewery claims haven’t changed since 1946. Because the head brewer from Westvleteren helped set up the Saint Bernardus brewery, it seems likely he brought along the original Westvleteren yeast with the recipes. We can only guess how Saint Bernardus yeast today might have changed in sixty years. We know, of course, that Westevleteren now uses yeast acquired fresh from Westmalle each time the monks brew. [Brew like a Monk]
Brew Like a Monk explains that even after 1992, cafes continued to label the St. Bernardus brews as "Trappist" which led to mass confusion and apparent legal problems. In response, the imagery on the St. Bernardus bottle was changed slightly - from a monk in religious garb, to a suspiciously spiritual-looking bald man wearing what is now defined as a 'medieval robe'. Today, Trappist brews carry the Authentic Trappist Product logo. 
I recommend you take a trip over to the website, and even pick up the book [Brew Like a Monk: Trappist, Abbey, and Strong Belgian Ales and How to Brew Them
Tracking the Trappists
Most of the Trappist breweries have been producing beer since the late 1800's. Interestingly enough though, the current-day recipes and production methods aren't nearly as dated. The below dates, mostly indicated on this site, tell us when the last major change in production/location/recipe took place, after which we will presume that the product has remained relatively consistent. The following may surprise you:
Westmalle: Their Dubbel originates from a 1926 recipe and the Tripel last changed in 1956. (Wikipedia)
Orval: Brewing their signature ale since the 1931 but not labeled a "Trappist" product until 1980.
Rochefort: Their famous 6, 8, and 10 came about 1953-1955.
Chimay: The monks claim they have been using the same recipe since 1969.
Westvleteren: Reclaimed brewing their own in 1992 and producing the same 3 products since 1999.
Achel: After various contracts, the monks finally took brewing into their own hands in 1999.
Koningshoeven: Brewing has changed hands and locations until settling with Bavaria in 1999.
St. Bernardus claims that their recipe for Abt 12 hasn't changed since the Westvleteren contract in 1946. This brewing occurs at the same location it began; and best of all, we think the original yeast strains are used - making Abt 12 exceptionally unique, and impossible to duplicate.
If all of this is indeed true, it means St. Bernardus has been brewing the same Trappist-originating brew for longer than all of the Trappists except Westmalle and Orval. I would be curious to know why the Orval brew wasn't labeled "Trappist" until 1980 (and in fact that may need additional verification), but I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt that their product has stayed the same since 1931.
As far as I'm concerned from a researcher's standpoint, assuming both St. Bernardus' claims and the above dates are true, I am willing to consider the Abt 12 a deputy-Trappist brew. Especially considering the high praise the Abt 12 receives on Beer Advocate and Rate Beer, I anticipated something on-par with the best Trappist beers I have sampled - big shoes to fill, no doubt. It was under that assumption - and with the strictest expectations - that I reviewed the brew.
Experience
Before I knew much of the St. Bernardus Abt 12 history, I had sampled their Prior 8 brew; on more than one occasion I was unimpressed. Ingrained in me was this emotional bias against that goofy smiling non-monk figure on the label, so I thought nothing of their selection on the shelves of the local markets.
I started reading bits and pieces of a contract with the glorified monks of St. Sixtus, and I thought maybe there was something I was overlooking. Eyeing up reviews and readings on other sites, I found that the Abt 12 remained rather popular among beer lovers of all types, so I decided to keep my eyes open and pick some up.
I mentioned in our bar-hopping extravaganza that I thought I was ordering this beer at an NYC spot only to be duped with the Prior 8; but I came home from work the other night to a surprise from my wife: an 11.2 oz bottle of Abt 12 awaiting my return.
Apparently she and her brother took a trip down to our favorite craft beer mecca and picked up a nice selection. He remembered I was looking for the beer and told her to pick one up (I'm a lucky guy, no?).
To say the least, this little surprise salvaged an otherwise busy and stressful day. I chilled the beer for a short while and gathered a goblet for the review. Abt 12 poured dark reddish-brown with a creamy tan head, fluffy and piled high. A rich bready, alcoholic aroma lightly wafted past my nose- strangely ripe and spicy like fig with coriander, but overshadowed by a predominantly yeasty overtone: a classic Belgian abbey nose.
The first sip was strangely familiar- characteristically hard to describe but mysteriously Trappist in nature, reminiscent of Rochefort 10. The figgy, spicy tones from the nose were big on the palate, along with the distinct yeast presence; a sweet, malty body delivered the package, complete with a bitter ending.
The bitter finish was powerfully pleasing - arguably more flavorful than when the beer was voluminous in the mouth; the finish was largely responsible for the allure - this beer was begging me back for more. I could not believe this brew was packing over 10% alcohol, it was incredibly smooth and easy to drink.
Final Thoughts
I hate the cliche of 'well-balanced' when describing a brew of this caliber, but this beer truly defines the synergy of malt and bitter oft overlooked by mainstream brewers. This beer sits at the peak of fine craft brew and embodies the characteristics of what I would expect every Trappist brewer to covet.
Worthy of the praise it receives, this beer is easily in my top 5 all-time, and has set a new standard for comparison. Let us now consider a couple of other points. Westvleteren beers are regarded as the best in the world, but the very same monks established the recipe for this Abt 12.
Westvleteren refuses to export, they won't increase production, and they have made it extremely difficult to obtain their beer. Moreover, the St. Sixtus monks don't enjoy the publicity their beer receives. At $5 per 11.2 ounce bottle (or $11 a bomber), with great availability, this Abt 12 makes a fine alternative to the more expensive Trappists, and a worthy stand-in for those unobtainable brews.
For all intents and purposes, this is the beer I have been waiting for. Let's just put it this way: while I would still love to get my hands on a Westy, I think I'm going to be just fine with my St. Berny. And let me make this perfectly clear - once I do get to sample that Westy, it's going to have one helluva benchmark to beat now that I've had this beer! The young squire shall someday challenge the knight, but until then this one is a must-have.
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Reader Comments (8)
Ooh how I love this site.
I've also yet to get my hands on a Westy, but between a St. Bernardus 12 and a Rochefort 10 - I'm pretty sure I'll still be more than content if I never even see a Westy.
btw, I've yet to see the ABT 12 in anything less than a 750mL corked & caged bottle. Not that I'm complaining. For about $11, the 750mL almost seems like a steal.
Luckily, the place I'm attending a super beer geek event tomorrow evening - has plenty St. Bernardus ABT 12 big bottles in stock. Thanks for the reminder.
Great impressions. Keep up the good work man. Like I said before, this site (your writing) is a freakin gem.
Gotta echo Brad - I really enjoy the research you put into your weekly reviews. Well done, and always a pleasure to read!
Good thirst-inducing stuff. I was lucky enough to warble on about Trappists recently for a video at the Here for the Beer website: http://www.hereforthebeer.com/tim-and-tom-talk-trappist/
Cheers,
Tom
UPDATE: The label of the 750mL bottle says this beer is brewed in the Dubbel Style. That description makes a lot of sense when you start to explore some of the dark fruit flavors, but the high alcohol and full body lend to the more popular categorization of Quad.
I'm pretty lucky. My two favorite places here in Savannah (Chiriya's Thai Cuisine and The Distillery) always keep St Bernardus Abt 12 on tap! I never get tired of this beer.
I think the 12 is about as good as you can get from your standard beer store (although it is neck and neck with the Rochefort 10) . . . but, if you ever get your hands on a Westvleteren 12, make sure you are sitting down when you try it . . . amazing.
What timing! I just had my first St B ABT 12 (C&C .75) last night. I took the beer from my celler to share at a small party of mostly wine drinkers. (There was also a case of Labatt Blue there.)
Background: I have had Westy 12 several times, including one (with my son on a most excellent adventure to Westvleteren this past December) in the Cafe across from St Sixtus where it is made.
A few odd but honest comments:
1) I would agree with mr. weiz guy that this a quad. After all, quads and Abts/Abbots are usually lumped together as a style and it's clone/sibling Westy 12 is a Quad. So, I referred to the style as a Belgian Quad when I introduced the beer to the group. I later read the label and saw that the brewer apparently considers it a Dubbel. go figger!?
2) I was disappointed. Now, I have been tasting beers long enough to know that one tasting doesn't always tell the tale. Many things can affect the perception of the beer including mood, food & other beverage recently eaten or drunk, etc., and of course, the individual sample itself. But on the other hand, I haven't "loved" the Westy 12s I've had, so maybe it's just a matter of personal taste. (I DO love Westy 6, a blonde (Belgian pale).) At any rate, I have several of these St B's still in my celler and they are readily available at my beer store, so I will have further opportunities.
3) I have one Westy 12 left. One of these days, I will put it head-to-head with a St B Abt 12. Love it or not, that will be fun and interesting!
Gotta echo Brad - I really enjoy the research you put into your weekly reviews. Well done, and always a pleasure to read!