Located in the village of Watou in the province of West Flanders in Belgium, the Brouwerij St. Bernardus has been releasing beers under its own brand for nearly three decades; the brewery itself was founded on the site just after the second World War, originally brewing beers for the Trappist monastery St. Sixtus—better known as Westvleteren to beer geeks. As it happens, today (12/12) the brewery is celebrating Abt 12 Day, so it’s a perfect day to also highlight the iconic St. Bernardus Christmas Ale for today’s Advent beer selection.

Like the Abt 12, Christmas Ale is a quadrupel brewed to a strength of 10% ABV and specially spiced for the holiday season. The brewery says:

St.Bernardus Christmas Ale is an intensely dark beer with a full, yet slightly fruity flavour, overflowing with the tastes of winter and zesty seasonal aromas. Aniseed notes are complemented by hints of creamy caramel and fire-roasted chestnuts. This zestiness shows no signs of abating, pushing through to a magnificent finish of dried fruits and chocolate.

I reached out to the St. Bernardus for any additional notes about Christmas Ale, and Kelly Devos, who’s been working as a sales and marketing assistant for two and a half years, shared a personal connection with the brewery and the beer.

As a teenager, I knew I wanted to work for St. Bernardus someday. I kind of grew up with stories of the Brewery. My grandmother is the second child from Evarist Deconick, the founder of St. Bernardus Brewery. And although it didn’t run in the family any more, I really wanted to help to add to the legacy of St. Bernardus. So after I went to college, I applied for a job at St. Bernardus. I didn’t get hired at first… I even didn’t get hired the second or the third time. But persistence pays off. After the fourth time I finally got the job. And I’m loving it.

I honestly love all our St. Bernardus beers. But I must admit that I have a sweet spot for our Christmas Ale. The heaviness, sweetness and ‘warmth’ of the beer is so perfectly in balance that I can’t say anything but, it really is Christmas in a bottle.

Tip: Personally I LOVE them when they’re 2 years old. So if you ever have the chance (or character) to set them aside for two years. Do so and do a vertical tasting with a recently brewed one. You’ll thank me later. 😉

Find St. Bernardus Christmas Ale on:

• Untappd
• BeerAdvocate
• RateBeer
• Facebook

Image credits: St. Bernardus’ website