Tuesday, May 17, 2011

May 12, 2011

Beer: St. Bernardus Abt 12, Brouwerij St. Bernardus NV

This specialty brew comes from Belgium, and was listed on BeerAdvocate's legendary Top 100 list at #8.

After finally finding their website, I came across some very interesting information. All of the brewery's beers are based off of water that has been pumped from a depth of 150 meters. Apparently, scientists have proven that this water originated as rainfall during the time of Joan of Arc.

How do you prove that exactly?

The beers are also fermented twice: Once in a barrel and once in the bottle.

Abt 12 is the showpiece of their line. A smooth, creamy, fruity beer that has a surprisingly high alcohol content (10.5%). It is a Quadrupel ale, which is a Trappist specialty from Belgium that is stronger than a Dubbel or Tripel.

Abt 12 poured willingly with a thick head and sediment. The color was a deep, murky brown. It looked like a meal. I picked up dark fruit and herbal notes, like figs. The alcohol sneaks up near the end, and with the color of the beer combines to give you a meat-and-potatoes feeling.

I think I have to try this one again. It was certainly enjoyable, and my first Belgian beer. I think there is a lot going on here that I need to discover.

Music:

Today was a pretty decent day weather wise, so I drove home from my interview with the windows down. This song came on my iPod, and I had to blast it.

Perfect for cruisin' around on a sunny day.

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