St. Bernardus Abt. 12 Barrel-aged Sour

St. Bernardus Abt. 12 Barrel-aged Sour.
10 % ABV. 22 IBU.
Brouwerij St. Bernardus, Watou, Belgium.

With so many barrel-aged beers priced at $20/25 and up, and up, and up, this one, at $15 for the 750 ml bottle is a steal. I hope. I haven't tried it yet. Never heard of it. Saw it at the store, last bottle, how could I pass up a barrel-aged sour version of one of my all-time favorites? Couldn't! So, now we drink!

Dark, Burgundy-hued, slim, mossy, cola-tinged head, Looking nice, so far.

In the nose: Sour and fruity, at first. Red wine barrel is key, in this. Ripe, tannin-y, tart.

In the mouth: Complexities abound. Sour, sweet, malty, deep. Caramel and toffee, mixed with dark fruit, oak and red wine. Perfect balance, through it all.

Almost too perfect. I can imagine that some will try this and declare that it is not sour enough. Or, not sour at all. Well, phooey on that. I think it's too sour. Which means, of course, that I'm not getting enough of the Abbot 12 flavors from the Belgian yeast that I love and the barrel aging has covered it up. That's me, though.

Slowly, but surely, the alcohol comes through. You don't find 10% sour ales that often. Refreshing and delicious, this. I like the restraint. I'm glad I wasn't going in expecting overpowering pucker, which you can get elsewhere.

Masterful blending.

St.Bernardus Abt 12 is the flagship beer of Brewery St.Bernardus and is considered as one of the best beers in the world. The Abt 12 is brewed according to an original recipe from 1946. St.Bernardus Abt 12 Barrel Aged Sour is brewed with that same recipe. After the brew, we let the beer rest in Oak barrels for 3 years. This beer aging lets the beer go sour. In June 2019 we blended it with freshly brewed Abt 12 and bottled it in 75cl bottles. Balanced in flavours, perfect as can be, heavenly nectar within your reach. Enjoy! 

Town Hall Belgian Bruin

Town Hall Belgian Bruin. Belgian Strong Dark Ale.
9.2 % ABV. Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery, Minneapolis, MN.

Dark brown color, full opacity, adequate ring of tan foam atop.

In the nose: Roasted malt, slight sweetness, caramel and vanilla, some small bitterness. Mostly malty.

In the mouth: Smooth, but strong. Heavy on the sweet, bitter for balance. More caramel, toffee, vanilla, and the booze gets bigger. This is one of my all-time favorite styles, and Town Hall made a damned good version of it. Kind of wished I'd saved this one for a night cap, but, what the hell, it'll put me in the mood for the Friday night zoom call.

Belgian strong brown showcasing the delicate balance of yeast character like banana and pear, and a delicious specialty malt richness.

"Banana and pear"? Really? Okay, I can see that, sure...

Town Hall Double Oak Bruin

Town Hall Double Oak Bruin.
8.6 % ABV. Belgian Strong Dark Ale aged in bourbon and wine barrels.
Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery, Minneapolis, MN.

It was (still is) Barrel Aged Week again at Town Hall, and things went a little differently this time. Sure, there's still great new barrel-aged offerings along with the favorites of years past, but I'm thinking of the way growlers were sold. The tickets for growlers went on sale on the Sunday one week before the event began, not the morning of the day before. I'm not sure why that was, but when I stopped in on the Monday that the event began, this week, not a single beer had sold out. I went in on Friday, and only one had been completely spoken for. In all, I took home four growlers, probably the most I've ever bought in one week, all completely new beers to the Nib. Maybe I'll return for a few more, while we're at it? Why not, indeed.

But, let's kick it off with this beer, which I have not even sampled before.

Dark ebony shade, full opacity, short-lived whitish head.

In the nose: Bold, brash, funky and fruity. Wine barrel spilling out everywhere, with bourbon limping behind. Oak and vanilla touches. The Belgian brown hides in the background.

In the mouth: Red wine tannins blast the palate and splatter all about with tart fruity flavors. In time, other flavors emerge from beneath the fruit, chocolate and caramel come crawling from under. A little vanilla, a bit more oak. Getting stronger and sharper as go further. Cherries and maple are also popping up. The Belgian brown beneath holds it down with aplomb, but it's individual flavors are outshone by the barrel's contributions. At turns sweet, sharp, and tart, this effort from the barrel-aging masters keeps the palate twisting and turning. The alcohol rises, the feeling of well-being grows. Flavors of wine and bourbon take turns providing interplay. Cherry and grape, oak and whiskey, deep and sweet, rich and delicious. Nice one.

Inspired by the many wine cask finished bourbons in the market today, this is the perfect blend of both bourbon and wine barrel aged beers. Using two very different oak barrels creates a beer that offers aromas that may resemble fudge, chocolate, red berries, vanilla, buttery caramel, and maple sugar.