Brouwerij St. Bernardus St. Bernardus Prior 8
What the brewers say
“Brewed in the classic Dubbel style. It has a ruby-to-purple color, smooth, creamy richness that’s almost oily, and a malt-fruit complexity reminiscent of coconut. It finds the perfect balance between sweet, bitter, and malty tastes.”
What our panel thought
Aroma: “Sturdy banana esters, moderate toffee-like malt, slight clove, and no hops character. As it starts to warm up, a slight alcohol note becomes apparent. Light fruit esters—banana, cherry, and apple. A very subtle aroma overall.”
Flavor: “A spot-on flavor profile for a dubbel with fruit esters (light raisins, banana, and clove) that dominate, but don’t overwhelm the satisfying deep malt body. Hops bitterness is moderate but sufficient to balance the beer. High carbonation. The flavor is much bigger than the aroma suggests.”
Overall: “A wonderful, well-executed example of a classic dubbel. This could easily be the standard bearer for a Belgian brewery’s lineup. Neat spicy phenolic. Less fruity esters than some of the others and a very accomplished malt character.”
