Fancy Pants Sunday: St. Bernardus Abt 12 Barrel Aged Sour

Brouwerij St Bernardus is famous for both their beers and their heritage. The brewery used to brew the famous Westvleteren beers before the monastery returned all production back to within the abbey’s walls. Their Abt 12 quad represents what Westvleteren 12 used to be before the abbey changed their yeast strain. St. Bernardus soured their quad, which is focus today — Fancy Pants Sunday: St. Bernardus Abt 12 Barrel Aged Sour.

The Belgian quadruple is the strongest in a series of Trappist styles, beginning with the single (better known as an abbey), the dubbel (double) and the tripel (triple). Quads are the strongest of the Belgian beers, often over 10 percent ABV. It’s a dark beer that ranges from black to deep red or garnet, with a rich bold maltiness that combines with yeasty hints of raisin, dates, figs, grapes and plums. The quad is not hoppy. It’s known for alcoholic warmth and a complex sweetness, with wine and liquor-like characteristics.

That is until you age it in oak barrels for three years. …

Abt 12 Barrel Aged Sour is the Belgian brewery’s quad recipe but rested in oak barrels for 3 years. This aging lets the beer go sour in a natural way. In June 2019 the beer was blended with freshly brewed Abt 12 then sent to our craft beer bar, bottle shop and restaurant in Tacoma’s Proctor District. The beer has a fruity, sour aroma followed by a balance between malty and bitter. Remarkable is the absence of alcohol flavor. The acidity in the finish very well masks the gravity of the beer, 10%.

You fancy, St. Bernardus Abt 12 Barrel Aged Sour