Not for the faint of heart, this Belgium style dark ale is nothing short of a masterpiece. It comes in a corked & caged bottle with very little carbonation and pours on the thick side with a dark, murky nut brown color (the perfect winter color). It smells of a traditional Belgium tripel with hints of holiday spices. If you like Belgium ales and aren’t afraid of strong dark ales, this is a definite must have for the holidays. It has that wonderful Belgium flavor with nice malty spicy after taste. It leaves a wonderful bouquet of flavors from the time it hits your tongue to the last mouthful.

When I spied this beauty on the shelves of [Whole Foods][2], I had to have it. My first experience with St. Bernardus was at the [Tapas][3] bar in Whole Foods with the [St. Bernardus Tripel][4] and a cheese plate. It’s not a cheap beer (about $12 for a 750ml bottle), but it’s worth every penny! This is definitely going in the top 5 this year. Highly recommended.

[1]: http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/259/39286
[2]: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/
[3]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tapas
[4]: http://www.sintbernardus.be/en/beers.html#tripel