Because you've been good

A special festive One-Shot Wednesday for you today. It is Wednesday, isn't it? I think it is anyway.

I was surprised to discover that although St Bernardus Christmas Ale has been around as long as yuletide itself, I had never tried it. Here we go then. It's 10% ABV for some real seasonal cheer from the get-go. Pouring the dark cola-brown of a quadrupel it smells mostly like a typical strong and dark Belgian ale -- fruitcake and warming esters -- but I get a slight jangle of specifically Christmassy cinnamon and ginger. That's either midwinter magic or my heated imagination as no additional spices are listed on the ingredients. Ho hum.

The carbonation is very busy: no relaxing mellowness here. I am definitely getting Christmas spices from the flavour, so if it's my imagination, my imagination is legit generating mince pies. There's a sharpness that says ginger and clove more than anything else. The texture is surprisingly light given the strength, helped I'm sure by the cleansing fizz. Dense and sticky figs and plums emerge after the spice fades, and there's a tangy hop bitterness of the sort you're more likely to find in the work of new wave Belgian traditionalists like De Ranke.

While I can't complain about this beer -- the standard Bernardus quality shines through -- I don't see it as anything other than a novelty label. If you're after festive cheer there's no need to eschew your usual case of Abt 12. Happy Christmas, Ron.