St. Bernardus Prior 8

Label Art and Blurbs(to include ABV): If I haven't mentioned it before, I have a very strong affection for St. Bernardus ales. The label of Prior 8 is pretty similar to all the others with the old Saint himself (I mean, he doesn't have a name tag on, but I think it's a safe assumption that this guy is Bernie.) toasting a glass with an orange/red backdrop. We're looking at an 8% ABV, for the record.

Nasal Observations During Pour: Smells pretty standard for a Belgian. Tart and molassesy.

Visual Observations During Pour: This baby pours a deep burgundy with a trace amount of sediment towards the bottom. I swirled the bottle around for the last few seconds of the pour to get all that leftover mush

Head(Foam): Strange! There is a very light head on the beer and the bubbles are grouped together in a seemingly microscopic organism pattern. I snapped a picture of it.

First Taste: Right off the bat I find this beer very similar to Abt. 12 only a little less intense and with a champagne aftertaste. I definitely sense some apple cider notes and a spike of chocolate towards the end of my sip.

Second Taste: I'm going to keep building on the champagne track here. I'm getting a lot of tingly effervescence with each swig. The fruity malt flavor of Prior 8 is definitely more interesting to me than any sparkling wine I've tasted though. It doesn't have that dry feel of champagne either, so don't take my words TOO literally. This is definitely still a beer!

Aftertaste: The aftertaste from this beer is pretty smooth considering the Belgian style. Everything washes out fairly quickly and leaves just a little bit of sweetness on your throat to savor before your next sip.

Overall Opinion: I'm down with this beer for sure, but I have to say it is no match for Abt. 12 as far as St. B's beers go. I'd basically have to say it is just Abt. 12 "Light". Probably a really good introduction into the Belgian Ale world for someone newer to craft beer!

Last Taste: Yummmm, sweet, sweet yeast!!