{"title":"Brouwerij St.Bernardus","description":"\u003cp\u003eSt.Bernardus is a brewery in Watou, near Poperinge in West Flanders. Until 1992 it brewed the Trappist beers of Westvleteren under licence, after which that beer carried on under its own name. The flagship is Abt 12, a quadrupel based on the 1946 recipe.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!--verhaal--\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eFrom cheese dairy to brewery in Watou\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the early twentieth century, Trappist monks fled from Mont des Cats to Watou. They settled at the Patershof farm and called their new home Réfuge de Notre Dame de St Bernard. In France they paid tax on their income, in Belgium they (still) did not. They made cheese there. When the monks returned to France, Evariste Deconinck took over the dairy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShortly after the Second World War, the Trappists of Westvleteren asked Deconinck to brew and sell their beers under licence. Master brewer Mathieu Szafranski, of Polish origin, brought recipes, knowledge and the St. Sixtus yeast with him. The brewery was built next to the cheese dairy. In 1962 a new thirty-year contract followed. That agreement ended in 1992, because the Authentic Trappist Beer label was from then on only given to beers brewed within an abbey. Since then they have sold everything as St.Bernardus.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1998 Hans Depypere took over the brewery, which was badly outdated by then. Volume grew from 8,000 hectolitres to around 33,000 in 2013 and to 50,000 in 2023. The beers go to more than 80 countries. Since 2018 the brewery also has Bar Bernard, a rooftop bar with a tasting room.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eA beer that stands close to Westvleteren\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe beers of St.Bernardus are regarded as a close match to the St. Sixtus beers in recipe and style. That is logical given the history: the recipes and the yeast came from Westvleteren.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAbt 12 is the flagship. It is a 10% quadrupel that, according to the brewery, follows the original 1946 recipe. Thanks to the brewery's own yeast, the aroma is very fruity, and the finish is long and bittersweet. The brewery recommends a serving temperature of 8 to 12 °C. It pairs with beef stew, game, a blue cheese such as Roquefort, or chocolate.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eSt.Bernardus at Hoptimaal\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith us you will find St.Bernardus in 33 cl bottles, in the styles witbier, dubbel, tripel and quadrupel. The strength runs from 5.5 to 10%. On Untappd, Abt 12, Tripel, Prior 8, Wit and Pater 6 are rated highly.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou drink the Wit and the Tripel best cool and fresh. With Abt 12 you take your time: don't pour it too cold, around 8 to 12 °C, and the fruity, complex flavours come out best. The brewery gives the bottle a shelf life of four years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!--faq--\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhere does St.Bernardus come from?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSt.Bernardus comes from Watou, near Poperinge in West Flanders, Belgium. The brewery started in 1946 next to a cheese dairy that had grown out of a refuge of French Trappist monks.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat kind of beer does St.Bernardus make?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSt.Bernardus brews Belgian abbey beers in the styles witbier, dubbel, tripel and quadrupel. The best known is Abt 12, a 10% quadrupel. The recipes and the yeast date from the time when the brewery made the Trappist beers of Westvleteren under licence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eIs St.Bernardus a Trappist beer?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo. Until 1992 the brewery brewed the Trappist beers of Westvleteren under licence. After that, the Authentic Trappist Beer label was only given to beers brewed within an abbey, so since then the beer has carried on under the name St.Bernardus.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"st-bernardus-tokyo","title":"St. Bernardus Tokyo","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp\u003eUnfiltered, golden and brewed with a generous share of wheat, St. Bernardus Tokyo sits somewhere between a witbier and a saison. The can carries artwork by illustrator Jonas Devacht, capturing the nightlife of Tokyo's Kanda district.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn the nose, expect citrus and chamomile alongside fruity yeast notes of banana and red apple. Look closer and there is a touch of clove and vanilla, plus the typical esters of the St.Bernardus yeast. The palate is refreshing and spicy, with a slight bitterness and a hint of sourness at the back, under a sizeable white head. At 6% ABV and 15 IBU, the bitterness stays restrained.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eBrewery\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eBrouwerij St.Bernardus released a one-off Tokyo brew in 2012 for the opening of the first St.Bernardus-themed café in the Japanese capital. Eight years later it returned with a new recipe.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"St. Bernardus","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48444587901273,"sku":"","price":2.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0728\/0076\/4249\/files\/1-956.png?v=1767624457"},{"product_id":"st-bernardus-abt-12","title":"St.Bernardus Abt 12","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp\u003eSt.Bernardus Abt 12 is the flagship of the brewery, a quadrupel that sticks to the original 1946 recipe. At 10% ABV and 20 IBU, it is a dark, robust beer with real depth.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBeneath the sturdy, ivory-coloured head, expect a distinctly fruity aroma that comes from the brewery's own yeast. The palate is layered and complex, leading into a long, bittersweet finish.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eBrewery\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eSt.Bernardus regards Abt 12 as its true flagship. On roughly every thousandth label of the 33cl bottle, the Saint Bernardus figure winks at you.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"St. Bernardus","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48444643737945,"sku":"","price":2.5,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0728\/0076\/4249\/files\/1-1010.png?v=1767631711"},{"product_id":"st-bernardus-pater-6","title":"St.Bernardus Pater 6","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp\u003eA recipe dating back to 1946 and a name that became a benchmark for its style: in Belgium, a Pater 6 is simply ordered as 'een Paterke'. This Belgian dubbel from St.Bernardus pours at 6.7% ABV and 25 IBU, in a 330ml bottle.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eChestnut-brown with a creamy head. On the palate, expect hazelnut and mocha, followed by a duel between mild dark candy sugar and a lightly toasted, dry grain character. Plenty of apple and pear carry through to the slightly bitter finish.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eBrewery\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eSt.Bernardus brews Pater 6 in the classic dubbel style, using a recipe that goes back to 1946. The nickname 'Paterke' is Dutch for a little monk.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"St. Bernardus","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54128525443417,"sku":"","price":2.2,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0728\/0076\/4249\/files\/1-234-Photoroom.png?v=1738677704"},{"product_id":"st-bernardus-wit-1","title":"St.Bernardus Wit","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp\u003eAn unfiltered Belgian witbier developed with Pierre Celis, the master brewer who drove the revival of white beer in the 1960s. At 5.5% ABV and 15 IBU, it stays light and easy-drinking.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eExpect a golden-yellow colour under a subtle haze. On the nose, coriander and orange lead, with clove and lemon following behind. The wheat gives a creamy mouthfeel, while the spiced freshness keeps it lively. Bitterness is low at 15 IBU, so the finish stays soft.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eBrewery\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eSt.Bernardus is a Belgian brewery that developed this witbier together with Pierre Celis.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Brouwerij St.Bernardus","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55823707275609,"sku":null,"price":1.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0728\/0076\/4249\/files\/1-36-Photoroom_276af6a0-ad15-4853-a757-da53f34c0aa4.png?v=1753959410"},{"product_id":"st-bernardus-prior-8","title":"St.Bernardus Prior 8","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp\u003eA traditional abbey beer that was named World's Best Dark Belgian Style Dubbel at the World Beer Awards. Prior 8 puts fruit and malt front and centre.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eChestnut brown with a deep red glow and a nicely rounded head. On the nose, expect red apple joined by fig and date, with caramel and roasted malt underneath. The palate is as malty as it is fruity, with bitter and sweet kept in check at 8% ABV and 20 IBU.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eBrewery\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eSt.Bernardus brewed under licence from 1946 to 1992. The original recipe for Prior 8 dates back to that era.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Brouwerij St.Bernardus","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55823707636057,"sku":null,"price":2.5,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0728\/0076\/4249\/files\/1-37-Photoroom_bf32df70-2bd8-49e6-bbc1-1389c37a5c03.png?v=1753959410"},{"product_id":"st-bernardus-tripel","title":"St.Bernardus Tripel","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp\u003eA traditional abbey-style Tripel at 8% ABV that stays surprisingly light in character. Around Watou, a tripel is often called a 'Bernadetje', a nod to the youngest daughter of the brewery's founder.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGolden blonde in the glass, topped with a dense, velvety head. On the nose, expect a slight sweetness. The palate is floral and fruity, with bitter and sweet notes merging smoothly. A pleasant hoppiness (IBU 25) keeps the mouthfeel soft and easy-drinking for its strength.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eBrewery\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eSt.Bernardus was founded in 1946 by Evariste Deconinck. This Tripel pays tribute to his youngest daughter, Bernadette.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Brouwerij St.Bernardus","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55823707668825,"sku":null,"price":2.5,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0728\/0076\/4249\/files\/1-35-Photoroom_ef88268f-a6ac-4ca1-87cc-38d66dff7aee.png?v=1753959409"}],"url":"https:\/\/hoptimaal.com\/en\/collections\/brouwerij-st-bernardus.oembed","provider":"Hoptimaal","version":"1.0","type":"link"}