ST. BERNARDus

ST. BERNARDUS BRAND

The St. Bernardus brewery of Watou is to be found on the street called ‘Trappistenweg’. The brewery’s name, as well as the character of its beer, are very much grounded in the Trappist tradition.

St. Bernardus was set up, in 1904, as a refuge for monks. The monks from the Mont des Cats monastery even sought shelter in this Belgian farm refuge, during the First World War.

St. Bernardus initially produced four Trappist beers: Sint-Sixtus 4, 6, 8 and the Abt 12. Before long, the familiar logo would make its appearance, featuring a monk holding a glass and with a different background colour for each type of beer.

Throughout the years, the label itself has carried several different names, though: initially ‘Trappist Westvleteren’, then ‘Sint-Sixtus’, followed by ‘Sint-Sixtus & St. Bernardus’, and, from 1992 onwards, ‘St. Bernardus’ only.

Now St. Bernardus offers its own range of abbey beers, ones that many consider to be genuine heirs ofthe Westvleteren Trappist beers. In addition to these abbey beers, there are the St. Bernardus Wit, St. Bernardus Christmas Ale, the Grottenbier and the Watou Tripel, all of which are brewed on-site.

St. Bernardus Abt 12

St.Bernardus Tripel is a traditional abbey beer that follows the classic tripel style. It has a slightly sweet aroma and a flowery, fruity taste in which bitter and sweet merge harmoniously. Thanks to its pleasant hoppiness, the mouth feel of this beer is nothing short of beatific – it quenches your thirst and stimulates the appetite and this is what we call a perfect combination. A hugely accessible beer that is surprisingly light in character.

Colour: St.Bernardus Tripel is a blonde beer with an inviting golden hue and an impressive, velvety-soft head of froth.

St.Bernardus Prior 8

St.Bernardus Prior 8 is a traditional abbey beer, brewed in the classic dubbel style. The original recipe dates back to the times when we still brewed under licence for the monks of Westvleteren.

Colour: This delicious beer is chestnut brown, emitting a deep red glow and presenting a lovely rounded head.

St.Bernardus Pater 6

St.Bernardus Pater 6 is brewed according to the classic dubbel style with a recipe that dates back to 1946. The name of this beer has become a reference for its style, and it is commonly referred to as ‘een Paterke’.

It unites the deep flavour of specialty malt with the lively fruitiness of ripe tree fruits. Plenty of apple and pear aromas make their magnificent presence felt all the way to the slightly bitter aftertaste.

Colour: A chestnut-brown, dark beer with a creamy head.

St.Bernardus Tripel

St. Bernardus Abt 12 is the brewery’s flagship beer, ranked at the very top of the St. Bernardus beer hierarchy. It is brewed in the classic quadruple style and adheres to the original 1946 recipe. It has a very fruity aroma, and brims over with different, complex tastes and stands out through its long, bittersweet finish. Thanks to its mild, rounded taste and perfect balance between bitter and sweet, this beer goes down very easily.

Colour : This is a dark beer with a robust head that is ivory in colour.

St.Bernardus Wit

St.Bernardus Wit is a traditional unfiltered Belgian wheat beer. It was developed in collaboration with Pierre Celis, the legendary master brewer who was the driver of the resurgence of white beer in the 1960s. It’s famed for its zesty tastes of coriander and orange, with background touches of spicy cloves, fragrant with fruit and citrus.

Colour: St.Bernardus Wit looks distinguished and classic with its golden-yellow colour hidden under a subtle veil – it epitomises the authentic Belgian cloudy white beer.

St.Bernardus Extra 4

Extra 4 is the latest scion of the notable St. Bernardus family. A refreshing blond beer that is brewed in the classic single style. Every year, our Extra 4 can be enjoyed in spring and summer.

Colour: Extra 4 shines with the golden hue of pale straw, topped off with a snowy-white collar. As this beer re-ferments in the bottle, it produces a lovely fizz in the glass.