The first time I tasted the mysteriously powerful St. Bernardus Abt 12, I wasn't told anything about it. It came to me, hand-delivered by an angel disguised as a bored barista, in an unusual glass that I've been assured was made of crystals. I took a sip of the darkish ivory colored beer, a finger of frothy head coating my upper lip. Immediately the clouds (outside) parted and there was the unmistakable soun d of monks chanting in some long-ago monastery, and then God spoke, and He said, "Not bad, right?"

No, none of that happened, but this Belgian Abbey is an incredible punch to the pallate, with a thick mouthfeel (had to write it) and heavy malts and fruity flavors are nearly balanced by the unmistakable taste of alcohol. Yeah, at 10.5% ABV you're not going to miss that. Overall, the beer is fantastic, and a great sipper after a heavy meal to aid digestion and to get drunk.

Best Drunk: By yourself in your spare domicile, pissed at your God and the world for being damned to a cloistered lifetime of no sex, endless chanting, and other dudes. On the other hand...there is the Abt 12...