Plates - St Arnold releases Divine Reserve 12

The day is almost here! Saint Arnold Divine Reserve No. 12 will be released tomorrow, July 31. 

You will be able to find it in the Houston area at the larger Spec's, Kroger, H-E-B stores and at Whole Foods and Central Market. Not every store will get it tomorrow. It may take the entire week before everybody gets their allotment. 

Also, while the kegs will be delivered this week, not all bar accounts will put it on draft right away. Some may even age it. You can search Twitter under #DR12 to see where people are finding bottles and draft.

For some, getting a six pack (or two) of Divine Reserve is a great adventure; an adult Easter egg hunt. Some will be late to work, standing in line and waiting for Spec's to open at 9:00am. Others will scour the customer service counters at grocery stores for "returns" (people leave it when they find out it cost about $15 a six pack). DR12 hunters will call and text one another with finds and misses. Still others are on "the list" at special places and all they have to do is walk up and ask.

DR12 is an old ale and was inspired by David Rogers' winning entry in the Saint Arnold 2011 Big Batch Brew Bash. There are two definitions of Old Ales. The first is an ale in the old style, which refers to an ale bigger than regular ales. This was the more common definition up to 15 years ago. Saint Arnold Christmas Ale is an example of this style. The newer definition is a very high alcohol ale that has been aged. This is what DR12 is, except that YOU have to supply the aging. Saint Arnold did condition DR12 in the fermenters for over 2 months.

DR12 is a very big ale with the high alcohol (10%) creating a spicy malt and hop flavor. Aging will allow the alcohol to oxidize and create sherry flavors that will round out the beer. It will age best if stored cold. This beer will come into its own in a year and should be drinking great 5 years from now.

I had a tour and some samples a few days ago at the brewery. When pouring this beer, Saint Arnold's brewers highly recommend decanting it, pouring it slowly and smoothly and leaving the last ounce or so in the bottle. You can pour this into a separate glass if you wish, but you will find that the decanted portion tastes brighter and cleaner. The nose has rich malt notes and a little alcohol that combines with a spicy hop note to create a complex bouquet. The taste has a spicy, malty beginning that smoothes out into a creamy middle and a warming finish. Also, make sure to let this beer warm up before your drink it. It is best enjoyed at around 50° F.

While most of DR12 was packaged in 6 packs, for the first time there will also be a small amount available in 22 ounce bottles.


Happy hunting ... and drinking!