Kombine
St. Bernardus Brouwerij in Watou, West Flanders, Belgium 🇧🇪
Collab with: Bayerische Staatsbrauerei WeihenstephanLager - Helles Special
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Score
7.07
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Kombine 2025 is an unfiltered, full-bodied blond beer (6% ABV) with a subtle hoppy aroma. A first for St.Bernardus as we have never before brewed a bottom-fermented beer. Additionally, this beer does not undergo bottle fermentation, another first in our brewing tradition. And if that was not challenging enough, we also committed to brewing this according to the German Reinheitsgebot*! We used Weihenstephan’s yeast and a blend of hops from both our own and Weihenstephan.
Connoisseurs will recognize the ‘oxymoron’ or the apparent contradiction in the beer’s style and name. An unfiltered Helles is, by definition, a contradiction. We find this tension incredibly intriguing, as it mirrors the duality of our brewery: our beers are iconic and steeped in tradition and authenticity, yet we also enjoy pushing boundaries to appeal to the adventurous beer drinker.
Connoisseurs will recognize the ‘oxymoron’ or the apparent contradiction in the beer’s style and name. An unfiltered Helles is, by definition, a contradiction. We find this tension incredibly intriguing, as it mirrors the duality of our brewery: our beers are iconic and steeped in tradition and authenticity, yet we also enjoy pushing boundaries to appeal to the adventurous beer drinker.
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7/10
Keg at sleeping village. Pours hazy golden, nose is yeasty, grassy, toffee, taste is citrus, yeasty, hay, bread. 7
Tried
on 10 Aug 2025
at 21:52
7.1/10
—
Appearance 7
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 7
Overall 7.5
330ml bottle. Slightly cloudy, yellow-ish, dark golden colour with average to huge, dense, creamy, moderately lasting and lacing, white head. Slightly husky and minimally spicy, pale malty as well as slightly yeasty fruity and minimally doughy yeasty aroma, hints of mirabelle, apricot, brioche, whiffs of protein. Taste is sweet-ish, biscuity, pale malty, yeasty fruity and mildly bitter, fruity hoppy, notes of apricot, mirabelle, a touch of mandarine, orange, some protein.
Creamy-watery texture, smooth and soft palate, medium, dense, creamy, mildly prickly carbonation.
Well crafted, refreshing, a tad sweet though - good.
Creamy-watery texture, smooth and soft palate, medium, dense, creamy, mildly prickly carbonation.
Well crafted, refreshing, a tad sweet though - good.
Tried
from Bottle
on 09 Aug 2025
at 16:57
6.3/10
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Appearance 9
Aroma 5.5
Flavor 5.5
Texture 7
Overall 6
Bottle via Bottlecraft North Park, stamped 7/2026; $5.25.
Stemless wineglass back at the hotel after my last day.
Chill hazed, more like LA smog, honey gold with a rich bleached lather.
Smells of sweet breakfast flakes & faded veggie Euro hops.
Itchy upfront, more pronounced herbal hops, very sweet helles middle, some slight menthol on the finish.
Crispy, somewhat acidic, easy but basic & more than a bit boring.
Whatever.
Stemless wineglass back at the hotel after my last day.
Chill hazed, more like LA smog, honey gold with a rich bleached lather.
Smells of sweet breakfast flakes & faded veggie Euro hops.
Itchy upfront, more pronounced herbal hops, very sweet helles middle, some slight menthol on the finish.
Crispy, somewhat acidic, easy but basic & more than a bit boring.
Whatever.
Tried
from Bottle
from
Bottlecraft - North Park
on 08 Aug 2025
at 18:08
7.4/10
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Appearance 7
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 7
Overall 7.5
Tastes much more like a Belgian blond than a helles. Florals, light coriander. But there still is a bit of that snappy grain and mercury hint in there from a good helles. Pours hazy golden with pretty good head and lacing. Bittersweet finish. Quite nice. Tap at Midlands.
Tried
from Draft
at
Midlands Beer Garden
on 07 Aug 2025
at 19:31
7/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 6.5
Texture 7
Overall 6
330mL bottle, best before Aug 2026, drunk Aug 5, 2025.
Clear, peachy-blonde. Large, white head slowly to cover.
Nose is initially hoppy as all hell, yielding huge pepper, earth and fresh herb. Bread and honey enter in the mix and there's a touch of acidity on the very end. Pretty clean.
Soft and fuzzy with a slight powdered sugar characteristic that is persisent and I can't get rid of. Other than that, there's ample bready malt with light honey and not quite as much hopping as the nose lets on. Still a good peppery-herbal character. Earthy, light yeast and light Belgian-like phenols lingering. Strange.
Clear, peachy-blonde. Large, white head slowly to cover.
Nose is initially hoppy as all hell, yielding huge pepper, earth and fresh herb. Bread and honey enter in the mix and there's a touch of acidity on the very end. Pretty clean.
Soft and fuzzy with a slight powdered sugar characteristic that is persisent and I can't get rid of. Other than that, there's ample bready malt with light honey and not quite as much hopping as the nose lets on. Still a good peppery-herbal character. Earthy, light yeast and light Belgian-like phenols lingering. Strange.
Tried
from Bottle
from
Julio’s Liquors
on 05 Aug 2025
at 20:36
7.3/10
—
Appearance 9
Aroma 7
Flavor 6.5
Texture 8
Overall 7
Hazy golden yellow with large white head. Lemon, barley malt, and straw aroma. Moderately sweet grainy barley malt, and mildly bitter hay/grass flavor. Good body.
Tried
from Bottle
on 02 Aug 2025
at 02:39
8/10
Nice, soft lager. Classic buttery biscuit Helles, with yeast and hops from Weihenstephan.
Tried
from Bottle
on 28 Jul 2025
at 23:40
10/10
Unfiltered helles lager. Ace beer. St. Bernardus X Weihenstephan. Great combo. Happy Gilmore 2 beer.
Tried
from Bottle
on 27 Jul 2025
at 20:01
7.9/10
—
Appearance 9
Aroma 7.5
Flavor 7.5
Texture 9
Overall 7.5
Bottle from Fountainhall Wines. Hazy golden body with a white head. Steady carbonation. Patchy lacing. Aroma of white bread and dried apricot. Flavour of wheat and dried grass. Medium body with a smooth mouthfeel. Soft fizz. Doughy and interesting.
Tried
from Bottle
from
Fountainhall Wines (Aberdeen)
on 24 Jul 2025
at 22:22
7.1/10
—
Appearance 7
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 7
Overall 7.5
Tap at bar in Fort Wayne - lovely beer - light and lovely finish. Good beer
Tried
from Draft
on 24 Jul 2025
at 03:34