t Smisje Kerst

Brewed by Brouwerij De Regenboog
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Assebroek-Brugge, Belgium

Pours a murky orange-brown with a big, fizzy head. The aroma starts off strong, loaded with spices and light hops. It weakens once the head dies down. The flavor has a lot of zest, with plenty of spices and medium malts, with hints of caramel. Finish is quick, without much ado. Pretty nice, though not as good as some others from this brewery.

330ml Bottle (Brewed in 2003) - Hazy brown with some red tinges. Strong aroma of alcohol with raisins and spices. Sweet and fruity taste with raisins and a spciy, warming finish. The alcoholic content is noticeable but this goes down a treat.

330ml, 2006 bottling. Strongly sweet and fruity aroma, full of plum, red grape and berry, with hints of banana, spice, perfume and bubblegum, along with bready malts and toffee in the background. Translucent garnet color with a lasting, fine, off-white head. Flavor is highly sweet to start, lots of candyish dark brown sugar, then becoming spicy and moderately bitter, finishing vinous with notes of dried fruit, licorice, orange peel, coriander, gently medicinal alcohol, and a certain tanginess at the close. Smooth, creamy and warming mouthfeel, body is quite full. Very flavorful and pleasant on a cold night.

Bottle from Liquid Solutions. Hazy orange amber color with a multifinger light beige head. Aromas of wood, candi, and darkish fruit. Medium plus body with creamy carbonation. Flavors are dusty darkish fruit, wood, light candi, warm spice. Quite tasty in a lightly mild way. Love it.

Pours murky dark brown / bronze with a good amount of carbonation and large pillowy tan head. The aroma has lots of biscuity caramel malt, coriander, smooth cream and vanilla. Medium / thin body with gentle semi-sharp carbonation. The flavor starts with lots of the spice, both coriander and grains of paradise, sourness and lots of sharpness. The finish is spicy, dry and a bit cardboardy. The aroma is significantly better than the taste.

Bottle sampled on 3/8/07: Pours a slightly hazy dark orange copper with a nicely-lacing light tan head. Sweet, slightly toasty bready caramel malty aroma. Body starts with a sweet biscuity dark caramel maltiness with a touch of earthy hops. Finishes slightly warming. A decent Belgian strong ale.

Poured a hazy dark amber color with a medium sized off-white head. Aroma of bananas and some lemon. Caramel underneath. Fruity and yeasty with notes of banana and some spice. Lively mouth feel. The body is medium to full and warming. The alcohol hides well. Moderately sweet.

On tap at ’t Brugs Beertje. A little funky, lactose and sweetness. A little ginger and chocolate but very faint. Overall weak aroma but not unpleasant. Hazy dark orange amber with thin lacing head. Medium-heavy watery body with medium-high carbonation. Starts sweet with lots of candi sugar, light spice, and caramel, and some carbonic acidity. Nice sweet finish with carbonic burn and light alcoholic warming. Nice Xmas beer but not too spicy.