t Smisje Calva Reserva

Brewed by Brouwerij Smisje
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Mater, Belgium

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

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330 ml bottle a brown colored beer with a white head aroma dry fruits spicy oak caramel and some hops flavor malts dry fruits spicy caramel oak and hops

(330ml bottle) cloudy rich copper, thick soapy offwhite head. Nose of honey, dates, raisins, mild but welcome oxidation, baklava, sweet and delicious. Smells great. Mild alcohol taste, a bit papery, caramel, toasty, sweet grain, spicy to a degree. Medium carbonation, sweet linger in a good way. An odd burnt popcorn finish too. Pretty nice Belgian beer.

I’m not sure where I had this. Just found this rating and these notes to this beer, so here goes: spicy, honey-like sweetness, rich, yummy.

330ml bottle.
Pors a rich cloudy mahogany hue. Big carbonation bubbles like a glass of Coca-Cola. Aroma is extremely malty rich, brown-sugary, a little molasses-y, with undertones of grassy herbal hops and a dash of tart yeast. Flavor is similarly rich, malty, sugary, molasses, dark bread, some tart fruit notes, and grassy meadow-y hops that barely rein in all the malt shenanigans. Hops grow a little spicy/peppery as the beer warms -- nice touch. Palate is thick, cloying, and disappointingly flat considering how effervescent the carbonation was when the beer was first poured. Not a particularly balanced beer when it comes down to it, but it’s sufficiently complex and I rather like these big sugary grassy-hopped Belgian ales.

A brownish orange body with a massive white head. The aroma is vinous dark fruit, candi sugar, spice, and some vegetables. Lots of sugary roast in the flavor with tons of ethanol. The palate is hot and thin. Ugh.

I thought this was going to be better. Poured a small, light tan, fizzy head that quickly faded and no lace. Aroma was malt, toffee, ripe dark fruits, caramel, and wet cardboard. Color was a slightly hazy brown with amber highlights. Flavor was like aroma. Didn’t really taste the alcohol as much as feel the effect. Finish is fairly short and like flavor. Wholesale price for this is way too high.

at first, got a little bit of hops but that faded into a malty sweet syrup that really didn’t mix well. one note and boring.

2005 Bottle Sampled Tonight Appearance: Murky brown with a caramel head that fades quicly. Little lacing to be found but as you drink you see foam on the opposite side of the glass with extremely small bubbles in it. Smell: Vinous qualities mixed with leather, tobacco, and fig. I wish I had a fresh bottle to compare it to. Taste: Considering that the brewer ages this extensively before bottling and it was bottled 3 years ago, this one has held up to be an interesting meld of daring notes. Leather, Wine, Tobacco, Fig, Blackberries, Raisins, etc. The alcohol is non-existent which is amazing considering this one is 12% ABV. Mouthfeel: Surprisingly, this 2005 bottle had a nice carbonation release when I opened the bottle. Medium to borderline thin mouthfeel but I’m sure the age of this bottle factored in to it. I really wish I had a newer bottle to compare it to. I only see the mouthfeel getting progressively worse in time. Drinkability: This is a sipper all the way. The flavors aren’t the most approachable for me so I’m not sure if I will come back to this in the future. But I’m still amazed that this brew is 12% ABV because its very soft and gentle. Serving type: bottle Reviewed on: 09-13-2008

Bottle. I have one like the one in the picture and then another that is stumpy with a pink label, I don’t remember which one is older. I think this is the newer of the two, the stumpy one. Aroma of straight sweet apple juice, feel like I’m back in kindergarden, sweet, some well aged boozy maltiness, hint of barrel, spicy cider. Pours a clear glowing bright blood red with a small very small frothy off-white head. Flavor follows, apple cider, cotton candy, lightly doughy, toasty malty, grains of paradise and with lesser coriander in the finish and long aftertaste, I know there is no port in this but I definitely get some port-like flavors in there, i.e. sweet, aged and vinous, it’s amazing how much apple taste is in this! Booo-ooo-ooo-zy. Medium body, smooth, watery but viscous, faint sizzling carbonation. [my 100th BSA even though I’m pretty sure this was a BW a few weeks ago...] I like it a lot more the more I drink... the drunk rating effect ;)

Bottle. [thanks, after4ever]
Pours deep redish brown with tiny floaties. Small creamy, beige head that soone becomes a thin film. Aroma is lightly sweet, fruity, yeast, plums, oak, light vinious, some maple syrup, grapes. Low, but prickly carbonation, oily but also rather dry palate. Lovely vinous flavour, plums, oaky, rather sweet, red apples, light raisins. Low, elegant tartness. Rather dry apple-wood finish. Nice.