t Smisje Kerst

Formerly brewed at Brouwerij De Regenboog
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Assebroek-Brugge, Belgium

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

33 cL bottle, Kerstbierfestival 2007 in Essen/Belgium. Pours golden/copper brown, clear, with a diminished light yellow/orange head. Fruity aroma with notes of spices and some malt. Flavour is softly spiced and yeasty, very mild and with a light fruity note lingering into a soft finish. Lovely yeasty Belgian brew.

Pours a hazy, rusty copper color. A large, foamy, snow white head shows excellent retention, leaving sticky flares of lacing behind on the glass. The aroma is sweet, chewy, and malty, almost like a cross between an English Barleywine and a sticky Belgian. Candy sugar, caramel, nougat and cream make for a smooth, sweet base, while dates, figs, and golden raisons and dark fruity elements. The flavor is comprised of the same components, with a little floral hop character added in. Some cream soda is present as well. This brew sports a medium-full, slightly sticky body. Finishes long and slightly sour. Very nice, enjoyable brew. Perhaps just a touch too sweet and sticky on the palate.

Bottled@Kerstbierfestival, Essen. Brownish amber colour, small beige head. Aroma is spices and malts with some very citrus fruity notes. Flavour is fruits, yeast some herbs and spices and finishes with a nice warming touch of alcohol.

Very flavorful beer. Fairly smooth, but pours with a very big head. Medium sweetness, malty with citrus hints. Some spiciness, but I didn’t notice it too much. Could have been because I tried many other spicy beers that night.

Winter brew pours very dark with good sized head. Knockout alcohol should be noted please, take this like a winter warmer nightcap. A bit of spicy nose. Lots of corriander, pleasing Belg though not overwhelmed.

(33cl bottle, vintage 2005, courtesy of bierkoning) Hazy, amber colour with a big and off-white foamy head. Sweet and strong malty, slightly bready and sugary aroma with fruity accents (prunes, raisins). Sweet flavour, full bodied with a smooth and mellow mouthfeel. Strong malty base with raisins and a touch of caramel and chocolate; sweet, malt-accented, slightly alcoholic finish with spicy notes. Strong brew but also pretty rounded.

Brilliantly clear dark amber with a generous off -white head. Lots of heavy sediment as the pour ends. Caramel malt and fruit aroma. Over-ripe apples beginning to ferment. Sweet flavor, a touch of molasses. A bit too sweet and simplistic for my tastes.

Unclear, red amber beer with a short lived white head. Malt dominated aroma with some fruity yeast and some alcohol. Dry and alcohol dominated flavour with some hops in the finish.