t Smisje + Dubbel IPA

Brewed by Brouwerij De Regenboog
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Assebroek-Brugge, Belgium

33 cl bottle, bougth at Ølbutikken. Hazy orange color, creamy off-white head. Aroma is hops, wheat, yeast. Flavor is the same, but also alcohol, citrus. Dry and bitter finish. A bit too much alcohol.

Bottled. Thanks to ante. Hazy yellow colour, with quite some floaties. Yeasty, citric, hoppy aroma with notes of orange peel. Creamy mouthfeel. Alcohol is sensed first. Hoppy bitter from start to finish. Bit salty in finish.

Bottled. Hazy golden with loads of nasty floaties. Aroma of parsley, yeast and some hops. Sweetish yeasty parsley flavour with some hops and some bitterness in the finish. Not hoppy enough to be called Dubbel IPA. And also too many strange Belgian yeasty notes.

Aroma has yeast, hoppiness and spicyness. No double ipa, just a slightly more hopped belgian strong ale. Cloudy, orange coloured with a lasting, white head. Taste is yeasty, has some maltiness and some spice. Okay, but no hopkiller at all.

Draft at Rich O’s. A double IPA? More a spiced, blond Belgian strong ale. Not that it wasn’t tasty because it was, but it lacked the contrast of a sweet tripel and double IPA found in Chouffe Houblon. In fact, it’s not close. Hazy yellow pour with a short, white head. Yeasty, spicy aroma — coriander — with hints of fruit. The flavor is moderately sweet and lightly bitter. Flavors of honey, spice, raisin. Medium body and moderate carbonation. Alcohol warming in the dry finish. Medium body, slightly sticky texture. Mild carbonation.

Cloudy, yellow, orange colored brew. Spicy aroma, yeasty and hoppy. Hoppy and spicy flavor. Sweet malts. Nice hop bitterness.

On tap at t Brugse Beertje, Brugge, April 2008. Hazy blond colour with a moderate fluffy head. Bags of orange peel in the aroma, developing into a big, bitter Seville orange feel on the palate. Lots of spice flavours, although whether that is due to added spices or just the inherent nature of the Belgian yeast I’m not too sure. I suspect the former. There aren’t too many Belgian takes on an American IPA style around and the results are certainly interesting. I’m not remotely interested in whether this merits the double IPA tag but I did feel that the heavy hop rush and the Belgian spiciness could have been a little better integrated. Still a very tasty and intriguing beer. Might try to get some bottles to age.

Bottle. Pours a hazy very pale yellow color with a small white head. Has a sweet spicy yeasty aroma with some hoppy hints. Sweet malty yeasty and slightly spicy bitter hoppy flavor. Yeasty malty and slightly spicy finish with a bitter aftertaste.