t Smisje BBBourgondier

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

Bottle. Murky brown with beautiful lasting off-white head. Aroma is a blast of heavy malt, nuts and some yeast. Sweet toasted malts and dried fruits in the flavor. Rather dominated by mouthdrying alcohol, but this seems actually rather nice. Long finish.

Hazy brown hue, with a foamy tan-colored head, leaving laces, yeasty, sweet toasted malt nose, with some dark candied fruits of date, plum, raisin, with a subtle earthy smokiness, with some spicy nutmeg and brown sugar notes, hint of floral valerian, and toffeeish aroma follows through on a full-bodied palate with a yeasty fruity character, with toasted and caramelized malts, with a brandyish accent, with some dates, plums, sultanas fruitiness, within an alcoholic warmth mouthfeel, candi sugar and nutmeg spiciness, with a well floral hop presence, for a brown strong belgian ale, leading towards a dry hop bittering finish.

330ml bottle. Aroma is strongly redolent of cookie dough and dark fruits, along with some dusty, herbal tones, orange citrus and lighter toffeeish malt accents. Hazy auburn color with coppery highlights and an uneven, lasting head with plenty of lacing. Flavor profile is tart, fruity and lightly bitter, with notes of light brown sugar and citric accents throughout, featuring a certain drying spiciness and tinges of peppery alcohol, green apple and pear on the finish. Smooth, thin mouthfeel with a gently warming quality and noticeably full body. Not without merit. Spices as labeled on the bottle are valerian and lemon balm, interestingly.

Pours a ruby-tinted dark amber under a fast, tan head that is quickly a halo. Body holds a thick, honey-haze and supports large yeast particles. Aromas of moldy bread under hefty caramel & fruit; cherry & raisin. Mild alcohol and vinegar notes. Thick and spicy in the mouth with a tingle before a touch of grit and a pleasant warming quality in the throat & gullet. Mostly sweet, alcoholic flavor with earthen notes... I really don’t care to deconstruct it simply due to the fact that I’m enjoying it so much. We’ll just call it "complex". And in a few moments, I simply shake my head and comment on how these Belgian 11.2’s are sometimes too damn small.

<font size=-4>Single bottle purchased many months ago from god-knows-where.</font>

Opaque light brown body, large off-white head with good lacing. Roasted malts with a cake taste, lightly fruity, some nutshells, a tad fruity and way too much alcohol. Nice full body but not flavourful or complex enough for that amount of alcohol which kills any subtlety it may have (if any). Similar to their dubbel but with too much alcohol. BrutalBoringBourgondier.

Bottle. Quite hazy amber- brown colour with a medium off.white head. Aroma of dark fruits, toasted malts. Nice and smooth flavour with toasted malts, caramel, raisins, good hops, little lemon. A nice heavy beer. 12% alc..?????? well whatta yaaknooo!

In the 330 mL bottle from Cyclone Liquors. Pours murky brown with a medium beige head. The aroma is of chocolate, berries, and has a big alcohol nose. Something of a meaty casserole smell. The aroma is just great! The flavor has a very slight metallic finish. A thick body covers most of this up- creamy malty choclate richness. Palate is impacted by a strong tongue-burning alcohol content. The hop content brings good bittering pleasantries. Overall, a fall-like fruit plum flavor abounds. This is quite wine-like in its texture. These strong flavors mask the high alcohol.

Bought at brewery: Unclear nut brown with fine thick creamy white head. Sweet aroma from malts/spices and alcohol. Earthyness, alcohol (dark rum feel) & spices - chiilli pepper?? Dark fruits. Soft mouthfeel. Warmth from alcohol. Lasting finish. Good t’smisje!