t Smisje Calva Reserva

Brewed by Brouwerij De Regenboog
Style: Barley Wine
Assebroek-Brugge, Belgium

11.2 oz bottle: Hazy dark amber w/ a short lived light beige head, however it laces very well. Aromas of maple syrup, alcohol, caramel, raisiny dark fruit, and buscuity malt all hit the nose at once. Also slightly soapy and woody as it warms. Hints of peppery spice. Well balanced flavor with just a touch of leaning toward malt. Alcohol, bready malt, & yeasty flavors at first, followed by some plum fruitiness. Spicyness from alcohol and yeast. The finish is slightly semi dry and has an aftertaste of slightly bitter hops & plum fruits. The malt flavor falls a little flat at the finish and is sort of bland. Lighter medium body, deceptively strong alcohol presence since it’s well hidden, and medium carbonation. Overall, not a bad beer, just not as complex on the palate as a lot of the other types I’ve had. The aroma is fantastic, but the malt profile falls short of expectations.

Aroma of sweet malts, slcohol and wood. Taste is smooth caramel fruity malts basted in brandy. Woody at the back of the mouth for a minute then a long sweet smoky finish. Pretty good, but the alcohol needs to settle down a bit.

Murky, drab reddish brown with no significant head. Aroma was tart apple, sweet malt, some spice, and a pleasant overtone of Calvados brandy. Medium body, full texture, no carbonation. Vinous. The flavor was sweet, dried fruit, and that hint of Calvados. Quite good.

I was fairly unimpressed by this beer. Appearance was ok, but the flavor seemed artificially sweet in a way I really just didn’t enjoy.

Heavy butterescotch-caramel notes in aroma, vanilla, raisin, alcohol. Biscuit-sweet-sticky- caramel up front, ends on an interesting winding acidity--woody note. A touch of fresh white grapes. I like it. I need more from this brewery.

Liquid candy. When cold, this has an earthy, vegetabley, darn mushroomy aroma, deep and strong. As it warms, some sweeter elements and liquer-like aromas come in. Wonderful body, heavy and light at the same time, with more than adequate carbonation. Tingly on the tongue. Sweet flavors include nutty fruitcake and cinnamon, and the calvados, whatever the heck that is, is up front when fully warm. Yummy, doesn’t quite hit the same earthy naturalness as some of the other Regenboog.

Amber color with a whispy head. Compex aromas of wood, alcohol, apple, and carmel malts. Quite subtle. Slightly sweet, with notes of apple and pepper underneath a whole lot of warming alcohol. Finishes warm and sweet. I think a little age would help here.

Beautiful beer to behold. Rich warming mouthfeel. Big dark fruit and candy nose. Some spice and pepper to balance out. Mild earthy hop presence. Madeira and brandy notes with some wood induced vanilla. Liqourice and mocha finish with a very clean warming aspect.