t Smisje Calva Reserva

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

11.2oz bottle. No head, uncarbonated as feared. Full on aroma of the Kulminator..as in old. Past its prime. Thick, brown sugary sweet. Tastes like 1986. Lots of cognac deepness. Ok, but kind of misses the spot.

Bottled. A murky unclear golden beer with no head. The aroma has strong notes of over ripe fruits as well as medium notes of sweet malt and alcohol. The flavor is sweet with notes of alcohol, over ripe fruits, wood, and oxidation. Thanks Papsoe for sharing.

I am pretty sure that this bottle is several years old. Got it from a vintage seller. Not head and no carbonation. Basically flat. Sweet candied fruits, raisins and plums dominate the aroma. Some caramel in there also and a hint of oak. Color is a cloudy mahagony brown. Body much more watery than I expected. Sweet malts, licorice, molasses and dates. Lots of dark fruit. Big alcohol presence and heat. Even though the body is quite thin and watery, it is a bit oily in the mouth. Pretty lifeless though. Finishes sweet and malty with more lingering raisins and licorice. Might have been pretty good if fresher and had some carbonation.

Bottle shared by footbalm. Pours a nice brown color with a large foamy white head. A sweet nose of malts, yeast, some spices and oak. The flavor was quite nice; sweet yeast and lots of rich malts, fruity and lots of apples and the hard to pin down calvados barrel. Nice.

Max’s 72 Hr Belgian Beer Fest - Deep hazed brownish copper, thin white creamy head. Warm stewed raisin and fig aromas ride swirls of maple brown sugar and wood. Intense apple raisin flavors warm to undercurrents of toffee oak and booze. Full bodied, soft carbonation, dark fruity finish. A nice winter sipper...

2009 Bottle - Popped the cap and this bitch shot out to the ceiling in my kitchen...so I’m rating about half a bottle, didn’t taste infected, but definitely growing some shit....Pours a murky, unfiltered amber with a gargantuan off white head...aorma is massive sweet malt, red apples and slight oak...flavour is deliciously complex, the barrel, apple and spice play well together, with a terrific winter ABV that is dangerously hidden...delicious, just don’t pop it over new carpet...

Hazy brown, some Christmas spicing, much alcohol heat. Would say just another barley wine if not for the spicing, or just another Christmas beer if not for the barrel aging. No bonus points ... 12% is too much alcohol unless a beer is fantastic.