t Smisje Calva Reserva

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

Nice burnt caramel pour with no head. The nose is malt and a touch smoke. The flavor goes more fruity and brown sugar. Creamy on the palate.

Murky amber with no head. Huge malty, yeast white bread aroma. Heavy syrupy mouthfeel with no carbonation. Big malty sweet boozy flavors with pit fruits, brown sugar, and white bread yeast. Very similar to a JW Harvest ale i had not too long ago.

(Bottle 25 cl) Courtesy of boboski. hazy amber golden with a small off-white head. Fat aroma of overripe fruit. Quite full-bodied with overripe fruit and a rather low carbonation. Some hops in the finish. Excellent. 200608

Stubby bottle with the new label, no bottle date. Pours dark copper and clear, with a one inch head of off-white. Retention is moderate and theres a decent amount of continual lacework throughout. Aromatics lead off with fruit-laden booze, raisins, spice, and a hint of oak. Tangerines drizzeled with caramel, vanilla-steeped rum, coriander, white pepper, and cedar. Some earthy, slightly musty notes step forward as the brew warms. Medium bodied, chewy, and creamy. Fullish mouthfeel without being thick, thanks to a higher carbonation level. Sweet malt, rum-soaked raisins, and citrus fruit start the pallet. Warming spice and lingering alcohol rise up, as well as some vanilla and oak. Some faint grape jam pulls through with brown sugar residuals. Finishes with lingering alcohol warmth, a peppery spicyness, and woodsy bark. Plenty going on here, and the nose takes the cake. Quite boozy in general with plenty of spice and fruit.

Bottle. [After party @ Papsoe, thanks buddy] Average creamy beige head that mostly diminished. Fair display of lacework. Cloudy amber color. Aroma of bread, grain, port wine, vinous, alcohol, dried fruit, raisins. Quit complex and wonderful. Full bodied with a soft carbonation and thick alcoholic texture. Heavy sweet flavor with light counter bitterness. Lingering malty and warming alcoholic finish. 8 / 3 / 8 / 4 / 16

25 cL bottle. Pours hazy and deep orange with a lacing off-white head. Dense malt aroma and solid overripe fruity too. Flavour is dense malt, light yeasty touch to a solid fruity note. Dense malt finish with sharp malt bite and alcohol note into the finish.

Courtesy of Papsoe
Cloudy amber color. The aroma has, in the beginning, some nice malt; the mouthfeel is too dry and alcoholic, with just some light caramel flavor. The fermentation has used too much of the sugars. Strangely, it has a parmesan touch both in the aroma and flavor. Disappointing.

330 ml. Deep chestnut with maybe some red highlights and a one-finger head. Aroma of rich raisin rum cake with gobs of icing. Initial flavor is deliciously the same, with oak, red wine, brown sugar. Finish is amazingly dryish: chestnut, soggy oak, and the leftovers of the rum cake. Light-medium palate is slightly rough and finishes dry. Great dessert.