t Smisje Catherine The Great Imperial Stout

Brewed by Brouwerij De Regenboog
Style: Imperial Stout
Assebroek-Brugge, Belgium

Hmmmm....this is a strange one. Pours a clear, highly translucent, dark crimson red color. This is possibly the lightest colored imperial stout I’ve ever seen. The head redeems things a bit as its full, foamy, well retained stature leaves thick ribbons of khaki lacing behind. The nose is sweet and fruity up front, with figs, plums, and raisons coming through. Banana and clove are surprising additions. Roasty coffee follows, as does cream and a touch of bitter chocolate. Flavors are again very sweet and fruity, with figs really starting to dominate. The roastiness and creaminess come through on the back end, along with some distinctly Belgian yeast and some bitter, floral hops. There’s even a good amount of smokiness. The mouthfeel is medium-full and creamy, finishing on the dry side and slightly astringent. This certainly doesn’t fit the traditional mold of an imperial stout, but it is fairly enjoyable nonetheless if, for nothing else, its uniqueness.

(Bottle 33 cl) Courtesy of BelJohansen. Pours a hazy, orangey brown with floating impurities and a tall, beige head that leaves some laces. Aroma of burned malt and yeast. Full-bodied with sweet, burned malts and yeast. Distinctly bitter finish - mainly from the hops I believe. Again a rather different Belgian take on an Impy. 160408

Hazy brown with large off white head. Sweet fruity aroma with caramel, toasted malt and hoppy notes. Sweet flavor with hoppy, caramel and toasted malt notes. Ends bitter.

Draft at Max’s 72 Hour Belgian Beer Fest. Dark brown to near black body. Aroma is very yeasty and floral with some cocoa notes. Taste is also flowery and yeasty with cocoa, powdery chocolate, soft spice, light caramel and some herbal notes. Body is creamy with an odd herbal astringency. Almost medicinal, but not quite. That’s the only way I could describe it. Finishes with an almost aspirin like bitterness, more cocoa, yeast notes, herbs and flowers. I’d go with Foreign Stout over Imperial Stout here, but that’s just me.

Bottle at the Ale Street News UBT 3. Deep dark amber brown brown in color with a little head. Malty and sweet aroma. Yeasty notes. Malty caramel roasty flavor. DArk fruity notes. Medium bodied. Creamy tasting. Finish is dry. Nice beer. Drinkable.

Bottle. Creamy off-white good mostly lasting head. Dark red amber colour. Yeasty soapy aroma, Moderate bitter flavor. Powerfull long finish. Creamy palate. OK beer but more like BSA than Stout.

Bottle at O’briens. Pours with a dark amber-bown body topped by a thick, off-white head with little lacing. It’s slightly sweet and malty with a touch of yeast and a hint of roast. Basically tastes like a belgian double with a touch of roasted malt. Medium bodied and smooth yet a touch dry.

Name: t Smisje Catherine The Great
Date: 04/02/2008
Mode: Bottle
Source: Green’s, Atlanta

Appearance: clear very dark ruby red, big tan head qickly settles down,
Aroma: sweet estery aroma with lots of ripe plum ans a touch of chocolate,
Body: big carbonated body,
Flavor: lots of rich ripe plum flavor, touch of estery sweetness, nice chocolate comes in for complexity, a swirl of yeast adds a bready yeasty character and an earthyness,
-------- /> Name: t Smisje Catherine The Great
Date: 06/15/2008
Mode: draft
Source: brick store

draft follows the bottle very well with maybe a richer chocolate character to blend with the fruity esters,

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 13/20
Rating: 3.4/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: **+/4