t Smisje Cuvee 2005

Formerly brewed at Brouwerij De Regenboog
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Assebroek-Brugge, Belgium

Bottled: Orange colour. Light dusty. Fluffy off white head. Citrus, grass, loads of spices and alcohol in the nose. Flavour as well is heavily spiced and citric. Alcohol is quite evident, but not unpleasant. This is a very nice brew.

A hazy orange beer with a nice off-white head. The aroma is sweet and quite spicy with notes of coriander, nutmeg, and lemon. The flavor clearly shows off the alcohol, but anyhow it is pretty well matched by fruits and spices. The fruits include oranges, and peach slightly overripe, while the spices include coriander and nutmeg. The end is quite dry yet with the sweet alcohol lingering for a long time. A very complex brew.

Orangé vers le caramel pâle en couleur, revêtu d’une épaisse mousse légèrement beige, laissant paraître quelques grosses bulles savonneuses. Nez très levuré rappelant, à son meilleur, la croûte d’un pain brun biologique et à son pire les produits nettoyants style désinfectant. Troisième nez de dattes et de figues malgré que l’impression sanitaire générale ne soit trop forte pour distinctement rappeler un fruit séché. En bouche nous avons droit à une belle et surprenante explosion de gâteau aux fruits confis et d’épices suivi d’écorce d’orange, ainsi que de résine de conifères et de pins. Une intéressante interprétation d’un croisement entre une quadruple belge et d’un barley wine américain. Je me demande quelle était l’implication de Bill Colem dans l’élaboration de cette bière spéciale mais l’houblonnage fait clairement allusion à celui que l’on retrouve dans les Heavy Weight Old Salty. J’étais tellement emballé que J’ai acheté une bouteille pour rapporter à Montréal...pour une raison que j’ignore, cette dernière fut une expérience assez différente et beaucoup moins satisfaisante. Ce rating correspond à ma première impression.

Bottle from Olivier at the Montreal tasting 4/17/2005. Pretty standard color, light brown-orange, plenty of sediment in the bottle with a small white head, foamy, somewhat lasting and lacing. Aroma is of lightly nutty hops, some sharp alcohol phenols and bits of foresty twang. Grows a bit sweet on the nose with a peach fruit-cup in heavy syrup. Flavor, unfortunately, does not make good on its promise of fair malt and bitterness combined. Lightly astringent, oxidized body is immediately taken as watery, with alcohol, bitter hops drowned in water and mounds of drying yeast. Yikes. Nuttiness, some redeeming toffee on the end and a bland yeast finalé with only a medium to medium-light body. Low to moderate carbonation. Alcohol does not overpower, but is out of place in such a poorly malted beer. Drinking this after Bush Prestige didn’t help either. . . .

750 ml bottle encountered and embraced with beerbuzzmontreal, ClarkVV, MartinT, tiggmtl, olivier, Rastacouere and Simon at the Farmhouse Ales and More! tasting in Montreal. Darkish hazy copper with a fair bit of head and lacing....pungent herbs mixed with tropical fruits (mango, passion fruit) and more than a touch of alcohol in the aroma...in the body, the booze is muted as caramel sweetness takes over...sweetness fades rapidly to a dry, grainy middle and the alcohol comes back at the finish with some disappointing thinness...

The Lure:
Minty wood and light herbal chemicals complacently rise from the languid perfume. Big bubbles announce a fluffy body, but also somewhat shroud the aroma, which takes time to develop.

The Festivities:
Piney and woody hops surf dry alcohol waves. Big bubbles (for its size) froth, and oranges, mint, and light malt sweetness are dug out of their hiding place.

Transcendence:
Liveliness of body and restraint in flavoring ultimately disappoint for a potential mammoth. 3.1/5

A second tasting about a year later (from the B.United imported batch) reveals more expressive minty, spicy, herbal and wooden hops playing with the caramel-laden yeast. Apricot and orange fruitiness are fun to watch evolve. This is definitely a better batch than the one rated higher, which was procured in Belgium (the one with the Bill Coleman-drawn label). 3.6/5

Herbal, ashy, aroma with a melon-like soft fruitiness, some pine/spruce notes and some unfortunate solvent-like overtones. Opaque caramel colour with shy ring of white head that leaves some fair lacing. Solvent tones are apparent also in the very sweet flavour along with a peppermint note. Sweetness becomes cloying. Medium body is sticky in texture with fair carbonation that feels somehow lifeless. Bottle enjoyed with beerbuzzmontreal, ClarkVV, MartinT, muzzlehatch, olivier, Rastacouere and Simon.

Pours a hazy orange color with a thin white head. Aroma of spices, fruits and ashes. Flavor of melon and spices with a mild bitter finish. Light body, creamy texture, soft carbonation. Good but nothing special.