t Smisje Fiori

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

Date: May 18, 2009
Mode: Bottle
Source: Roadtrip
Appearance: gusher, clear gold, frothy off white head, drippy lace
Aroma: sharp spicy hop and phenolic aroma, balancing sweet fruity candy character
Body: thin body gets creamy after adding some yeast
Flavor: sweet malt flavor, lots of hops, plenty of spicyness, well balanced bitterness, long bitter finish
Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 7/10; Overall: 12/20
Rating: 3.1/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: *4

11.2oz grenade bottle. Thick orange-brown color. Thin, lasting head. Pretty much one that can only be classified as a "Belgian Ale". Peculiarly spiced, but still balances with the sweet candi sugar and yeast. Never overwhelming alcohol-wise, with a great creamy effervescence. Highly complex..sweet, sour, spiced, yeasty, hoppy... an interesting concoction. I’ll be back.

Bottled. Poured clear, bright orangey-golden with a short cap of looser white head.. almost like a light, fizzy "mead". The aroma picked up bright minty and floral notes with touches of vegetal notes, grains, and body odor.. bizarre blend of brightness and must. The flavor opened with tangy, sour pale malts and floral notes.. hints of honey at the core.. mint, juniper berries, and coriander around.. tacky vegetal notes and more brightness on the finish. Medium-bodied and rather slick on the palate (even though the beer oozed out of the bottle).. residual sugars and ugly notes stuck on the finish. I’m not sure exactly what this was, but it wasn’t enjoyable.

330ml bottle (One Pint, Helsinki, Belgian Weeks 2009)
Deep hazy orange, healthy bready head. Slightly vegetal aroma, tinned veg, probably some DMS, but pleasantly hoppy. Lovely rich roasty taste. Slight liquorice bent, with a hint of unattributable zinginess. Very tasty and interesting to the bottom of the glass.

Bottle @ chriso’s Pre-GBBF Shindig 2008. Pours a slighlty hazy orange color with a small off-white head. Has a fruity yeasty spicy aroma. Sweetish fruity malty spicy yeasty flavor. Has a sweetish fruity yeasty spicy finish.

Slightly hazy copper orange with a thin off white head with some sheets of lacing. Aroma is big florals, honey, orange citrus. Taste is lots of sour honey, florals, light candi sugar, and alcohol warmth.

bottle, pours amber with a medium off white fizzy head. Sweet honey and raisin aroma with some spice notes. Flavors are sweet honey, a bitterness I can’t put my finger on, turns a metalic sour in the finish with a strong alcohol burn and a twinge in the finish that is very odd. Way too much carbonation, this is too fizzy. It’s not terrible, but I feel that the carbonation kills some flavors going on in the finish.

Light amber color with a significant amount of fish food. Moderate off-white head that clings tightly to the glass. Strong aromas. Intriguing aromas, although not that appealing. Phenols abound. The best I can come up with is rotting grains and hay covered with coriander and curry to cover the stench. Sweet grain and white grape flavors, drenched in fortified wine. Some resin and medicinal flavors in the finish. Continued rotting grain drive me away. I’m not coming close to finishing this one. One of the less than 10 brews I have not been able to finish. OK, things have mellowed slightly after a bit of rest. Still a medicinal barley soup. Oak and smoke seem to work their way in as well. Complex, yes. Good, not in my book.