t Smisje Grande Reserva

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

Name: t Smisje Grand Reserva
Date: 03/22/2008
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting, Cellar Party

Appearance: cloudy dark amber, frothy beige head, streaks of drippy lace,
Aroma: sweet fruity aroma, a little musty with old hops, light earthy spicyness, lots of whiskey mixed with the fruit,
Body: creamy body,
Flavor: lots of fruity flavor, well balanced with an oak laden easthyness, touch of spicyness, long light bitter finish from the oak,

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 8/10; Overall: 15/20
Rating: 3.7/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: **4

(33cl bottle) Small off-white head atop slightly hazed copper body. Aroma is moderately sweet, whisky, berry, some caramel, light rye. Taste is moderately sweet, caramel, whisky, berry, some cantaloupe, light nut. No sign of the coriander from the description. Medium-full body, fairly effervescent.

11.2oz bottle. Thanks Mike for picking this up for me! Light gusher alert. Poured a deeper and cloudy amber color with a huge sized off white head. Aromas of fruitiness, wood, vanilla, light whiskey adn light spices. Tastes of whiskey (more than the aromas but not overpowering), vanilla, wood, fruity, caramel, yeasty, and citrus. Medium alcohol burn.

Bottle... Cloudy orange ale with a huge, frothy, off-white head. Nice retention. Earthy, woody, nut shell aroma with additional notes of praline and freshly baked bread. Medium to full-bodied with a fizzy mouthfeel. The flavor is more tangy than sweet, but there are caramel and toffee malt components that cannot be ignored – a touch boozy as well. Finishes tannic and quite warming.

(33cl bottle) Pours an amber body with a small off-white head. Aroma of coriander, tea, grains of paradise, grass, and earthiness. Flavor of tea, coriander, grains of paradise, and pepper with a somewhat dry oak finish.

Pours a slightly hazy copper orange with a frothy, well-lacing white head. Nice, complex aroma of smoky, peaty whiskey and some semi-sweet biscuity malt. Body starts sweet and caramely with a drier balance of big smoky peaty notes and light fruitiness before a full-bodied, slightly warming finish. Nice woody whiskey character throughout.

Huge, very dense & fine head with a cream- to mango-like colour over amber, hazy beer with a mossy shine. Sweet, cakey nose with an aroma of lytchee hops; smouldering tobacco and caramel. Very nice indeed. Very smokey taste, (pipe)tobacco, cake, dry, smoked straw, black cardemoms, Islay malt. Every sip ends on a dry, bitterish but perfumed note. Excellent! Rich MF, well-bodied but not viscous. Warming up, the above flavours lasting ever longer, spiked more and more by the (whisky) alcohol. One of Johan’s best! And it contains coriander, at that!

Pours clear copper with a sustained white head. Smells of funk, boozy, whiskey, spicy, tarte. Tastes sweet and oaky with whiskey, spice, sweet malt, fruity. Unusual.