t Smisje Guido

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

Bottle sampled. Pours orange/brown with a decent size khaki colored head. Aroma of fruit, citrus, yeast, and spices. The flavor is citrus, fruit, spices, and the alcohol is present. Decent brew.

This has a cloudy chestnut body with a sustained ecru head... oddly, no lacing whatsoever. It’s got an aroma of sour cherries, dark brown sugar, vinegar, a hint of green raisins, and a mild floral/herbal bitterness. This gets quite tart, nearly sour as you drink it. I realize there are no cherries in it, but the flavor is reminiscent of those that I ate from the Cherry tree that I damned near lived in over forty years ago. That feeling is probably why I’m inclined to rate this higher than the others.

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On tap at the Stumbling Monk. Pours a deep, moderately transparent, garnet brown color with edges of black cherry. A thin ring of off-white head lies on top briefly before retreating into the depths of the ruddy abyss. Lots of thin yeast aromas float from the glass, providing a relatively bland floral bouquet. Notes of summer squash linger beneath, along with some mild funk of black cherry skins and fall apple cider. Medium-light bodied, thinly carbonated mouthfeel. The thin carbonation seems to detract significantly from the brew, as the palate is actually quite light and attenuated, leaving the bland flavors to remain stagnant on the the tongue. Flavors of light prune, leather, and a hint of sour cherries. It sounds like this could be good, but it lacks snap, presenting the flavors in a lazy, yawning fashion. The tartness is intriguing, but the intensity is not enough to be exciting, bringing to question it’s full intentions. This one doesn’t work for me.

Bottled. Poured a medium chestnut brown with a creamy cap of darker beige head. The aroma was heavy and sour with vinegar and metallic notes distracting from the brown sugar, nutty notes, and raisins beneath.. dusty yeast accents. Flavor began with a sour twist.. opened into a heavy brown sugar and raisin middle with warm spices and some unwelcome boozy notes.. sticky raisins and a messy balance between sweetness, sourness, and alcohol at the culmination. Dry on the palate with a striking lack of balance at several points.. just not particularly good.

This is an unusual and very good beer. Thick and sweet. The aroma has brown sugar, and light fruit. Flavor has sweet malt and lots of spice. Sweet, and surprisingly some barnyard character A little bit sour. Good mix of the sweet and sour. Cloudy gold color.

On tap at the Monk. Slightly sour with lots of dark fruit. Not overly sour or strong...a bit thin. OK.

Dark brown color with a thick head. Smells of raisins and soy sauce. Tastes much the same with a lot of sweet & sour going on. Somewhat yeasty. If you love raisins, yes; if you’re like me and can do without them, no.

Thanks to akevitt for sharing. Cloudy brown body with a faint orange tinge to it. White head with yeast and raisins. Sweet taste with faint honey and much more raisins. Spicy, yeast finish.