t Smisje Kerst

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

Murky orange pulp body, medium clumping cream head with nice lacing. Nose of sweet, sticky, fermented fruits, spice, and abundant sugars. The alcohol heat is also prominent. Tart, sweet body, spicy (including coriander), with pineapple, pear, and other fermented light fruits, alcohol, and toast. Good complexity and pleasant to drink despite the heat.

Bottle. Creamy off-white excellent fully lasting head. Amber colour. Moderate malty and heavy hoppy aroma. Very powerfull bitter complex flavor. Long heavy bitter finish. Creamy palate but a little too fizzy.

33 cL bottle, Kerstbierfestival 2007 in Essen/Belgium. Pours golden/copper brown, clear, with a diminished light yellow/orange head. Fruity aroma with notes of spices and some malt. Flavour is softly spiced and yeasty, very mild and with a light fruity note lingering into a soft finish. Lovely yeasty Belgian brew.

Pours a hazy, rusty copper color. A large, foamy, snow white head shows excellent retention, leaving sticky flares of lacing behind on the glass. The aroma is sweet, chewy, and malty, almost like a cross between an English Barleywine and a sticky Belgian. Candy sugar, caramel, nougat and cream make for a smooth, sweet base, while dates, figs, and golden raisons and dark fruity elements. The flavor is comprised of the same components, with a little floral hop character added in. Some cream soda is present as well. This brew sports a medium-full, slightly sticky body. Finishes long and slightly sour. Very nice, enjoyable brew. Perhaps just a touch too sweet and sticky on the palate.

Bottled@Kerstbierfestival, Essen. Brownish amber colour, small beige head. Aroma is spices and malts with some very citrus fruity notes. Flavour is fruits, yeast some herbs and spices and finishes with a nice warming touch of alcohol.

Very flavorful beer. Fairly smooth, but pours with a very big head. Medium sweetness, malty with citrus hints. Some spiciness, but I didn’t notice it too much. Could have been because I tried many other spicy beers that night.

Winter brew pours very dark with good sized head. Knockout alcohol should be noted please, take this like a winter warmer nightcap. A bit of spicy nose. Lots of corriander, pleasing Belg though not overwhelmed.

(33cl bottle, vintage 2005, courtesy of bierkoning) Hazy, amber colour with a big and off-white foamy head. Sweet and strong malty, slightly bready and sugary aroma with fruity accents (prunes, raisins). Sweet flavour, full bodied with a smooth and mellow mouthfeel. Strong malty base with raisins and a touch of caramel and chocolate; sweet, malt-accented, slightly alcoholic finish with spicy notes. Strong brew but also pretty rounded.