t Smisje Kerst

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

Appears a hazy, light golden amber with a small, off-white head that slowly fades away. Light lacing is left around the glass. Smell is yeasty, candy sugar, citrus, caramel, figs, and gentle spicing of pepper and thyme. Taste is of the mentioned aromas with some caramel and raisin flavors rising to the top of a sugary, yeasty bed. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, yeasty, sugary, lightly carbonated, and semi-dry.

11.2oz Bottle: (I estimate it to be around 2-years old) A beautiful auburn colored beer, topped by a dense, creamy tan head with a strong lacing. Fruity aroma. Lots of cherries and a light spicyness. Allspice, coriander, yeasty notes and some sweet brown sugar/Belgian malts. Flavor upfront is sweet Belgian malts. Slightly toasty and warming with a cinnamon spicyness. Sweet dark fruits: some prunes, figgy. Nice hint of caramel in the warming, mildly spicy finish. The 11% ABV is also hidden well, a nice one.

Tap @ übertavern: Labeled as t’smisje Speciale: Gold color, nice puffy white head and plenty of lacing. Nose is musky with dust and malt along with a fresh yeasty and citrus note. The flavor has that same citrusy note with a yeasty snap to it. Fairly strong and spicy with lots of acid and malt going on, but it’s good.

330ml bottle. Hazy and bottle conditioned. Brown hue with a nice pink glow. Thick moldy creamy white head. Strong spicy nose. Cinnamon and peppery spices. Toffee with a musty yeasty aroma. Full bodied with a rich smooth malt flavor and a zesty burn. Toffee malts with a cola flavor. Dried fruits. Prunes and raisins. Lively body with a yeasty bitter mustiness. Touch of citrus and other ripe fruits. Berry nuances. Sugary thickness. Sticky and long with a substantial burn. Quality seasonal!

(33cl bottle) Murky brown body topped by a large, pillowy beige head that leaves beautiful lacing. Aroma is moderately sweet, brown sugar, raisin/prune, caramel, metallic. Taste is moderately sweet, raisin, cookie, brown sugar, some metallic, chocolate, light earthy. Sticky medium-body.

Hazy red-brown with a frothy white head. Yeast and leather aroma. Intensely sweet, spicy honey-malt and yeast taste. Plenty of alcohol too. Dry finish.

Bottle sampled with Stegosaurus. Pours amber with an off-white head. Aroma of spices, alcohol, fruit. The flavor is smooth, fruit, and spices. Great beer.

Pours a ruby caramel color, with a nice creamy tan head. Great lacing also. The aroma is that of banana, dark fruit, and a hint of caramel or tofee, accomanied by a slight hint of alcohol. Very sweet up front with a little bit of bittersweet on the mid-palate. The flavor is complex and very malty with a noticeable alcohol character, but it is not overwhelming. Slight hints of banana, spices, and a decent hop presence on the end. I think this is a wonderfully balanced beer that lingers on your palate for awhile.