SMISJE SPECIAAL

Seeing today is Halloween it seems only right to open something that fits the bill, a pumpkin beer pherhaps? Well for me there is only one and yes it's from my favourite brewery Smisje (now Smiske) sadly though it's one that Johan no longer brews (fingers crossed for a revival)

Older bottle on left (will I open it?)  Recent bottle on right 

Smisje Speciaal pours a very cloudy, caramel colour with a large bubbly off white head that slowly falls to leave behind a constant, creamy, finger width covering.

Aroma is simply wonderful, first you get spices (clove, nutmeg) then lots of fruits (pears, bananas) along with herbs then a sweet, almost caramel / toffee roundness. Do I get pumpkin? well there is an earthy / musky edge to it......could that be the magical ingredient?

                                                                            

Taste.......YES! You can detect pumpkin - that sweet, earthy, musty note, again spices fill you taste buds (almost black pepper) sweet malts carry the flavour along with a light citrus edge that provides the perfect balance. Alcohol is detected on the finish (this beer is 10.5% ABV) but not burning just a nice glow, it really is amazing just how drinkable this beer is.

Smisje continue to excite me and their retired beers continue to amaze me.


http://www.smisje.be/

PATRASCHE

Next up a beer brewed by De Proefbrouwerij for brouwerij de Arend in Hoboken, Patrasche is named after the dog in the story "A Dog of Flanders"

Pours a dark nut brown with a slight red hue, topped with large, creamy tan coloured head that slowly fades, leaving behind a lasting centimetre covering.

Pleasant aroma of sweet roasted malts, brown sugar, dried fruits, hints of liquorice and faint chocolate notes. Taste is sweet and fruity with roasted malts, dark fruits, caramel, raisin also a slight oak bitterness in the finish.

An easy drinking beer, good but at the same time middle of the road.  

DEUS (BRUT DES FLANDERS)

Last week was a time for celebration in our household, so this called for a special bottle. What do we open to toast this special occasion.....Champagne - no way, Belgian beer is our passion so it had to be DeuS, a beer that
can easily be classed as a Champage beer (even the bottle follows suit)

Tightly holding the cork whilst carefully and slowly twisting the bottle no more than two turns is enough, the pressure within does the rest and a loud, characteristic "POP" rings out as the cork is fired from the neck.
Quickly but smoothly pouring produces a clear amber beer that is intensely carbonated being crammed full with streams of tiny bubbles, topped with a large white foamy head that slowly fades - incredibly Champagne like in its appearance.

Powerful aroma of spiced green apples, dry floral hops, alcohol (well this beer is 11.5% ABV) also citrus...lemon almost and a musky / yeasty finish.

Taste is full of fruits - grapes, crisp pears, lemons and also a note of spiced bananas, with a flowery (almost herbal) edge, bready malts and a honey like sweetness in the finish. The mouth feel is as you'd expect carbonated and dry but this just helps to keep the flavour alive.


http://www.bestbelgianspecialbeers.be/main_eng.html  
 

SMISJE KUVEE ELEKTRIK 979W

My first entry for a while (internet problems) so it only seems right that I return with something a bit special....something that sadly is no longer brewed.....and something from one of my favourite breweries - Smisje, the beer in question Kuvee Elektrik 979W.

Pours a dark, hazy, chestnut brown, topped with a huge, bubbly, tan coloured head that quickly collapses in on itself to leave behind a thin constant covering.
Wonderful, appealing, complex aroma of bitter dark cocoa, dark dried fruits, caramel, roasted malts (almost bread like) before finishing with a definite hoppy / zesty tingle.

Taste is full of woody, roasted malts upfront but then brown sugar sweetness comes through along with again cocoa bitterness and dark sour fruits combined with a spicy mouthfeel, grassy earthy hops in the end providing the perfect balance.

GULDEN DRAAK

A beer that takes it's name from the golden dragon that sits on top of the Belfry of Ghent, Gulden Draak is instantly recognisable in its white bottle complete with bold black band and golden dragon.

From that beautiful white bottle a dark (almost black) beer pours, with it rises one of the largest heads on any Belgian beer, enormous, tan coloured and my does it last, slowly falling to leave a rocky covering.

Powerful, deep aroma of dark roasted candy malts, liquorice, raisins and cherries, caramel, spices and yes alcohol. This really is a beer that you can just sit back and inhale, without tasting you know this something magical, instantly becoming a favourite.

Taste perfectly backs up the aroma, plenty of rich, roasted sweet malts, candy sugar (almost toffee like) smooth caramel, dark ripe fruits, a slight dose of spicing and unlike the aroma chocolate.....if you enjoyed the aroma the taste will knock you for six - outstanding!

A beer that I cannot praise highly enough, once tasted you'll be a fan for life.

     

SAXO

Time for another cracking beer from Falmignoul brewery Brasserie Caracole and another beer that features the trademark snail on the label.

A hazy straw/gold coloured beer with a large bubbly head that slowly recedes to a thin creamy lasting covering. Aroma is very fruity, full of apricot and citrus, then the typical heady combination of banana and clove along with a hoppy/bready note before finishing with a twist of citrus/lemon.

Taste starts sweet (almost honey like) then bready malts are detected along with light hops and subtle spices, orchard fruits like apple and pear  are there as well before finishing with a delicate floral edge.

Medium carbonation provides the perfect mouthfeel, lively yet creamy and smooth........another winner.      

DE DOLLE OERBIER

Time for another great beer from a great brewery, Oerbier by De Dolle. Oerbier means original beer and is a hark back to the homebrew the brothers produced when students.

The words Nat en Straf on the glass mean Wet and Strong an indication to the 9% ABV content. The little yellow person on the glass and label is the Oerbier man, in his hands he holds a brewers fork and a glass of beer.

Like its sister beer (Dulle Teve) this also took a while to patiently pour, but as the saying goes "good things come to those who wait"


Oerbier pours a murky deep brown with a slight ruby tinge topped with large creamy tan coloured head that hangs around, a really nice looking beer.

Complex aroma of yeast and malts, tart dark fruits (figs and sour cherries) then roasted dark caramel and a slight sharp (red wine barrels) finish.
Taste perfectly compliments the aroma, sweet malts, deep dark fruits (raisin, prune, plum and again tart cherries)  hops cut through to balance things out along with a slight spicy clove like finish.
This beer has definite tart, vinous qualities but not overbearing so, intriguing, original and a must try.


http://www.dedollebrouwers.be/