't Smisje Calva Reserva
Brouwerij Smisje

't Smisje Calva Reserva't Smisje Calva Reserva
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From:
Brouwerij Smisje
 
Belgium
Style:
Belgian Dark Strong Ale
Ranked #96
ABV:
12%
Score:
87
Ranked #16,016
Avg:
3.89 | pDev: 14.65%
Reviews:
113
Ratings:
166
Status:
Active
Rated:
Nov 30, 2023
Added:
Nov 26, 2003
Wants:
  10
Gots:
  11
No description / notes.
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Ratings by jampics2:
Photo of jampics2
Reviewed by jampics2 from Ohio

3.73/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Sampled with the Grand Reserve, which I much preferred, though this wasn't bad.

Amber beer, looks very similar to the GR.

Smell is sweet malt, toffee, and the calvados wood.

Taste is a bit too hot for me, not as balanced as the GR. Brown sugar, malt, figs, toffee, Spices, and Belgian yeast.

Mouthfeel was good, nice low carb.

Very drinkable but a touch too hot. OK beer.
Jan 23, 2010
More User Ratings:
Photo of tobelerone
Reviewed by tobelerone from New Jersey

4.37/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
This is an off the wall kind of beer with a ton going on. Not entirely sure of the vintage of my bottles (went back for a few more as all in all this is a fantastic drinking experience). Kind of muddy with a smallish head after a hard pour - that dissipates quickly leaving one with a middleweight beer with low carbonation but still retaining a little life in the mouth. There is little in the way of fresh coriander seed but perhaps some modest concluding bitter
Notes suggest it. The beer changes a lot as the temperature comes up, with the apple brandy aging emerging a bit. Amidst the soft sweetnesss of the apples and Barleywine-like tones of toffee and brûléed sugar there is a persistent savoriness, Marsala and mushrooms, oloroso sherry and generally pleasant oxidation. Getting subtle yeasty phenols in there too. It’s layer on layer of complexity.

This beer is far from perfect and perhaps I’ve rated it highly due to my enthusiasm for its uniqueness. This just falls into my wheelhouse (as a fan of barleywines, port, sherries, Marsala etc). One could say it’s not pretty to look at it, it’s thinning out and doesn’t have a profound enough base to support everything that’s going on in the palate, and even that it’s flavors are disharmonious - and you wouldn’t be entirely wrong. Sue me though, I dig it.
Nov 30, 2023
 
Rated: 4.24 by golf4collet from West Virginia

May 05, 2019
 
Rated: 4 by paulish from New York

Dec 27, 2018
Photo of emerge077
Reviewed by emerge077 from Illinois

4.03/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Vintage bottle, date unknown. Red cap “Calva B6”.

Dark russet brown with an orangey glint in the light. Momentary head of loose foam that fades in a minute. Spotty patchy surface skim.

Dried fruit leather aroma, a little oxidized malt and autolysed yeast.

Taste still has some barrel character, apple, tobacco, woodsmoke, leather. Tangy with a smoked apple note, lingering aftertaste with a mild bitterness. Medium bodied, fairly smooth considering the abv and age. Overall it’s unique and worth drinking, has kind of an autumnal fireside vibe going on.
Oct 06, 2017
Photo of BIGPOPPAS
Reviewed by BIGPOPPAS from New Jersey

4.6/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Absolutely one of my all time favorites.
By the time I discovered this brew during the past summer only two bottles remained and the manager told me they didn't deal with the distributor any longer .Ughhhh :(
My friends from Belgium had never even tried this one before as they live in West Flanders and this brewery is in East .
I can't explain the smell and taste, but it has to do with these special barrels it's aged in and the spices .
Super delicious strong and dark Belgian that has a potent kick, but you will not taste the high abv.

Hoping to come across this one again one day, so I can stockpile them for years to come :)

Highest rating I've given yet , though I have not had many great ones and still have to review plenty that I have enjoyed :) Cheers !!
Nov 14, 2016
Photo of JayQue
Reviewed by JayQue from Virginia

3.84/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Pours an orangy/light brown opaque color from an 11.2 oz bottle into my Chimay goblet. Small white head, lots of bubbles. The head fades fast, no lacing. Aroma is dark fruit {plums and raisins) some oak and the brandy. Taste is more of the same with some sweet malt. Mouthfeel is rich with a lot of alcohol warming and some alcohol "bite" even though I have had the bottle for around 2 years. This is a tasty BSDA and a great slow sipper.
Nov 08, 2016
Photo of StonedTrippin
Reviewed by StonedTrippin from Colorado

4.39/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
how good is this?! man oh man, what a splendid beer from one of the most overlooked producers i can think of. this is a barleywine type strong malty ale, aged in calvados barrels, and its amazing! cant believe how affordable it is too! lighter brown in color with some deep mahogany notes to it, a short but persistent tan head rests lazily on top, this is definitely mature beer, been in the bottle awhile, and in a barrel for a long while before that. the apple brandy is immediately evident in the aroma, oaky and sweet, red apple skins, red grape, strong malt, molasses, fig, tobacco, this is highly nuanced and complex beer, and the flavor follows the nose pretty well. lots of the barrel character, oak and fruit, somewhat rotting, overripe apple, bruised but still edible, with a baked malt base, almost like a pie. honey and grain, granola sort of quality about the base beer, and some ancient high gravity ale yeast thats tired but still lingering. enormously impressive glass of beer here, amazing what this barrel treatment brings to it, and a lighter more mature base beer than anticipated. easily the best i have had from these guys. this is expert stuff, hoping to find more out there in the world one day...
Sep 30, 2016
Photo of CoreyC
Reviewed by CoreyC from Wisconsin

4.66/5  rDev +19.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Approximately two year old bottle
A - Brown with light white head
S - Dark fruits and prominent Calvados
T - Really good strong dark stone fruits (raisin, plum, prune) as in other excellent BSDAs which are very much enhanced by the Clavados - excellent flavor
M - Nice, sticky
O - Exceptional BSDA
Aug 12, 2016
 
Rated: 4.71 by bigred89 from Maryland

Jul 30, 2016
 
Rated: 4 by Zekenyce from New Jersey

Jun 23, 2016
Photo of teromous
Reviewed by teromous from Virginia

3.17/5  rDev -18.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
No bottle date that I can see. The label appearance is a bit different than the one displayed and the ABV is listed as 11% on this bottle.

Appearance: Murky dark tea colored body with a very short head that is very short lived. The head is an off white with a small bit of yellow. It fades as soon as it is poured and doesn't even leave a ring. Very poor head retention. No lacing.

Aroma: I get a very light but sweet smelling caramel aroma that intermingles with a bit of wood. The label says it is brewed with coriander but I don't pick it up at all.

Taste: I'm getting more of that caramel flavor with a bit of a fruity touch at the end. A nice woody finish. Aside from that there honestly isn't a whole lot more going on in this beer. There is a bit of a honey flavor in the aftertaste which is nice but it is very faint.

Mouthfeel: Medium body without much texture. Some apparent alcohol but nothing overwhelming while the beer stays cool. There is not much bitterness. There is a slight tinge to the beer at the front of the palate which adds a touch of complexity but overall it is a bit lackluster.

Overall: It is hard for me to even rate this as average because I find that many parts of the beer are lacking in depth and complexity. I could not consider this beer to be in the poor range given the minor strengths it does have. There is a nice caramel sweetness to the beer and the honey aftertaste is quite nice. Overall I really wouldn't recommend it to a person seeking Belgian Strong Dark Ales or simply Belgian Ales for the first time, but to the more experienced drinker of Belgian Ales I might recommend it for its minor positive attributes that would be appreciated by a person with a bit more tread under their tires.
Apr 26, 2016
 
Rated: 3.33 by GRG1313 from California

Jan 28, 2016
 
Rated: 4.21 by REVZEB from Illinois

Nov 21, 2015
Photo of stakem
Reviewed by stakem from Pennsylvania

3.62/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
Dinky 250cl bottle that ive had for a number of years (dating back to my infatuation with calvados BA beers) and by the looks of the sediment sticking to the glass, this is bare minimum 6, maybe 8 or so years old. It pours dark amber to brown with minimal head.

It smells of woody earthen calvados with some oxidation and chocolate/raison. Toffee and caramel is also present.

Tastes oxidized with paper/foliage chocolate and raison. Woody yet boozy. This has an earthiness about it that tastes similar to every "old school" calvados barrel aged beer ive tasted that was pushing several years old.

This is medium in body with light carbonation. Earthy and woodsy but showing its age. More enjoyable than the new rebrew that I hear is tart and has been infected.
Nov 10, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by aProtagonist from Georgia

Jul 29, 2015
Photo of Zach136
Reviewed by Zach136 from Georgia

4.1/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Appearance: Muddy brown with a solid head for 12%

Aroma: Sweet caramel malt with a touch of tomato...

Flavor: Touch of oxidation and burnt caramel.

Mouthfeel: Medium with a pretty dissipating finish.
Jun 27, 2015
 
Rated: 4.56 by evilcatfish from Missouri

Jun 02, 2015
 
Rated: 4.15 by TrulySlide from Virginia

May 28, 2015
Photo of MissSmisje
Reviewed by MissSmisje from New Jersey

4.68/5  rDev +20.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Poured from a stubby bottle with a red cab and purple label into HF tulip. Has been in the cellar for 2.5+ years.
L: beautiful garnet red/brown, with khaki, almost mocha head. Head is much less than other Smisjes, maybe one finger, not erupting out of the bottle, dissipates into a thin collar and island.
S: smells like a dry cidar, some raisins and plum, a tiny bit of malt.
T: apples predominate - fresh but not tart apples, and cooked apples. Some raisins and plum, and little raspberry. Oak. There is some tartness, but it is berry tartness, not apple tartness. Some caramel. A very faint trace of baking spices, but it could just be flavor association.
F: just about perfect, like thick apple juice, but not at all syrupy. Perfect for sipping. Light carbonation, but you can feel it.
O: I love this beer. It's undoubtedly more beer than cidar, and I love where it falls on that spectrum. My favorite smisje after the Double. So happy I have a few more socked away in the cellar. Very curious to see if it changes more, but would be happy if it stays as it is.
May 12, 2015
't Smisje Calva Reserva from Brouwerij Smisje
Beer rating: 87 out of 100 with 166 ratings