Smiske Bruin
Brouwerij Smisje

 

 

 

Picked up at a store called Bierparadisj in northern Belgium near the Netherlands border.

Pours a mirky brown with a fluffy off white head. Not sure if it was the bottle but there was a lot of head that stuck around for a while.

Smells mildly fruity but with a pungent malty scent.

Tastes semi sour with a bitter like finish. Not what I expected but somewhat interesting.

Mouthfeel was there though, as stated above, an unexpected taste hung around.

Overall, not a bad beer. Not what I expected but the interesting taste was both intriguing and complex. Would certainly try again but not a beer I could drink all night.

Dumpy 33cl brown bottle, cap claimed a best before date of 02/2014, poured into a Hoegaarden Grand Cru badged tulip: suited it nicely. Obtained from De Bierboom, Brugge: Euro 2.60, a bargin!

Cloudy, murky and dull dirty brown/deep red in colour, huge foaming crown on top: no sediment left the bottle (I think). Impressive lacing as the beer level dropped.

Only Belgian beers smell like this, those yeast aromas just don't come from anywhere else: it's as if you're wafting them into your nose from a fermenting vessel.

The taste sharp and semi vinegarous (might have been a bit young?), great tartness to it, without pulling your cheeks in though. Malts in the flavour, something is bittering it as well, most likely hops, but you never really know in Belgium do you?

Couldn't drink this all night, but really enjoyed the bottle I've reviewed. I'm not a Belgian sour lover, this is getting towards that area but isn't a Lambic style in any way, just on the sour side of the sweetness scale.