-
Stop lurking! Log in to search, post in our forums, review beers, see fewer ads, and more. — Todd, Founder of BeerAdvocate
't Smisje Kerst
Brouwerij Smisje
- From:
- Brouwerij Smisje
- Belgium
- Style:
- Belgian Dark Strong Ale
Ranked #83 - ABV:
- 11%
- Score:
- 88
Ranked #13,627 - Avg:
- 3.94 | pDev: 9.64%
- Reviews:
- 78
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Mar 10, 2024
- Added:
- May 16, 2003
- Wants:
- 7
- Gots:
- 3
Also known as Smiske Winter
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by weeare138:
Reviewed by weeare138 from Pennsylvania
4.15/5 rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.15/5 rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Much thanks to mughugger for sharing this rare treat...
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.
Feb 15, 2007Appears 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.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by CBlack85 from South Carolina
3.71/5 rDev -5.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.71/5 rDev -5.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Poured from an 11.2 oz bottle into a New Belgium Globe Glass.
There is no indication of when the beer was brewed, though the cap was marked "Lot 87", but I could not find anything on line to indicate what that meant.
The beer pours a muddy brown color. An aggressive pour yields a small head that recedes quickly, leaving behind a small ring around the edges of the beer, and no lacing to speak of.
The aroma is mild but complex, comprised of caramel, raisins, molasses, and dates, chocolate. There are also hints of dark bread and cherries. the beer seems to have an overall earthy undertone
The flavor, is similar to the aroma; a complex mix of dark fruit, caramel, molasses, dark bread, and a nice sweetness that offsets the spices that are absent in the aroma, but pleasantly present in the flavor. The mouthfeel is a bit thin and almost watery, low carbonation with a slightly sticky finish. No real booziness despite the 11% ABV
This is medium bodied, slightly thin, and with no real booziness to it.
Overall, while there is a general spiciness, none of the spices were prevalent enough to pick out. The beer is enjoyable, and interesting, but I don't think it is making any top 10 lists. I am glad I got a chance to try it, but I would not go out of my way to find it again.
Mar 10, 2024There is no indication of when the beer was brewed, though the cap was marked "Lot 87", but I could not find anything on line to indicate what that meant.
The beer pours a muddy brown color. An aggressive pour yields a small head that recedes quickly, leaving behind a small ring around the edges of the beer, and no lacing to speak of.
The aroma is mild but complex, comprised of caramel, raisins, molasses, and dates, chocolate. There are also hints of dark bread and cherries. the beer seems to have an overall earthy undertone
The flavor, is similar to the aroma; a complex mix of dark fruit, caramel, molasses, dark bread, and a nice sweetness that offsets the spices that are absent in the aroma, but pleasantly present in the flavor. The mouthfeel is a bit thin and almost watery, low carbonation with a slightly sticky finish. No real booziness despite the 11% ABV
This is medium bodied, slightly thin, and with no real booziness to it.
Overall, while there is a general spiciness, none of the spices were prevalent enough to pick out. The beer is enjoyable, and interesting, but I don't think it is making any top 10 lists. I am glad I got a chance to try it, but I would not go out of my way to find it again.
Reviewed by GreesyFizeek from New York
3.8/5 rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.8/5 rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
This one pours a semi murky golden yellow color, with a small head, and a little bit of lacing.
This smells like dried raisins and dates, chocolate, leather, and molasses.
This is solid but slightly thin tasting Belgian strong dark ale, with some port notes that are reminiscent of leather, raisins, and dates. There’s also chocolate and a stale breadiness.
This is medium bodied, slightly thin, and with no real booziness to it.
I wanted a little bit more out of this, but it was still cool to try.
May 15, 2023This smells like dried raisins and dates, chocolate, leather, and molasses.
This is solid but slightly thin tasting Belgian strong dark ale, with some port notes that are reminiscent of leather, raisins, and dates. There’s also chocolate and a stale breadiness.
This is medium bodied, slightly thin, and with no real booziness to it.
I wanted a little bit more out of this, but it was still cool to try.
Reviewed by MonDak_Joe1953 from Minnesota
4.03/5 rDev +2.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.03/5 rDev +2.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
11.2oz bottle. No dating information on label or on the bottle but there are numbers on the cap that do not clearly indicate a date.
Amber brown colored body. Brief skiff of off white head. No lacing.
Aroma is faint, with peach, date, and grape.
Taste is sweet peach, raisin, and date, along with a more bitter note from sour grape and green apple. Mix of the sweet and bitter in the aftertaste.
Medium mouth feel with a bit of syrup. Rather still carbonation.
Similar to a port wine. Good balance of sweet and bitter.
Dec 24, 2022Amber brown colored body. Brief skiff of off white head. No lacing.
Aroma is faint, with peach, date, and grape.
Taste is sweet peach, raisin, and date, along with a more bitter note from sour grape and green apple. Mix of the sweet and bitter in the aftertaste.
Medium mouth feel with a bit of syrup. Rather still carbonation.
Similar to a port wine. Good balance of sweet and bitter.
Reviewed by DaveMaciolek21 from New Jersey
4.48/5 rDev +13.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.48/5 rDev +13.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Dark brown and ruby in the glass with a moderate, quickly disappearing head. Flavors are multiple dark fruits--you'll taste dates, figs, raisins, with perhaps a touch of molasses. The beer maintains is complexity through most of the glass--a little alcohol creeps in when it warms, but essentially a great choice on a cold winter night.
Dec 26, 2020Reviewed by SLeffler27 from New York
4.25/5 rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
4.25/5 rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Pours dark garnet brown and a bit hazy. A short-lived dark khaki tight foam settles to a thick blanket leaving no lace in a Rochefort chalice.
Rich earthiness marks the otherwise sweet aroma. Dark fruits such as raisins, dates and figs compliment pumpernickel bread. Warmth reveals prunes and Brazil nuts.
Strong flavors are revealed within a well-balanced sweet/bitter profile. This follows the nose with earthy flavors being more prominent. After the modest finish and warmth, some ginger is noticeable.
This is extraordinarily creamy with ample carbonation against a light medium body. It is on the dry side with alcohol well below expectations.
Kerst may stretch the style but it does so in positive ways. I found it to be just right while relaxing after work on a cold winter day before dinner.
Jul 25, 2017Rich earthiness marks the otherwise sweet aroma. Dark fruits such as raisins, dates and figs compliment pumpernickel bread. Warmth reveals prunes and Brazil nuts.
Strong flavors are revealed within a well-balanced sweet/bitter profile. This follows the nose with earthy flavors being more prominent. After the modest finish and warmth, some ginger is noticeable.
This is extraordinarily creamy with ample carbonation against a light medium body. It is on the dry side with alcohol well below expectations.
Kerst may stretch the style but it does so in positive ways. I found it to be just right while relaxing after work on a cold winter day before dinner.
Reviewed by Beginner2 from Illinois
4.16/5 rDev +5.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.16/5 rDev +5.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Here is an example of what happens when you take short-cuts in your (my) research.
I bought this because I recognized the brewery's name and had a few of their quirky interpretations... of which all were interesting and one superbly good.
So this bottle of Kerst hangs in my cellar, somewhat neglected because it is hard to know what you are going to get with Smisje. In a flurry of cleaning out my beer cellar to prepare for Fall, this one gets ramped up to the staging area in the cooler.... and I soon pop the top.
The research problem emerges quickly because I want a beer to soothe the Dog Days of Summer. Fortunately for me, there was enough alcohol in this beer that I could imagine it was January in Chicago... instead of the humid, heavy rainstorm in July that was passing through.
This is a great ale... but follow this advice: drink it when the temperatures are low.
Jul 24, 2016I bought this because I recognized the brewery's name and had a few of their quirky interpretations... of which all were interesting and one superbly good.
So this bottle of Kerst hangs in my cellar, somewhat neglected because it is hard to know what you are going to get with Smisje. In a flurry of cleaning out my beer cellar to prepare for Fall, this one gets ramped up to the staging area in the cooler.... and I soon pop the top.
The research problem emerges quickly because I want a beer to soothe the Dog Days of Summer. Fortunately for me, there was enough alcohol in this beer that I could imagine it was January in Chicago... instead of the humid, heavy rainstorm in July that was passing through.
This is a great ale... but follow this advice: drink it when the temperatures are low.
Rated by Barnchaser from Kentucky
4.07/5 rDev +3.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.07/5 rDev +3.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
2 finger plus head, Dissipating quickly. Effervescent. Pretty Ruby brown color.
Warm, Boozy and spicy.
Mar 10, 2016Warm, Boozy and spicy.
't Smisje Kerst from Brouwerij Smisje
Beer rating:
88 out of
100 with
117 ratings
We love reviews (150 characters or more)! Check out: How to Review a Beer. You don't need to get fancy. Drop some thoughts on the beer's attributes (look, smell, taste, feel) plus your overall impression. Something that backs up your rating and helps others. Thanks!