The Sixth Beer of Christmas

For beers 6 and 7, I decided to explore a couple Belgian imports that are new to me.  Beer number 6 in this series is 't Smisje Plus IPA from Regenboog Brewery in a suburb of Bruges.  I picked this beer up at Whole Foods for two simple reasons: it was a Belgian IPA and it came in the classic 330 mL indestructible bottle (sure there is a special name for it, but my quick Google search did not turn up a name)  I have always enjoyed Chouffe Houblon so I was glad to see another opportunity to try another Belgian version of this beer style.  The bottle itself is just a novelty for me.  Most domestic beers come in a light weight bottle with a pretty standard shape.  The 330 mL import bottle is very heavy, short and stubby.  Just something about this heavy duty bottle that I like.  In trying to research this brewery and beer, I was not able to find very much other than it is a small microbrewery in Belgian that was started by a bee keeper.  The label alludes to this possibly being a Double IPA based on the "Plus" in the name and the 10% alcohol.  Other than that, I went into this tasting relatively blind.  Here is what I discovered once I popped the cap:

• Package:  330 mL bottle
• Appearance: Cloudy; Dark gold/amber color; Thick creamy head; Sediment remains in the bottle hinting that this beer was probably primed and carbonated in the bottle
• Aroma: Mostly typical Belgian aromas with noticeable spice and clove; some candy like sweetness; A touch of alcohol; No hop related aromas which I find a little strange for an IPA
• Taste: Huge upfront hop flavor, then some quick sweetness; A metallic flavor is present and not pleasant
• Mouthfeel: Tight carbonation with medium body; Such high bitterness that it puckers the tongue

Overall this beer disappointed and held none of the charm and wonderful flavors you would find in the Chouffe Houblon.  The Smisje Plus IPA is overly weighted with hop flavor and bitterness and is very much out of balance.  Any spice flavor present in the aroma was completely overwhelmed by the hops as was just about any other flavor that was present.  I was really hoping for a great experience with this beer, but was left disappointed.  I am not sure what this brewer was trying to achieve with this recipe.  Hopefully I can find some more information to learn where things might have gone wrong.  Luckily beer 7 provided much more enjoyment!  More to come on that tomorrow.

Comments

[hangover cures]

I like bitter beers, some bitter beers are thick and dark, I find that drinking them at normal tempreture is the best.

[Air Jordan]

More than any time in history mankind faces a crossroads. One path leads to despair and utter hopelessness, the other to total extinction. Let us pray that we have the wisdom to choose correctly. Do you think so?