Guido - Brouwerij Smisje

LaPeste

California

4.05/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

11.2 oz bottle $4.99 at Vendome in North Hollywood

A: Cloudy medium brown, two finger head that takes a couple of minutes to subside. Looking at it, I want to drink it.

S: Vanilla, cinnamon, raisins, chocolate, spice. Wow!!! Nice.

T: At first it taste like an Abbey Dubbel, then the after-notes are tart, cherry and sour. On second sip the honey really is apparant, very nice.

M: Full bodied, sticky, puckering, a good amount of carbonation

D: This is a sipper. Don't think I could have more than one of these, but this way good for sure.

I will definitely get this one again. Very unusual. Very tasty.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2009 07:16:25 | More by LaPeste

Misanthropy_Sipping

Nebraska

4.49/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

It took me several times returning to this beer to get into it and appreciate it. A one time go at it is a bit surprising. It's also odd, but I think it puts out a lot of originality, even though similar ideas/styles have been done before.

Pours a very nice dark amber, a bit dirty looking. Almost looks like a jar of really good honey. Fairly lively.

Smell is pretty pungent. There is clearly the honey which is listed on the label coming through and a touch of sugary raisins. A strikingly earthy yeast smell, and also a hint of caramel and fermenting flowers. A little bit of booze comes out as well.

Taste is very nice, warms up great. There is clear amounts of delicious honey. A perfect amount. There is tart apple thing that snips the end. The raisins come through very gently, definitely more of a golden raisin in taste that mingles with touches of Belgian candi sugar. Tons of earth on this, a very interesting, dirty taste. But it remains somehow clean and crisp in a way. It's odd. Slightly sticky with a touch of caramel. A tad bitter on the end... very very very low bitter, and a bit dry. Booze is pretty well hidden.

Mouthfeel is really nice, comes in a bit thick and sticky, but is then scoured away by a sand grain and perfect carbonation. A bit dry, but the dryness is very nice.

Overall, like I said, I have had this few times and it took several runs to come to a decision on it. At first it was a bit too odd even for my standards. But it is Smisje, great quality and always intriguing. Once you get used to it or if you are just in the mood for earthy and mellow sweetness, it is pretty awesome. A very respectable brew. I'll be happy to come across this again, I'll continue to buy this when I'm given the chance.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 04:01:23 | More by Misanthropy_Sipping

Thomas_Picton

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +8.1%

04-26-2013 02:22:46 | More by Thomas_Picton

JohnnyHopps

Indiana

3.79/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

The ale was poured into a snifter with a cloudy brown color. I can't recall ever seeing a beer with so much sediment in a beer. It looked as though there was a sandstorm occurring in my glass. The lights in my house were like the sun being blocked out as I peered through the glass. A modest dark head was produced, showing lacing on the sides of the glass. In the aroma, I detected a mild grape note. I suspect much of this comes from the raisin. In reality, the aroma was fairly tame. In the initial taste, one first detects the funky Belgian yeast. The honey smooths the potential harshness of the alcohol, moments before one detects the tang of the raisin. For a Belgian strong, the alcohol is reasonably modest. Still, one can easily detect the mild warming in the throat with the aftertaste. Guido had a fairly smooth and modestly thick texture, making this a easy drink. I am not sure that I liked it a ton, but it sure was interesting.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 15:09:13 | More by JohnnyHopps

AdamBNYC

New York

4.5/5  rDev +14.5%

12-10-2012 04:08:01 | More by AdamBNYC

steve8robin

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -10.9%

11-03-2012 03:10:21 | More by steve8robin

Martstar

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev -4.6%

09-15-2012 06:15:35 | More by Martstar

brentk56

North Carolina

3.78/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a slightly hazy russet color; the rather modest head quickly fades to a ringlet, though it leaves some dotty lace behind

Smell: Woodsy aromatics, with tawny port, caramel, fermented honey and herbal elements

Taste: Herbal caramel, up front, with the sweet port and fermented honey character building by mid-palate; dark fruit flavors build, in the middle, adding additional sweetness as well as a hint of tartness to the melange; the finish is earthy, woodsy and herbal

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body with low carbonation

Overall: Interesting beer, though it tastes a little tired to me (Though I just purchased this from a store that is relatively new, I suspect this beer is a pre-2008 brew as the brewery is listed as de Regenboog which, according to the brewery profile on BA, changed its name to Smisje in 2008)

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2012 19:44:23 | More by brentk56

gueuzegossage

California

3.5/5  rDev -10.9%

03-26-2012 18:51:14 | More by gueuzegossage

keithmurray

Louisiana

3.63/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

11.2oz bottle poured into a tulip

appearance - murky brown liquid with huge, pillowy khaki head

smell - honey is most prominent on this one, yeast, bread, raisins, caramel

taste - raisins, honey, prunes, yeast, figs, brown sugar

mouthfeel - heavy carbonation, full bodied, a bit less balanced than other iterations of this style, sweet upfront, dry finish

overall - pretty good beer, albeit not as refined as other BSDA's. I can't tell how much age this bottle had on it, but Glad I tried this out.

Price Point - $4.79/11.2 oz bottle

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2012 23:18:45 | More by keithmurray

ml16

Massachusetts

5/5  rDev +27.2%

03-12-2012 03:27:19 | More by ml16

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.83/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Where Barleywines and Belgian Strong Dark Ales meet is where Guido stands. With malty sweetness at the forefront, the additions of honey and raisons give a beautifully complex taste to the sweeter Belgian ale for a unique tasting experience.

Guido pours with a prune juice-like tawny color and haze. Where the light carbonation struggles to form or retain any impression of foam, I begin to appreciate the appearance in more of an English Old Ale kind of way instead of the classic Belgian ale typical appearances. Where lacing is terse, a swirl of the glass leaves the classy legging of brandy.

The malty-rich aromas reveal strong notes of molasses, floral honey, brown sugar, and fruity notes of dehydrated or stone varieties. Lightly vinous with port wine notes, light leather, tobacco, and brandyish alcohol spice all play on the nose with an overall rich and inviting scent.

Malty sweetness delivers a solid taste of molasses and brown sugar, but not as strongly as the aromas suggest. Instead, a semi-sweet taste of barley malt and honey weaves in the strong fruit flavors of raisons, plumbs, dates, figs, red grapes, and wine must. Spicy flavors of black peppercorn, dried orange peel, cumin, and corriander balance the sweetness to a moderate extent but also to allow malt flavor to control. Other elements of Old Ales begin to resemble the mild sherry, fresh tobacco, and leathery notes and give this Belgian ale a complicated schizophrenic bridge toward Barleywine.

Sweet and rich textures halt just shy of full or robust. But with the lighter carbonation rates and higher level of residual honey sweetess, the beer seems to sit on the tongue for a weighted impression that seems to coat the mouth with a rich and warm film. Spices build going from mid palate to finish and aids in dryness, thinness, and heat. It drinks more powerfull than even the 8% alcohol seemingly should.

Guido is a satisfying raison and honey focused beer that straddles the fence of both strong English and Belgian ales. Fans of Gulden Draak and Kasteel Donker will surely find this beer an unfailing choice.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2012 07:31:47 | More by BEERchitect

monitorpop

Michigan

4.43/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served from bottle at Brugs Beertje in Belgium

A: Clean, yet foggy amber with a half finger white head. Decent lacing lines the glass while drinking.

S: Sweet caramel, malty and subtile vanilla.

T: SWEET... Malts, dried figs, raw sugar, caramel...

M: Lightly carbonated. Smooth, yet a bit sticky and cloying.

O: Really glad to find this still available, since it is apparently no longer brewed...

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2012 01:39:48 | More by monitorpop

dprophet

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +1.8%

01-22-2012 11:03:50 | More by dprophet

Stoutsman

Kansas

4.5/5  rDev +14.5%

01-14-2012 22:04:27 | More by Stoutsman

ygtbsm94

Virginia

2.5/5  rDev -36.4%

01-05-2012 08:26:32 | More by ygtbsm94

jophish17

Georgia

3.5/5  rDev -10.9%

12-24-2011 08:39:21 | More by jophish17

ROGUE16

Delaware

4/5  rDev +1.8%

12-07-2011 21:02:35 | More by ROGUE16

deapokid

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +1.8%

11-25-2011 20:01:45 | More by deapokid

Rochefort10nh

New Hampshire

4/5  rDev +1.8%

11-25-2011 15:17:00 | More by Rochefort10nh

mrunseen

Washington

4/5  rDev +1.8%

11-23-2011 05:04:08 | More by mrunseen

corby112

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +1.8%

11-22-2011 03:10:13 | More by corby112

pixieskid

France

3.55/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Unfortunately poured with that insane carbonation that creeps up and out of the glass...oh well.

Pours light brown/ruby red color with a 3 finger head.
Aroma; notes of toffee, candy sugar, and a slight earthiness.
Medium thin body, syrupy yet crisp, rabid carbonation.
Taste is all brown sugar and spice.
This thing would probably be the perfect xmas beer, honestly.
Great balance and mouthfeel, just a bit on the sweet side; slightly boozy as well.

Overall; pretty solid just a bit too sweet for my taste...

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2011 20:07:52 | More by pixieskid

JAHMUR

Connecticut

4/5  rDev +1.8%

11-15-2011 00:17:42 | More by JAHMUR

Jspriest

Maryland

5/5  rDev +27.2%

11-14-2011 17:52:52 | More by Jspriest