Struise Tsjeeses Reserva (Porto Barrel Aged)
De Struise Brouwers

Struise Tsjeeses Reserva (Porto Barrel Aged)Struise Tsjeeses Reserva (Porto Barrel Aged)
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
De Struise Brouwers
 
Belgium
Style:
Belgian Pale Strong Ale
Ranked #62
ABV:
10%
Score:
88
Ranked #13,619
Avg:
3.94 | pDev: 10.41%
Reviews:
38
Ratings:
123
Status:
Active
Rated:
Apr 12, 2023
Added:
Sep 26, 2012
Wants:
  5
Gots:
  26
2011 Vintage - Red & Yellow label.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Franck:
Photo of Franck
Rated by Franck from Canada (QC)

4/5  rDev +1.5%
2011 Vintage. Aged 3 years
Nov 20, 2014
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4 by paulish from New York

Apr 12, 2023
Photo of Sigmund
Reviewed by Sigmund from Norway

4.28/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Shared bottle at local tasting, Cloudy brown colour, large off-white head. Pleasant aroma of Belgian ale yeast, brown kandij sugar, mild spices and port wine barrel. Lovely flavour, even better than the aroma, with the same elements.
Jan 28, 2022
Photo of REVZEB
Reviewed by REVZEB from Illinois

3.86/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Cellared bottle. Opaque brown body with a white cap. Port, grape, fig and huge raisin nice nose. Taste is still boozy but better than bourbon variant, port fits more naturally with the expressive yeast, dark fruits, and caramel, but getting no oak at all. Very monotone. Feel is still warm verging on hot, resinous and sweet. Unlike the bourbon version this one was drinkable but not something I need to have again
Sep 16, 2021
Photo of maximum12
Reviewed by maximum12 from Minnesota

3.16/5  rDev -19.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
An 11.2 oz. bottle I dragged back from one of my work travels (when we did such things) that got buried in the fridge. Vintage 2013 bottle July 2014.

The pour is a very fizzy copper/rust hybrid with a nose heavy on port, honey, Christmas cookies, & a touch of oxidation. Interesting.

Struise Tsjeeses Reserva - Porto Barrel Aged is pretty tame (though perhaps wild by 2014 standards). Handful of spices up front include cinnamon, clove, white pepper & identify this as some kind of holiday brew, followed by a plumminess that might be yeast, long tail of sweetness, with a soft finishing whisper of port barrel. Soft. Certainly easy to sip.

Really just a standard holiday ale with a joyous sliver of port. Decent enough.
Nov 10, 2020
Photo of BeanBump
Reviewed by BeanBump from California

4.12/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
happened upon one, lone bottle of this beauty at my local bottle shop and I decided to adopt it. Glad I did. It has all the yeast-forward notes that you'd expect in a Belgian beer with the added pleasantries of plum and raisins on account of the port barrel. It is pretty sweet and dessert-y but the bottle size is the perfect amount - you wouldnt need any more. I really enjoyed this beer.
Feb 11, 2020
 
Rated: 3.96 by tobelerone from New Jersey

Jan 01, 2019
Photo of hoptheology
Reviewed by hoptheology from California

3.87/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
2013 vintage. Poured into Calusa Snifter.

Pours a golden color from the bottle forming a much darker, ruddier amber color in the glass with a heavy creamy head of off-white/khaki leaving minor sheets as it recedes.

Aroma is that of a Barleywine, real easy descriptor here. Some slightly stale hops but very complimentary with the rich caramel and toffee notes as well as some plum, light molasses, and light Belgian sugar. Barrel is there but although I know its port I don't think I could pinpoint exactly what it was had it not been printed on the bottle.

Flavor is much like the nose, both to its chagrin and linearity. Stale hop notes, caramel, hard toffee, slight wrinkly prune and plum, and again some barrel boozy burn but not distinct to any type.

Feel is hot and cutting, definite barrel presence here, with a hot caramel stickiness and slight resiny cling. Medium bodied, nice burn and carbonation.

Overall not quite what I'd hoped, but the $3 I paid for it is only hurting me modestly.
Dec 25, 2018
 
Rated: 3.93 by shelby415 from Oregon

Dec 24, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by Thorfinn960 from Ohio

Dec 11, 2018
 
Rated: 3.64 by KensWorld from Florida

Oct 27, 2018
Photo of RochefortChris
Reviewed by RochefortChris from North Carolina

3.45/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
Light brown with reddish highlights in color, medium low clarity, short lived off white head that rims the beer

Aroma is raisins, prunes, dark fruit, wood, port and noticeable oxidation. Aroma from hops is all but gone

Flavor is raisins, dark fruit, port, wood and oxidation with sweet finish. Faint herbal, earthy bitterness from hops, perhaps a slight astringency on the finish, probably from the barrel aging

Medium low carbonation with medium full mouth feel and significant alcohol warmth but does not ruin the beer.

I can tell where this was a good beer at one point, and it's sill drinkable but after seven years most of the flavors have diminished and are muddled together
Jul 27, 2018
Photo of WOLFGANG
Rated by WOLFGANG from South Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
2011 Vintage 4.5
2013 Vintage Rich, fruity flavors. Raisins and candied sugar.
Apr 25, 2018
Photo of rolltide8425
Reviewed by rolltide8425 from Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
2013 vintage opened on a cold, snowy 1/4/18. Main flavors I get are raisins, plums, and figs with a nice smooth mouthfeel from the barrel. An enjoyable winter brew.
Jan 04, 2018
 
Rated: 3.6 by LJWalker from Indiana

Jan 03, 2018
Photo of HopsAreDaMan
Reviewed by HopsAreDaMan from Missouri

4/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
11.2 oz bottle, dated 2013; I had it in a side-by-side with a 2015 .

This beer was similar to the regular Tsjeeses, but noticeably sweeter, with the port wine notes coming through. This is definitely a dessert beer, so the regular goes better with savory food.
Jan 02, 2018
Photo of FBarber
Reviewed by FBarber from Illinois

4.22/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Pours a ruddy maroon color. Opaque but somewhat thinner in appearance. Thick tan head dissipates quickly leaving no residual lacing or head.

Aroma has notes of tart cherries, some funky yeast and some wheat malts. Lots of port notes come through on the nose as you'd expect.

Taste has notes of wheat, grain, some earthy yeast notes and tons of tart cherries and sweet port grapes. The port barrel aging gives this more of a port flavor than any type of barrel flavors. Not getting a ton of oak, although there is some there.

Lightly carbonated with a slight fizzy sensation in the throat. Smooth thick coating feel to the beer.

Overall a really nice and very unique beer.
Dec 26, 2017
 
Rated: 3.95 by Kahlerbock from Kansas

Dec 25, 2017
 
Rated: 4.03 by smi69 from New York

Dec 23, 2017
Photo of Dzu
Reviewed by Dzu from Russian Federation

4.79/5  rDev +21.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
Vintage 2011.
L: brown with a weak foam head.
S: spices, caramel, plums.
T: aaah, awesomeness!!
F: incredible balanced.
O: impressive reserved beer.
Dec 22, 2017
Struise Tsjeeses Reserva (Porto Barrel Aged) from De Struise Brouwers
Beer rating: 88 out of 100 with 123 ratings