Dark Horse Reserva | De Struise Brouwers

4.4/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

4.02/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

750ml bottle. Darker purple reddish body, two finger white head, fair retention and lacing. Smells and tastes like a dubbel; sweet dark fruit and caramel, mild-moderate acetic acidity, a bit of oak and leathery funk, toffee. It's not quite a full blown oud bruin, but really more of a tart dubbel, good complexity, mildly vinous as well. Lighter medium bodied, fairly dry without much on the backend.

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4.14/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

4.46/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Poured from fridge temperature. Pours a nice dark brownish red with very little head. Nose is insane. Sour cherries, rhubarb, a touch of menthol, red grapes, and leather. Taste is interesting. Definitely a mix of sweet and sour, with a touch of bitter. Picking up a lot of sour cherries, tart, red wine, barnyard funk, bark, horse saddle, leather, pine, oak, and citrus peel. This is so complex. Definitely sour, but with so much depth. Mouthfeel is dry and mouth puckering. Overall, this is a fantastic beer - something unlike almost every other beer. It wasn't cheap, but well worth the adventure.

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4.51/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

A: Pours a deep ruby brown color with a tiny head that quickly fades down to a thin ring of lace

S: Lots of earthiness and vinous notes from the Bordeaux barrels along with a light vinegar note and some oaky notes. Plenty of dark fruit in there as well, mostly cherry and plum. Some tannins. Very wine-like yet still distinctly beer

T: Follows the nose, although much more tart to start than the nose lets on. Starts with the funky tartness and earthy, vinous notes and slowly picks up the Bordeaux barrels. Oak and leathery tannins stick out. Some vinegar notes again. Dark fruit helps to round things out. Finishes with lingering oak, tannins, and vinous notes

M: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Definitely on the dry side

O: This is really a treat if you're into Flanders beers. Very refined and complex. Definitely a sipping beer. Very much worth the $40 for a bottle

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4.25/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Hazy brownish color with tan head. Aroma has toasted malt, balsamic vinegar, wood, funk and some caramel notes. Taste is sour, quite acidic but not very harsh, woody with toasted malt. Medium minus body with medium carbonation. Quite nice with complex flavors.

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4.25/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

4.2/5  rDev -3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

4.05/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

4.66/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Draft at The Sovereign. Outstanding!

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4.5/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

4.25/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

4.32/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

4.5/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

4.49/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5