Dirty Horse
De Struise Brouwers

Dirty HorseDirty Horse
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From:
De Struise Brouwers
 
Belgium
Style:
Lambic
ABV:
7%
Score:
99
Avg:
4.54 | pDev: 8.59%
Reviews:
70
Ratings:
102
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Apr 28, 2022
Added:
Sep 19, 2008
Wants:
  627
Gots:
  8
Starting with a Lambic grist bill composed of 70% barley malt and 30% unmalted wheat. No yeast was artificially added to the wort, but was exposed for two days to the open air in one of our plastic tunnels at the Noordhoek Ostrich Farm. First fermentation took place in second hand sherry oak casks for six weeks. 200 grams of Northern cherries per litre and the Roeseleire yeast strain were added after six months, provoking a new fermentation process. Eight months later, we pumped over the young ale to oak casks and let it mature for another 3 years. This project was realized after a tasting of the same recipe Urbain once made 20 years ago and was barrel aging in his garage in De Panne ever since and while he was in Africa and forgot all about it. As this is a very limited version, this ale will not be suitable for export but rather for sale at the farm when available.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of Sigmund
Reviewed by Sigmund from Norway

3.25/5  rDev -28.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Vintage 1983(!) on tap at Copenhagen Beer Celebration 2012. Hazy brown colour. Moderate brettanomyces / farmhouse aroma and flavour, somewhat oxidised but still drinkable, medium sour and oaky.
Apr 28, 2022
 
Rated: 4.4 by brian4beer from Indiana

Mar 24, 2021
Photo of Knapp85
Reviewed by Knapp85 from Pennsylvania

4.16/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 5
Bottled in 1978: this beer poured out as a muddy reddish brown color with no major head on top, just a bit of film and the thin lacing around the glass. The smell of the beer is earthy and has sublte tangy tartness on the nose. The taste has a touch of sourness to it but nothing like what the Wild Ales of today have going on. This ones far more subdued and earthy. The feel isn't very carbonated anymore so it's on the flatter side. Overall this was something incredibly special to have the opportunity to try.
Oct 02, 2017
Photo of baybum
Reviewed by baybum from Pennsylvania

4.46/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
A bottle of 1978 Dirty Horse, a huge thanks to Mbrown44 for sharing such an amazing beer. A small to no head, flat but cherry aroma with a great finish. Warmed up very nice and the taste and aroma lingered. Great beer to try!
Sep 22, 2016
Photo of blisscent
Rated by blisscent from Rhode Island

4.92/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
2 pours of 100% 1983
Aug 20, 2015
 
Rated: 4.5 by olradetbalder from Sweden

Dec 02, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by Satchboogie from Belgium

Aug 26, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by zestar from California

Jul 19, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by afsdan from Colorado

May 22, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by CityofBals from Illinois

Sep 12, 2013
Photo of BucketBoy
Reviewed by BucketBoy from Pennsylvania

4.42/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Review from notes. Bottle 94 of 100, vintage 1983 unblended generously shared by Trey and Dan 3-26-11. Thank you gentlemen!

L - Brilliant clear copper that looks to suck in light and then let it back out. As I gaze into my swirling glass, strokes of alcohol glide around, hoping to give way to aroma and flavor.

S - Apple and apple cider vinegar immediately jump out of the glass, followed by sweet yet faint maraschino cherries. Deep clover honey happily joins the party, with seemingly long strands of dark raw sugar that pulls the entire package into one. The subtlety of funk and acetic acid interact with a simple, light wooden cask to bring the aroma together.

T - Delicate apple skin and cider meets with a sherry and light oak up front. Dark clover honey and light molasses make the flavors pop. Perfect bland of acetic acid, the restraint really is majestic and the gentle funk, touch of mineral, and green vegetal flavors finish the structure perfectly.

M - Essentially imperceptible carbonation makes the smooth liquid just break over the tongue. Glides like a blanket of satin into my throat.

O - Truly a thing of beauty for something this old! I am thrilled and thankful to have drunk this masterful homebrew (twice).
Jun 30, 2013
 
Rated: 5 by Seaba from Pennsylvania

Feb 28, 2013
Photo of cosmicevan
Reviewed by cosmicevan from New York

4.28/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
big thanks goes out to GrumpyOldTroll, jbuddle, Sean9689, SpeedwayJim, AgentZero, dtmets84 for sharing in the greatest day of beer that i have ever been a part of. huge thanks to mike for providing this bit of unobtainium.

notes from 1/12/2013

90/10 blend consumed from a de struise tulip glass.

poured a murky maroon almost brown with a thin foamy head that hung out for a bit. smelled rahter musty and fruity at the same time. apples and old berries...tastes pretty great. tart fruit with must. like overripe berries with must and age. tart. really nice lambic, but this is no don quijote. the mustiness is fairly heavy all around this beer. it is very good for a beer that has some 30 year old beer blended in there and it is extremely drinkable and had some really nice fairly bright fruity flavoring as well.
Jan 20, 2013
 
Rated: 4.25 by jbuddle from New York

Jan 14, 2013
 
Rated: 4.25 by zach60614 from Illinois

Jan 13, 2013
 
Rated: 4.75 by ChrisPro from Illinois

Jan 08, 2013
 
Rated: 4.5 by mchen from Washington

Dec 16, 2012
 
Rated: 4.5 by Romulux from Michigan

Nov 11, 2012
Photo of johnnnniee
Reviewed by johnnnniee from New Hampshire

4.09/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Review from notes, sample from an auction bottle opened at Ebeneezer's summer 2010, thanks for the opportunity Chris!
Pours a lightly hazed light red color with a smallish pink and white head that dissipates quickly. Smells of cherry pie, leather, funk, a bit of lemon and raspberry with a hint of acetic. The flavor is tart with a nice fruity edge to it. Lemons cherries and raspberries meld nicely with a hint of vinegar some leather, oak, and funk. Medium body with a light level of carbonation and a tart puckering mouthfeel. Very nice kriek, it seems to have held up very nicely.
Nov 02, 2012
Photo of Samichlaus82
Reviewed by Samichlaus82 from Germany

4.5/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Cherry pie like aroma; cherry, vanilla, caramel, slight funk, apple and grape. Lots going on in the nose. The flavor is mirrored by the aroma; sweet cherry and fruit notes with some overarching funk to it. Not as funky or sour as I would have expected. Balanced. Overall, am I impressed by this? Yes and no. Yes in terms of how this has held up and the overall experience of getting to drink this. No in the fact that if this was a "new" beer I would have been a little let down. Some carbonation would have been nice. Medium mouthfeel. I find myself saying that I could drink this all day.
Oct 24, 2012
Dirty Horse from De Struise Brouwers
Beer rating: 99 out of 100 with 102 ratings