Struise Tsjeeses Reserva (2008-2010)
De Struise Brouwers

 

 

 

 

Bottled in August 2010. Tons of floaties in my glass. Taking center stage on both the nose and the palate is fruit. Raisin, date, fig, all the Belgian goodies are there. Backed up by a surprising amount of carbonation for a beer of its age.

Incredible amount of floaties; unsurprising for the style (and likely age), but still unappealing visually. Beautiful large (but controlled) foamy head, with excellent retention. Rather dark for a pale ale: almost a lighter, coppery brown.

Aroma is inimitably Belgian from the get-go. Yeast dominates with sweet, full, slightly spicy notes (complicated by the fact that this is a brew made with "spices"). Below the yeast is a fruity, bready, almost wine-like malt profile. Tannins, mostly dark fruit, grapes, bread...a lovely, inviting aroma.

Flavor follows, immediately hitting with a slightly rustic yeast profile. Both the aroma and flavor are highly reminiscent of Brett, but quite subdued, giving way to fruitier, spicier yeast notes. I wonder if this is a particular character of De Struise's house yeast, or if there is a touch of Brett in this ale.

As expected, the brew is malty but fairly easy; it leans toward sweeter flavors and lighter grains than big bread notes. Grapes, prunes fading in and out, light brown sugar. A sweet - but not too sweet - easy drinking brew. There is a very slight vinous note up front, again like oak and wine. This sour tinge fades very quickly.

Huge flavors, but in a very drinkable package. Drinks much, much lighter than its 10% ABV - except for the amount of malt packed into it, which kind of gives away that this is not a light brew.

I expect nothing but the absolute best from De Struise, and this beer does not disappoint. It is fabulously complex, coming across almost nothing like what one might expect for a Christmas Ale crossed with a Belgian Strong Pale Ale. A whole lot going on in this beer, and every bit of it is awesome.

 

 

 

 

2010

For a beer thats over four years old it held a tremendous amount of carbonation that built a thick everlasting foam head.

The nose is filled with prunes, dates, apricots and raisins with a stiff malt backbone of toffee and barley.

The flavors starts with prunes and apricots before moving to a malt, grain and barley middle palate. It ends with some toffee, molasses, booze and raisin.

 

 

The beer has the colour of copper and is cloudy. The smell of candy sugar is overwhelming in the aroma. The sweetness of the sugar is nicely balanced by the bitterness of the hops, which gives the beer a full body.

Tastes way different than nose. Smoky? I dunno...it's ok but not half what I hoped for.