Clash of the Titans Special Reserva
De Struise Brouwers

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bottle purchased and drank at Churchkey in Washington, DC.

This one pours a fairly dark brown color, with a small head, and lots of lacing.

This smells like brown sugar, molasses, red wine, oak, toasted bread, and caramel.

This has a very appetizing aroma to it, and the taste stays the same, there. It’s sticky, caramelly, and fruity. There’s a very nice warming spice to it, with raisin, vanilla, oak, molasses, and brown sugar. Where the barrel starts and the barleywine ends isn’t exactly clear – the flavors are really, really well integrated overall.

This is medium bodied, slightly boozy but warming and pleasant, with a lower level of carbonation.

I really wish that De Struise was easier to find around me – they really speak to my barleywine and stout loving sensibilities.

Bottled 20220010 (which seems weird). Reddish brown with ring. Maple syrup woody whisky boozy aroma. Sweet per style with plum and strawberry tartness. Boozy woody whiskey herbal finish. Mediumfull body well attentuate for style. Excellent.

Struise is now available in NH!! Woo-hoo!! Got this 2018 vintage 11.2oz bottle at The Packie for $8.99....

Decanted roughly into one of my many sniftahs... it's an opaque, medium chestnut color, with a thin, off-white, creamy head. Carbo within looks slow and scattered, with decent lace. Has notes of caramel and brown sugar in the nose, along with some whiskey. It's fairly smooth, with a mostly medium body.

Flavor is lighter on the brown sugar and caramel than the nose. Has some oak and vanilla, but the whiskey is hard to discern. Has some fruity notes, which I reckon derive from the Grand Cru blending. Solid overall, though I was expecting more complexity. Prost!!

4.06/5 rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2415

2018 vintage
Pours a small head covering with low retention, a bit of lacing and legs, hazy auburn color

Nose big sweet barleywine, caramel, toffee, a touch of butterscotch, fruity esters, sweet toasted grain, a bit of vanilla oak, mild whiskey and a sherry note, apple brandy even.

Taste brings more sweet characters but not overly sweet, caramel, toffee, a bit of butterscotch, buttery vanilla oak, mild whiskey and more apple brandy thing, fruity esters, toasted bread crust and caramel, mild perfumey warming alcohol, candi sugar like, semi sweet sticky finish

Mouth is fuller bod, lighter on the carb, fair warming alcohol

Overall a nice barleywine, not the best but good

Pours a clear, ruddy brown color with a finger of tan head that quickly dissipates into a lasting soupy crown.

Banana bread, crème brûlée, brown sugar, leather, vanilla, caramel and molasses in the nose.

A lot of big, fruity grape and fig in the taste. Some of the vanilla and leather shows under that, and maybe some hints of sherry, but the sweet fruit frankly steps on a lot of the depth of character in the aroma.

Thin to medium bodied with restrained carbonation.

Not sure what the “Swiss Grand Cru” barrels were, but I don’t think they added to the experience of this one for me. Fun to try, but not one I need to revisit.

 

2018 vintage on tap. Caramel brown color. Clear. Sherry, port, scotch whiskey barrels all showing. Very complex. Raisins, figs, brown sugar, and light vanilla. Big barrel flavor all around. Like wine and scotch, but somehow not bad mixed. Very enjoyable.

 

Not much head to speak of. Dark brown body, slight haze; no visible particulate or sediment.

Impressively aromatic nose; the barrel influence dominates, but in a fantastic way. Notes of sherry, port, oak, brown sugar, red grape, cherry, vanilla, prune, apple, toffee, leather.

A touch fizzy on the palate, but you can still sip and savor easily. Quite noticeable alcohol heat, especially on the back half and through the finish.

Flavor profile isn't as dominated by the sherry as was the nose; instead, the whiskey, more neutral caramel grain, and even the bark-and-leather hops lead the way. Whiskey, oak, red grape, tannins, pear, apple. Long finish with notes of toffee, grape, and cherry.

 

 

 

 

Brewed in February 2018, bottled in July 2021.

This is a murky caramel color. There are a lot of layers here but I'm surprised by the bracing caramel backbone of a traditional American barleywine, it's the most prominent element. Playing nicely off that base are oaky tobacco, non peated whiskey, strong sherry notes, brown sugar, and hints of vanilla. I like what extended barrel time and oxygen are doing here.