Struise Tsjeeses Reserva (Bourbon Barrel Aged)
De Struise Brouwers

4.25/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Bottled 2011; drank 3/9/14 @ the Yarchives.

Opaque ruby hue.

Off-white head; strong lace.

Apple cinnamon nose; smells like a cookie!

Thick, creamy mouthfeel.

Creamy oats, fresh apples & a nice cinnamon bite. Sweet & rich but not cloying....great balance!

Perfect for a winter night around the fire. Age hasn't hurt this beauty.

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4.59/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

2014 vintage.

Clear amber, moderate lace.

Drive-by aroma is apple...with a bit of vanilla hinting at barrel.. and smooth alcohol. Oven-baked apples.

Nose strengthens the above, especially the alcohol, but not in a coarse way. A fine marriage of apple and alcohol, stronger than cider...and when you think about it a bit more... calvados. That's what this reminds one of, only milder and subtler.

Mouthfeel is oily, which is a very positive statement in this context. As the beer warms, apple is joined by a bit of pear and associated phenols. Some better saisons and some rye-heavy innovative brews have this aspect stronger -- here it serves to make things even more interesting. Alcohol maintains its warming presence as the beer opens up, but never distracts. And reading from the label the barrels were bourbon .. it fits, but is not intrusive or obvious. Same goes for spices. Hard to dissect those.. grains of paradise is my bet, but not much else, maybe star anise? Subtle. Which is good. Very good.

Overall a sui generis at least when comparing against the progeny and type casting. Absolutely recommended.

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4/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2014 Vintage

Appearance - auburn body with eggshell white head

Smell - honey, apple, hint of bourbon, brown sugar

Taste - apple, honey, hint of bourbon, molasses, brown sugar

Mouthfeel - medium bodied, medium carbonation, honey upfront, bourbon on the back end

Overall - nice Belgian ale that was enjoyable - the barrel is present but doesnt overwhelm.
Price Point - $5.99/11.2 oz bottle

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4.21/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A very good full bodied Christmas ale with nice vanilla and bourbon notes from the barrel aging process. Probably the best Christmas ale I have tasted to date. Would recommend.

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4/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Vintage 2011. Served in a trappist glass. Poors a brwon colour, small head with short retention. No lace.
Aroma of dried fruits (raisins, figs or maybe dates), caramel, molasses, barres is noticeable, alcoholic.
Medium body, creamy texture, flat carbonation. Liquor finish.
Taste of dried fruits, bourbon, caramel, molasses.
Definitely, what you can expect for a good barrel aged beer. Warming and alcohol feeling.

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4.05/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

2013 vintage here, shared generously by my neighbor this weekend, and consumed right along side the regular version from 2012. the barrel aged version to my surprise here is quite a bit more clear and bright in the glass, a shiny reddish color to it and a head with better retention on it. aroma is far sweeter, with the sweet part of the oak and the vanilla and maple notes of the bourbon combining with the big grain bill here to make this smell like a sweet barleywine, well aged, mature belgian yeast and a little oxidation only flatter it. the brewed with spices part is curious to me, outside of maybe a little coriander, and anise hint, and perhaps a little orange peel or something, im not sure i taste the usual holiday spice profile here at all, possibly faded being five years old, but maybe a more subtle or different mix. there is a little bitterness as the end, balances some of the sweet, but this is still pretty sugary. i also dont get as much oak here from the bourbon barrels as i thought i might, more of a whiskey flavor without the wood to me, perhaps lost some to all the grain. in the end, i think, at least at these vintages, that i prefer the non barrel aged, the extra sugar is a lot here, and some of the complexity of the belgian yeast is lost to that, but this is still an awesome beer by all measures, and was an awesome addition to our holiday beer lineup. it fits the season uniquely. id love to try these fresh!

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4.17/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

2013 vintage poured into a snifter. Muddy copper brown color with a soapy tan head. Nice lacing. Aroma had raisins, caramel, toffee, vanilla, and bourbon. The taste was slightly tart with some cherries and the other notes from the aroma. A nice floral estery finish. Not quite full bodied and on the thinner side and dry on the finish. Flavors melded. Great beer.

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4.16/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from 33 cl bottle into a glass tumbler. Vintage 2013, bottled 07/2014, sampled 01/02/2018. Pours a hazy, deep reddish-amber color, with a dark orange highlight here and there. Thick eggshell-colored head that settles into a thin ring with a wispy cap. I can't say what this is like fresh, but it's mighty fine at three and a half years. The bourbon barrel character is muted, allowing the many other flavors to take center stage. Big aromas and flavors of molasses, caramel, dark bread, and dark fruit, with a hint of tart black cherry. There is a touch of astringence on the tongue, with some alcohol warmth that is quite pleasant. Medium mouthfeel, with quite a bit of carbonation. Finishes with some lingering sweetness, some roasted-malt bitterness, and a bit of oaky sourness. This would be a worthy candidate for a multi-year vertical. I'll be looking for more of this vintage to cellar.

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4.1/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2014 vintage.
Belgian Strong Pale Ale? Seems more like a barrel aged old ale. The caramel is very present along some more estery notes. Some green apple. The bourbon is nice. 10.0% ABV but not boozy, the ale delivers some nice spicy notes to enjoy with a winter weather but hard to call it a christmas beer

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4.26/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

I just had Struise Tjeesus Reserva a Bourbon Barrel Aged Belgian Strong Pale Ale from De Struise Brouwers(Belgium), ABV 10.00%. As a slow sipping beer it is great, almost like sweet whiskey.

Look: cloudy reddish brown hue with a thick bubbly off-white head.

Aroma: caramel, bourbon

Taste: Wow, big taste, caramel, sweet, a little bit fruity, lots of bourbon, and some licorice. Perhaps a tad too much bourbon flavor.

Feel: full body, heavy, a bit syrupy

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4.31/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured from fridge temp. Nose is black currant, sweet, piney and bourbon. Taste is bourbon, sweet, molasses, black currant. Really nice, smooth, and well integrated. Mouthfeel is medium. Overall, a fantastic offering from De Struise.

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4.4/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Tap @ Moor, Bristol - Pours cloudy amber with a medium tanned foamy head. Nice lacing. Medium carbonation. Aroma - fruity and vinous with some whisky notes. Aroma - Sweet , fruity notes with some whisky warmth there. Taste - Sweet at the front, dark stone fruits, caramel notes, malty feel, dry light bitter finish with a light alcoholic whisky warmth. Nice boozy spicy Belgian strong ale.

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4.56/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Poured from 0.33l bottle into goblet. Vintage 2014.
L: Turbid dark copper/amber color with a weak foam head.
S: Deep sweet smell. Bourbon. Complex.
T: Bourbon, sweets,caramel, lacrice. A little bit spice in aftertaste.
F: Great balanced. Low carbonation.
O: Tsjeeses is great but this one is even better.

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4.4/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2013 vintage. Pours hazy, orange-brown in color with minimal head. Taste is raisin, caramel, vanilla, oak, PALE MALT, and bourbon. Tastes like an English barleywine. There is a dryness that comes from the wood, but this beer is heavy bodied, very sweet with moderate to low carbonation. One of the more complex and better beers I have had in the style. A real treat. Well worth seeking out.

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4.24/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

2013. Bourbon Barrel aged.

Poured a light brown tea color in a Stone snifter with a 2F head.

Candy heaven, aroma, malt, sugar. Wonderfully strong.

Biting, tangy MF.

The aroma transitions to the taste and more: plum, raisin, candy.
Fantastic beer. So classically Belgian.

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4/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle shared thanks to kermis. Vintage 2011. Dark ruby, hazy, with a thin off-white head. Notes of bourbon, toffee, caramel, dried fruit. Medium body, medium carbonation and a caramel sweet finish.

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4.39/5  rDev +6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Bottled and possibly bottle conditioned and definitely a gusher
Pours a browns sugar body with splatterings of tan head
Smells like bourbon and barley sugar
That's the flavour
Just so solid

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3.94/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

2013 Reserva.

A- Pours into a snifter with a red-brownish muddy appearance and a small off-white, light tan cap forming just a thin sheet atop the brew. This frothy pillow dies down to a thin ring and spotty lacing is rare.

S- Really just reminds me of the base brew that has been aged a few years and the barrel is all but lacking at this stage. A massive dose of dusty old, spiced dried dark fruits and sweet long-chain sugars. Toasty brown barley.

T- For the most part similar to the nose with the barrel bringing just a touch of faded out, degraded old oak wood and a tiny bit of vanilla. A bushel of dark fruits that have been dried like raisin, dates and sweet plums. Belgian yeast spiciness and yeasty bread tie things up.

MF- A really thick body with an oily, slick feeling on the palate. Carbonation is towards the lower side but perfectly appropriate with the rich flavors present.

A barrel-aged brew that feels like it really went into a barrel that was mostly devoid of spirit or re-used. A great base brew that ages like a fine wine but a bit of bourbon influence would bring this over the top.

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4.5/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

From cervezasespeciales. In Teku glass. Watching John Wick. Although is prettt good, I prefer the flavor and aroma profile of the port version. In any case, a great brew. Avg 4.75

4 Feb 2018. In Teku glass. From Zombier. Watchin 30 Dias de Oscuridad. One of the rare cases in which the bourbon addition is soft enough and so well integrated that improves the base beer instead of spoiling it

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4.15/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

Hazy dark orange color with huge, beige head. Aroma is intense on the dried, dark fruits like raisins and dates, along with brown sugar and a bit of bourbon in the background. Taste starts quite balanced, just a bit leaning on the sweet side. You get the dried fruits, burnt sugar, a bit of butterscotch and a slight molasses note. Finish is quite bitter, toasty and earthy. Body is medium to heavy with a good amount of carbonation that gets more mellow after it sits a bit in the glass. Quite nice overall, much better than the Port BA version. There isn't a ton of bourbon but I think that's ok, you can still taste the base beer with some nice bourbon notes in the background.

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4.37/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

2013
Reddish hue, even the head has a slight reddish tint to it. Huge foamy head with big bubbles. Very belgian.

Unfortunately no bourbon on the nose. Faint at best.
Aroma: cherry is what i get most. Belgian yeast, dark fruits, specialty malts??

Flavor: very complex flavor. So much going on im finding it hard to isolate the flavors. Dark fruits, plums, faint cherry, slightly tart but sweet malty flavor too.

I didnt know what to expect besides bourbon and although i didnt really pick up on it, this is still a great beer.

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3.97/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2013. Pours a nearly opaque red orange, fizzy off-white head. Smell: plenty of bourbon here, caramel, cherry, mildly boozed pear and plum, brown sugar. Taste: boozed pear and peach in syrup, cherry cola, fleeting toasted brown bread, brown sugar; herbal, vanilla note; oaky, bourbon-y, peach skin in the finish. Belgian barleywine with substantial but in no way dominating barrel contributions.

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1.61/5  rDev -61.1%
look: 2.75 | smell: 1 | taste: 1.75 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

Maybe this too was a victim of sitting on a shelf at World Market at room temperate for who knows how long, but it was even worse than the Port version, musty, weird, wet hot wood, total drainpour.

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4.42/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

2012 vintage. I was expecting a spiced up Belgian but no spices on the pallet, no barrel age notes either? just Carmel and warmth from the 10%. Very impressed, This has aged very well. definitely worth seeking out later vintages and enjoying during the holiday season. 4.50

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4.21/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

11.2 fluid ounce bottle into a Belgian tulip. Says it's a 2012 Reserva, but doesn't indicate any barrel-aging.

Foamy, compact, cream-colored head that dilly-dallies for ages. Lace drags down all sides of the glass forming a foamy wall. Beneath is a brown, plum skin-colored body with streaming carbonation apparent. 4.5

An aroma of orange peel, candy syrup and floral bouquet with some light coriander or some other table spice. Seems to lack some depth, as the first pass of the nose is about all the intrigue you'll find on this nose. 4

Continues to present a candy, say lollipop, flavor, a citrusy bite, and a bit of barrel quality, mainly oak and some spice. The flavor also offers robust floral flavor and sweet bready malt. I enjoy how this tastes. 4.25

Rich and full-bodied through 3/4 of the palate before a gentle carbonation entrance and mild booze. The sweetness takes on candy-like properties but never becomes too bothersome. The finish is semi-dry, yeasty lingering deal. 4.25

This is drinking quite well. Hard to know all the stats on this, but as it drinks, it is very enjoyable.

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