Struise Tsjeeses Reserva (Bourbon Barrel Aged)
De Struise Brouwers

Struise Tsjeeses Reserva (Bourbon Barrel Aged)Struise Tsjeeses Reserva (Bourbon Barrel Aged)
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From:
De Struise Brouwers
 
Belgium
Style:
Belgian Pale Strong Ale
Ranked #14
ABV:
10%
Score:
91
Ranked #7,206
Avg:
4.08 | pDev: 10.78%
Reviews:
63
Ratings:
247
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jan 21, 2024
Added:
Aug 27, 2012
Wants:
  12
Gots:
  49
2011 Vintage - Pink & Purple label.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by beerdrifter:
Photo of beerdrifter
Reviewed by beerdrifter from Germany

3.97/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Picked this up at a great little beer store in Arlon, Miorge Mihoublon. Vintage 2011, best before 26-12-2017. Hazy copper-amber pour with two finger off-white head that fades quickly with decent lacing. Fruity, woody, spicy nose with hints of caramel, clove, raisins, and just a touch of banana, vanilla, and booze. The bourbon is conspicuously absent. The wood and fruit carry through nicely to the taste as well. Hints of oak, dates, plum, caramel, vanilla, apricot, grass, and as it warms and opens up, a very subtle bit of bourbon. The mouthfeel is medium bodied and slightly syrupy with a nice woody, subtly bitter finish. Was hoping for a bit more of the bourbon to come through, but as always, another winner from De Struise!
Nov 26, 2012
More User Ratings:
Photo of Beginner2
Reviewed by Beginner2 from Illinois

3.91/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25
Early last year, I thought I drank my last ale imported by Shelton Brothers (who have been gone now for three years.) I was wrong. I found Tsjeeses BBA. And while my copy also is well past its prime, my ratings include imagination of what this 2016 vintage was like in, say, 2018.

I don't think this Reserva was a lively ale with lots of swirling protein (both the barrel and high ABV tend to knock that life out of brews.) Smells are dark fruit and holiday spices and BBA... and now, all muted by age. Tastes are still balanced; this is still an integrated beer whose sweetness finishes almost semi-dry. However, no amount of imagination will change that this ale is now flat.

I give good Overall Hugs to De Struise because of their innovation and pushing the envelope in the Belgian tradition. I reviewed my books for Struise entries and found little on their personalities and motivations for being so far outside of the Belgian mainstream for all of this century. For example, their taproom is open one day a week. I found that out from their website, but still found no answers to their motivation. Enigma is as enigmas do.
Jan 21, 2024
Photo of sjrider
Reviewed by sjrider from California

3.3/5  rDev -19.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
Bottle pour, albeit an old one -2016 per the bottle. Murky and turbid brownish bilge water with minimal khaki head leaving no lacing. Nose is stewed stone fruit with barnyard funk. Taste follows without the funk. Finish is prune juice flat This was probably quite tasty when fresher. Will revise review if I find a fresher sample.
Jan 09, 2024
Photo of J-legend-K
Reviewed by J-legend-K from Colorado

3.9/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Bottled 2016. Tiny bit flat at this age. Otherwise - really nice strong ale but didn’t get many unique qualities, likely due to age. Very little Belgian notes, but they’re there buried under sweet barley and barrel.
Dec 17, 2023
Photo of MikeWard
Reviewed by MikeWard from Pennsylvania

4.02/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
330ml bottle into a tulip. 2013 release so a decade old.

Looks very nice dark reddish brown body with decent carbonation and a very persistent off white head. Aroma of bourbon and boiled candy. Taste is very smooth, albeit quite simple, malts, bourbon, some sweetness. Mouth is thinner than expected, but warming and nicely boozy. Worthwhile drink.
Nov 09, 2023
 
Rated: 3.9 by Birdlegs from Washington

Jul 01, 2023
 
Rated: 4.24 by Gemini6 from Michigan

Dec 19, 2022
 
Rated: 4.21 by RayCannata from Louisiana

Apr 27, 2022
 
Rated: 4 by 1971bernat from Virginia

Mar 31, 2022
 
Rated: 4 by animal69 from Louisiana

Feb 01, 2022
Photo of Sigmund
Reviewed by Sigmund from Norway

4/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
330 ml bottle, a gift from gunnar, many thanks! ABV is 10.0%. Very cloudy brown colour, big off-white head. Strong sweetish aroma of Belgian ale yeast and a complex symphony of spices, also notes of honey and dark dried fruits. The flavour is fairly sweet with notes of spices, brown candi sugar, caramel and oak. Good stuff!
Jan 28, 2022
Photo of stevoj
Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho

3.71/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
33cl 2016 bottle from Homebrewstuff. Mahogany pour with a few bubbles. Malty aroma, raisins, prunes. Taste is more of the pit fruit, sweet, malty notes, alcohol heat and barrel notes arrive at the finish.
Jan 24, 2022
 
Rated: 4.23 by Budlum from Maryland

Jan 22, 2022
 
Rated: 4.41 by j37geogaddi from Massachusetts

Jan 03, 2022
 
Rated: 4.19 by tux_alin from Romania

Dec 28, 2021
 
Rated: 4.17 by GreenMind from Pennsylvania

Dec 26, 2021
 
Rated: 4.15 by edthehead from Maryland

Oct 23, 2021
Photo of REVZEB
Reviewed by REVZEB from Illinois

3.49/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Cellared bottle. Dark bubbly opaque brown with a tan cap that quickly fades into a collar. Bourbon booze is strong in the nose with belgian yeast, earth, apple and dark wood, little unbalanced given the strong booze. Taste has big booze too, char and licorice with belgian yeast all kind of muddle together with some apple lingering, messy and unbalanced. Clearly age took away the pleasing sweetness. Feel is hot, malty and yeasty without being heavy or big. Needs refinement and balance
Aug 20, 2021
 
Rated: 4.56 by Ristaccia from Nebraska

May 10, 2021
Photo of Bluecrow
Reviewed by Bluecrow from New York

3.97/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
-this was bottled 5.5 years ago I’m not sure what conditions it experienced during that time.
The bottle pour is mahogany colored with a moderate haze and a thin ring of beige foam that dissipates quickly.
The aroma is of tart apple cider, some vitamin K and a hint of whiskey and wood. There is a sweet hint of candi sugar too
The flavor is vinous complex. Oak and earthy aspects with brighter acidic notes make a unique quaff.
The mouthfeel is a bit slick, but the acidic tartness cuts it and it is easy to take the next sip. There is a boozy influence that presents late.
I enjoyed the X-mas version of this at Ebenezer’s in ME before I was a BA, on a snowy December evening. I remember it as transporting, with a rich, Saison Noel flavor.

I like this rare treat more now than I would have those years ago.
May 05, 2021
Struise Tsjeeses Reserva (Bourbon Barrel Aged) from De Struise Brouwers
Beer rating: 91 out of 100 with 247 ratings