Struise / Pipeworks Xenophon’s Wine

Brewed by De Struise Brouwers
Style: American Strong Ale
Oostvleteren, Belgium

Bottled (vintage 2008, BB 03/2013)
Courtesy of bierkoning, ty Edo!
Dark red-brown murky color, floating yeast, steady firm beige head. Strong nose of piney hops, licorice, molasses, oak, madeira. Soft palate. Lots of licorice, hops (pine, grapefruit) and dark fruits. Warming alcohol. This is similar to aged Nogne O #100.

Fata with the hookup! Pours an amber color with a small white head. Honey, resin, citrus, and a bit of metallic smell. Flavor has a bit of metallic hint with some honey, bitter hops, grapefruit peel. Very interesting take on an ASA/Barleywine. Good stuff.

Bottle. [thank you, harrisoni]
Pours hazy deep red with a fine, creamy, large, off-white head. Strong hoppy aroma, piney, grapefruit, grass. Caramel, Belgian sugars, yeast, prunes. Light strawberry. Medium carbonation, lovely creamy and dry mouthfeel. Flavour has lots of hops, great elegant vinoiusness. Caramel, fruity hops, light spicy, some chocolate, light Belgian sugar. Lovely malty balance. This is really a nice beer, actually. I’m quite a bit pleasantly surprised.

Hazy amber color. It may be a Strong American Ale, with the classic strong fruity hop aroma and sweetish caramel flavor, but it has a Belgian yeast character too (some in the aroma but more evident in the flavor). Good but I didn’t need this one.

Bottled. Dark amber coloured. Unclear. Dense off white head. Aroma of spice, fruits, herbs, light flowers and light berries. Flavour of flowers, light pine, fruits, spice and light caramel. Very dense and smooth. Medium to full bodied. Ends on a sweet bitterness. Fantastic.

Bottled. Thanks a lot Carlo and Urbain for this bottle that I got for my 40th birthday. A deep red beer with a lazing off-white head. The aroma has strong notes of fruits and sweet malt as well as medium notes of alcohol and hops. The flavor is very sweet with strong notes of hops, and elderflowers, as well as medium notes of alcoholl, malt, caramel, and fruit, leading to a dry, alcoholic and fruity finish. The alcohol leaves a slight burn in the mouth.

Bottle 33 cl. Courtesy of Ungstrup. Pours a hazy deep amber with some floaties and a thick beige head. Nose is rich with aromatic hops and burned caramel. Solid body, burned caramel and fruit. Warming alcoholic finish. 220909

Dark colored brew. Lot’s of yeast flakes. Malty aroma, fruits. Flavor is at first very unbalanced, sweet, spiced, hopped and bitter. Then everything calms down and you can really taste the american hops used. I like the strong flavor of the hops, nice bitterness. Some fruitness, raisin and spices. Overall a nice brew, different indeed. Could use some more balance.