Struise / Pipeworks Xenophon’s Wine

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

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.

Bottle 33cl.
Unclear medium amber orange color with a average, frothy, fair lacing, mostly diminishing, off-white to white head. Aroma is moderate to light light heavy malty, caramel, berry - fruity, moderate hoppy, orange, candy, diatyel notes ! Flavor is moderate to light light heavy sweet and moderate bitter with a long duration, and a peppery after burn. Body is medium, texture is oily - sticky, carbonation is soft. [20090306]

33 cl. bottle. Trade with todays DD. Pours dark amber with a reddish hew and a large creamy head and lacings. Massive yeast chunks though its been standing in the fridge for weeks. Nose is very yeasty. Lots of fruit, oak and American hops. Sweet and bready flavor with some bitter citrussy hops in the end. Again lots of yeast and a bit of alcohol. Seems a bit unrefined. Full bodied. Sticky and oily. Quite weird.

courtesy of Greg Gaughan - fully cloudy brown colour with a solid and long lasting beige foam; aroma of prune, apple and caramel with a note of dust; robust malt body and with a high carbonation; a solid malt sweetness is quickly met by a strong bitterness; long and very bitter, dry fruity (prune dominates) finish, hoppy - powerful and very well-made

Bottle from Alvinne. This reddish brown beer poured with a thin beige head and a strong raisin aroma. The flavor is rather harsh, but not unpleasant. There is a raisin and burnt caramel flavor. Unusual and pretty good.

Bottle from Alvinne. Pours dark amber with a decent beige/tan head. Aromas of medium dark fruits. Medium plus body with fluffy carbonation. Flavor is a bit raisin, a bit vinous. Finishes lightly spicey and reasonably dry.

Bottle, thanks Patrik! Murky dull brown is fairly unappealing, but it is a barley wine. Big oaky, alcoholic aroma with floral hop notes. Brash woody character is probably a bit over the top. Alcohol, vague brown sugar notes. A very muscular beer, not especially Struise-like in that respect. It’s just too oaky, although it seems to be picking up some tart notes through age. Has a nice floral, perfumey, American hop finish...I think it will develop well.