Struise Aardmonnik / Earthmonk

Formerly brewed at De Struise Brouwers
Style: Sour Ale
Oostvleteren, Belgium

Bottled. Dark brown coloured. Dense light brown head. Sour, vinegar, fruits, berries, spice and light earth in the aroma. Very complex. Flavour is at least as complex as the aroma. Sourich and fruity. Has loads of berries and spice. Vinegar is there again. Very balanced. Medium to full bodied. Very dry and acidic. Is fruity and sweetish in the end with a light sour touch. Yet another pearl from de Struise brewers.

Aroma sizzles with excitement in the forum of cherried smoke, glowing peach esters, and fragrant spice stores of Marrakesh. Pours in drawn earth brown. Flavor incredible. Blows me away with sweet and sour cherry vinous complexity. A world of different and indepent cherry character explode in a room filled with cork, toasted sesame and a lot of blistering sour orange peel and popping coriander seeds. Acidity is sharp, highlighting the drumming complexity of the fruit, earth and spice that dance forth from the glass. More strong cherries before settling to sleep in the grass with kaffir and coconut. Aged balsamic drizzle over a grilled piece of pineapple, creasting the oaken delivery on the smack. Astonising unique complexity and character. Too be savored for sure.

75cL @ Delirium. Purplish-black, some big bubbles on top but no real head of which to speak. Nose is very vinous, red-grapey. Flavor of powerful, tart fruits--grapes, prunes?--with faint woody elements and very noticeable tannins. A juicy beer, not too sour or acidic. Delicious.

75cl bottle BBE 02/07. This beer for me, sums up Ratebeer. In November 2005 I had to go to Antwerp for work at short notice. Knowing that I would be staying close to The Kulminator, I put a post up on the Forum on this site asking that if I only had 2-3 drinks in the pub, what should I have. Almost without exception, people suggested Struise Pannepot. Getting that kind of advice is indispensible. Pannepot is only one of three 5/5 scores I’ve given. Since then I’ve followed Struise with interest and I’ve had the good fortune to meet the guys behind the beers on a couple of occasions and I’m pleased to say that they are tremendous people. I picked this bottle up at the Low Countries RB Meeting in Antwerp last Sept. as part of the Kook farewell to Europe tour with Maeib and Duff, a great weekend which I owe to the Ratebeer site and people I’ve met through it. So thanks. The beer is very, very dark brown/red with thin lasting beige tan head. Lovely sour fruit aroma. Bit of wood too. Sour dark fruits of dark plum, black cherry and damson in mouth. But it’s not overly sour, it’s balanced by some fruity sweetness too. That sour aroma with dark fruits and touch of bitter choc is tremendous. The fruit in the mouth is just so pleasant, sour and sweet at the same time. Finish has drying sourness and more black cherry and damson. Just so well balanced, the sourness never over runs it. The wood adds to the whole experience. Overall it’s a great Flemish dark sour beer. The fruit is both balanced and outrageous at the same time. 4.6/5 Re-rate, 75cl bottle at Kulminator. This keeps getting better, some yeast has woken up and given it a very soft carbonation. The flavour in the mouth is now sublime. One of the best sours, best beers full stop I’ve ever had. Every time I had another beer I wished it was this and it wasn’t. I was so jealous of another couple having this later in the evening. Now in my definite top 10 beers of all time due to this bottle. Exquisite and unlike any other beer I’ve had. It takes you to another place. Sometimes my palate tells me when I have drunk something of sheer quality and this is one of those times. Can’t wait for the new version or to have this again on the old version at the Kulminator.

75 cl bottle. Dark brown colour with no head at all. Very sour aroma with notes of acidity, earthy and hints of dried fruit and winery. Also a lot of flavour of complexity, sourness, acidity, malt and full body all over. This is the most tasting flemish sour I ever had. Someway a amazing beer.

Bottle 0.33ltr: Dark red ale in the Flemish Red Ale style. Taste sour with hints of fruits and i like this one really good.

Dirty, hazy brown with sediment dancing in the glass. Freaky foam. The aroma is fruity sour with notes of young Beaujolais, apples and port. A very full aroma with a fresh, sour touch. The flavour is wineous with a sound malty base. Fruity and with a dry, sour finish. Extremely balanced and complex with a nice brett character. A great and adventorous beer.

Huge thanks to egajdzis for sharing this one! 750ml bottle labeled BB ’07. Poured a deep and dark brown color with a very small sized off white head. Aromas of eathiness, dark cherries, light vinegar, and I was getting this weird freshly opened kids toys. It was my daughter’s birthday last week and I had to open a ton of new toys for her and for some reason, this triggered that memory. Tastes of vinegar, vinous, caramel, woody, and earthy. Interesting, but I was hoping for and wanting for something ’more’.