 dirtymike (2018), Manchester, New Hampshire, USA
| 4.2 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 8/10 | 4/5 | 9/10 | 4/5 | 17/20 |
Dec 8, 2007
An amazing gesture made by Chris, publican at Ebeneezer’s Pub in Lovell ME on my maiden voyage there. This poured a very rich dark brown/black with some faint ruby highlights when held to the light, definately not opaque and not quite living up to the standards of Imperial Stout, but definately on par for a Belgian Strong Dark. The aroma was a wonderful collage of rich dark fruit esters, bready yeast, a hint of roasted coffee beans and the purest of cacao beans lingering across the surface. The flavor follows suit with the aroma, rich fruit,coffee,chocolate,yeast but also added is the very controlled alcoholic warmth adding a roundess to such a big beer but without being obtrusive or offensive.They claim this is 13% which makes me think one of two things, they’re either spinning yarns or this beer was produced under the careful watchful eye of someone who truely understands zymurgy, added to the fact that it has a touch of age and conditioning under its belt. The body was a bit disapointing due to the fact that they label this beer an Imperial Stout, so I was expecting something a little chewier and dense, but when I say disapointing that’s more of a subjective issue, objectively it was well in line with the rest of the beer. Overall this is a great beer, by what appears to be the next great artisinal brewery to come out of Belgium.Belgiium to me has always been more about great tasting and innovative beer rather than strict adherence to style guidelines,so why start now? This is a world class Belgian Strong Ale on par with the Westy 12’s,Rochefort 10’s ect....so why not just let it be,instead of trying to recreate a wheel that already spins fluently without any complications. Once again thanks Chris and thank you Struise, looking forward to many more great offerings from you in the future.
Joen (9), Zeist, Netherlands
does not count  | 4.2 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 8/10 | 4/5 | 8/10 | 4/5 | 18/20 |
Nov 29, 2009 Updated: Dec 3, 2009A 33cl bottle (EXP 2013). It’s a very dark brown beer with a brown fine head. The beer has a port like odour with a hint of licorice. Whre you expect a sweet taste... it’s not there. Almost all the sugars are converted into alcohol.. Malty and licorice taste. With a nice bitterness which lasts. Very nice
LanceUppercut (128), Sweden
| 4.6 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 9/10 | 5/5 | 9/10 | 5/5 | 18/20 |
Nov 28, 2009 A good belgian IS? I gotta admit I was a bit skeptical, even though I like other beers from Struise, mainly due to the fact that the foam resembled that of the Hercule IS that I didn’t find too exciting. The aroma was wonderful though, if only a bit sharp - Chocolate, liquorish and orange peel. The taste is subtle at first, and then the complex flavors creep up on you. Rum raisins, apples, calvados, red wine, chocolate and just a touch of alcohol in the finish. It’s elegant, fruity, and a bit acidic. An absolutely awesome beer! Works great together with Lindts chocolate with seasalt.
radiomgb (1977), Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
| 3.6 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 6/10 | 4/5 | 8/10 | 3/5 | 15/20 |
Nov 27, 2009 Black, long lasting large creamy tan head, good lacing.
Aroma is lacking, some light sourness, very light roast, some chocolate.
Flavour is creamy, light alcohol, sourness is still there, roast and bitter chocolate come out more as this warms.
Roasty mouthfeel, medium body, high carbonation.
Finishes warm, long, roasty.
The aroma killed this one for me. Metallic and sour. I think that this one wouldn’t age any longer. I had so much excitement opening this one, a total letdown.
330ml bottle obtained in a trade with TheCheeseMan, thanks Dan.
Opened on March 15, 2009.
Lot A. Best before April 2013.
TheDoctor (48), Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| 4.7 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 10/10 | 5/5 | 9/10 | 5/5 | 18/20 |
Nov 26, 2009 black pour with good tan head which lasts for ages. coffee beans, sugar, dried fruits, some hops. complex, massive, but surprisingly I preferred the Struise Pannepot.
pompelmoes (54), Belgium
| 4.6 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 9/10 | 5/5 | 9/10 | 5/5 | 18/20 |
Nov 26, 2009 Intens black in colour with warm-brown coloured head on top. Aroma is very coffee and chocolate like, it has some hints of Belgian yeast, and an interesting fruity side too, cherries, plums and maibe some port wine.
Taste is very smooth, a little warm, but alc is well hidden, also lots of burned and roasted sensations who are well in balance with the refreshing aspects of the fruity caracter of this original Belgian Stout.
cexshun (69), Portage, Indiana, USA
| 3.6 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 6/10 | 5/5 | 7/10 | 3/5 | 15/20 |
Nov 20, 2009 Pours a jet black. Good head that stays forever, Thick and creamy, heavy lacing. Aroma of dark fruits. Surprisingly bitter flavor. Heavy coffee. Raisin, maybe black cherry. Very strong presence of roasted malts. Hoppy finish. Kind of smokey. Thick mouth feel. Carbonation stings a little. Coats very well. Overall, this is just OK for me. I hate heavily hopped stouts, but this one balances OK.
RollinHard (758), Fort Worth, Texas, USA
| 3.8 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 8/10 | 4/5 | 7/10 | 4/5 | 15/20 |
Nov 17, 2009 Many thanks to dchmela for this delightful brew! Pours an unintimidating shade of black with a not-too-dark brown head that lasts a while. Aroma is pretty sophisticated with dark chocolate, espresso, licorice, big dry red wine, tart raisiny Belgian yeast (reminds me of Trappist beers), and a bit of spicy hops. Taste begins chocolatey, but quickly evolves into its Belgian roots with dry, dry red wine characteristics coming through, raisins, earth, unsweetened coffee, leaves, toffee, and wood. Finishes with the yeast and hops winning the race, leaving dry wood, bitter chocolate dust, spicy peppery hops, and a lingering, very dry fruit presence. Medium to full bodied, the 13% feels so much lighter than it is. There’s heat, but this is insanely easy to drink for the size, and the beer is ROUNDED in feel. No sharp flavors stick out, even though I find my mouth craving a bit more sweetness. Oh well, that’s what US brewers are for! The main point here is to really school other brewers on how to use Belgian yeast in an imperial stout, and the beer succeeds.
coldmeat23 (233), Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA
| 5 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 10/10 | 5/5 | 10/10 | 5/5 | 20/20 |
Nov 17, 2009 When poured, slowly, this black liquid still manages to be the bottom third of the glass with a massive tan head filling the other two thirds. Wow. Minimal lacing but great head retention.
Dark fruits and sweet roasted malts. Slight yeastiness mixes with apples and pears. Mild vanilla notes. It actually hints at the smell of a nice top-shelf Rum.
Oh, yeah. That’s what I’m talking about, right there. B-A-L-A-N-C-E. Man oh man.
Dark roasted malts mix with sweet candy sugars and a slight hops bite to create ambrosia. Alcohol is very well hidden. Chocolate covered dark fruit flavors. Slight hint of coffee. Toffee and vanilla sweetness. An ever so slight hint of licorice.
All through this, it retains a nice earthy/grainy quality.
Nice and velvet-like in the mouth. Just the way I like it. Very creamy and smooth. Slight touch of oily-ness.
Exceptional! This is one amazing brew. I could drink this everyday from now on out and be completely happy.
Super tasty and super easy to drink. My very first ’perfect’ rating for a beer.
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