Struise Dirty Horse

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

Glass from an awsome decanter straight from the barrel at the stuise farm with urban, this happened to be the 25yr old vertion and what is also urbans first ever beer. Aroma is blessed with elegance, its subtle floral tartness, its sherry maderia caramel, the fruity cherry sour character is just breathtaking. The taste follows suit, its delivers everything iv ever wanted in a beer, its like the beer that was made for me because its the way i wanted it. Its just amazing, i stood smiling watching this big bastard god slap itself in the face with its ears and just smiled chuckling to myself the whole time i had this. What do i say?

This is a rating of the older vintage from the same tasting as Magicdave’s. Clear brown with slight white head. Aroma is sweet, sour, dirty red fruit with oak. Flavor is oak, sour cherry (not unlike a Michigan Cherry), dirty, slight acidity. Light body and carbonation. This has been around for so long and yet it doesn’t show any signs of wear. I bet this one and the two newer vintages will last for a lot longer as well. This might be one of the most perfect beers I have ever had.

Tasted at Struise school in Oostvleteren. Old Version, Brick red in colour with slight carbonation and small, quick disappearing white foam. Aroma is complex and very refined. Berries of all kinds, wood, sous bois, old top class wine and antique furniture. Taste is smooth, soft tart, with lots of berrie fruit sensations. balance between sweet and sour is perfect and it has a very unique deep complex taste that remiends me of mespels, a fruit called " dogs ass ". A most wonderfull beer that earns respect . Younger version, much more vibrand in colour, pink-reddish with a nice fine white foam. Aroma is that of red berries, cedar wood, fresh tobacco and old hops. Taste is crisp, slight sharper than the old version and very complex. Aftertaste is super refined and clean. A Struise X-mass treat, tasted in the old school with a group of French beer-tourists from Lille. Thanks Carlo and Urbain.

26 year old 75cl bottle (21year old brew) shared with Urbain, Travlr and other beer enthousiasts at ’Het Oude Schooltje’. Thanks Urbain. "Are you in for something special?", he asked us. Pours a beatifull ambercolor with little foam on it. Aroma is very strong, even after 21 year in the bottle, with a strong diesel smell which supports the cherry’s and the horse blanket. Taste is full of cherry’s with a deep sourness and some horse blanket. Mouthfeel is brilliant. This surely is one powerfull calling card.

Noordhoek Farm Lo-Reninge. Thanks Philippe for letting me taste this very rare Struise Sour Ale. Cloudy orange ale with small white head. The head is not to long lasting but the beer has a very nice slight fizzy caracter. aroma is is not as dry a a gueze and not so sweet as a faro. Dirty Horse has a superb smell, lots of thing happens with the aroma, its like constantly changing. Malts, lemongras, sour fruits, but also wood, wet earth, leather, wax and horse saddle. Taste is very equal to the aroma, just think some old hops and wood with it and you will be close. what a delicious beer. Thanks Phil for your time and letting me taste this fantastic beer.

Rating 1004. This was by far the best beer I had while in Belgium and I’m glad I made the decision to return to the farm on the day it was offered, which was not a guarantee. Shared with xnoxhatex, mesandsim, harrisoni, magicdave6, and Dedoulequeen07. Poured a hazy caramel golden with a small white frothy head. Super subtle aroma, lightly cheesy, moldy, sour funk, huge wood/barrel, similar to the characteristics found in Gale’s Prize Old Ale. Flavor follows aroma in subtlety, so delicate, crisp light tart sour funky cheesy woody barrel with just a hint of sweet caramel, honey and slight moderate acidity. Not quite a lambic but more than a sour ale. Unbelievably sophisticated. I don’t understand why more beers can’t be like this, so simple and desirable. This beer is finesse . Fantastic softly crisp body while being just slightly syrupy. I know each vintage is quite different, however, this beer really enjoyed its age.

Noordhoek Farm- Lightly Carbonated with a soft, effervescent scent. Loads of Sour, dank, musty cherries, that evolves to an earthy, mushroomy, slightly barnyard aftertaste. Zinfadel like jaminess, with a slight pepperness hidden in each small sip. This beer constantly evolves with each miunte it is in the glass.

Bottle courtesy of Urbain at the schoolhouse brewery in Oost-Vleteren. Urbain brewed it in 1983 and bottled it in 1988. "It’s our calling card." A: Deep copper color with a few large bubbles. Bottle had significant diesel marks. Aroma of dark sour cherries with notes of vanilla, a hint of anise, and musty earth. Incredible deep sourness, dark fruits, bits of dust and must. Amazingly complex and totally unique. Body is slightly lighter than expected, but still rich. What can I say? Urbain said it best: "Life sucks...but not here!!"