Struise Mikkeller (Elliot Brew)

Formerly brewed at De Struise Brouwers
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Oostvleteren, Belgium

4.oz at Seattle Beerfest. Really good choice. Great hop but very balanced and rather refreshing as well. Finish is a bit more stiff but this only adds to it. No doubt a repeater!

Bottle. Clear copper pour with a big off-white head. Citrus hop aroma with caramel and sweet malts. Sugary and syrupy caramel flavor up front with a bit of tartness and a dry hop finish.

hazy orange/copper, fluffy off-white head, very lacy. tart fruitiness and yeasty breadiness in the nose. flavor has bready notes, overtaken by candy-fruity sweeteness ,with traces of pine and citrus. further tasting seems to highlight the artificial sweetness. oilt mouth feel, bitter sweet finish. much too sweet for me, and at 9% abv the alcohol is much too well hidden. single bottle from binny’s op.

Rating #500, bottle 33 cl. Pours a muddy brown with a big but fading yellowish white head and an aroma of hops, toffee, spiced cookies, some cherries or blueberries, brown sugar, ginger, dried apricots and herbs. The mothfeel is soft and creamy with a softly sweet and full hoppy taste. I detect notes of caramel, molasse, spices, sweet malt, citrus, grapefruit, raisin and brown sugar. The finish is a longlasting spicey hoppiness you won’t get rid off. A great brew

Bottle. Pours muddy amber with a medium beige head. Perfume aroma, berries, some caramel and earthy, spicy notes. The flavour is caramel, berries, citrus, spice and a light alcohol presence. It surely is delicate and the hops give off a pronounced freshness to the beer. Pleasantly smooth mouthfeel considering the high IBU’s and the alcohol is hidden nicely behind the malt. That smooth bitterness follows through to the finish. Another great beer from these guys.

Aroma is very lovely. Resinous hops, caramel, burnt sugar, notes of a candied nature, nice spiciness and some wild strawberries, maybe a touch of ginger cake and of course some citrus. It looks a delight in the glass, lovely hazy copper/orange with a red hue. The head just keeps getting bigger in the glass, it was big and puffy to start, but since pouring it’s grown about an inch - unbelievable, this IS alive! Well, flavour-wise this is big. Reading the description, it sounded like the hops would be very hidden, but they are most definitely not. I mean, I have to admit that for 130 IBU it is well diguised, the bitterness is there but with warming sweet barley and malt. There’s something lovely and rustique about this beer - it’s like old meets new, an old/modern brew. The palate is sensual and soft, carbonation is perfect and mousse-like. Lovely caramel and burnt sugar follow on from the nose into the flavour, along with more ginger, resin and some sweet spice balance. Great hops, floral and complex. Finish is dry but not to seriously dry, very refreshing, mouthwatering at the same time. It’s almost so well balanced (apart from the assertive hops) that it’s hard to define it’s structure in a precise way. I knew I’d like the brew, but I like it waaaaay more than I had anticipated. It’s bold yet elegant, rich yet refreshing, full bodied but so dainty at the same time. It’s a delicious paradox of a beer that executes perfectly it’s original conception: to reflect both breweries quintessential styles, yet form a cohesive brew. A testament to great beer making and great collaborations! One word: OBESE!

Pours a deep golden amber with perfect conditioning. Deep & full on nose of burnt molasses, with spice & cloves. The palate is delightfully soft & round, with lots of flavours including malt, spice some citrus fruit & grapefruit peel, then the warm finish has a slight bitterness, not to be aggressive but to temper the sweet power in the body. This beer is so comforting it will tuck you up in bed when you realise the 9% has finally caught up with you.

11.2oz brown glass pry-top. Label reads "LOT:A...3...BB09." Appearance: Poured into my BrewDog chalice, turning instantly to all head. Slowed down, pouring down the glass, but still ended up with 2+fingers of tan sudsy creamy head that bubbles and brews down slowly. Color is a rich cherry brown with tiny bubbles. Nose: The aroma of hops filled the room the second I uncapped. Lots or orange oil, wet hop notes. A slight note of spice from the yeast, but mostly smells like West Coast US hops. Palate: Wow! Where is this from? Oregon, Cali? Lots of boozy sweet orange infused pine hop flavors. Lots of bitterness right up front. The underpinnings of this beer are like slightly old Belgian pale ale, some light biscuit being tromped by candi sugar. Medium- to light-bodied and crisp with some hop acid. Long bitter, drying finish. Notes: This is the Hop-heads Belgian beer. Very well done, but not balanced by any means. Nice to see some more experimentation from Belgian brewers.