Struise Tsjeeses

Brewed by De Struise Brouwers
Style: Abbey Tripel
Oostvleteren, Belgium

Pours a hazy, dark, burnt orange color with a foamy, well retained, khaki colored head. Fat, jagged ribbons of lace circle the glass. Aromas are funkier than expected, notes of dusty barnyard yeast and wild, grassy hops showing alongside fruity scents of tangerine rind, apricot, and lemon. Soft candy sugar and lactic cream comprise the malt base, while hints of coriander and white pepper lend significant, well placed spice. Flavors are initially sweet, with the candy sugar showing strong, but the lactic, farmhouse funk comes crashing through with grassy, peppery hops and citrus rinds in tow. The balance is really nice, with all the spices and hops cutting the malty sweetness down to size. Apricot and peppery hops linger on the finish. The mouthfeel is substantial and lightly syrupy at first, but the lively carbonation and dry, almost parching yeast profile even it out. The alcohol is definitely there, but it never gets in the way. It is very rare that I run across a tripel that I really adore, but this is one of them. It definitely belongs in the upper echelon of the genre.

Bottled, BB Nov. 2010. Poured medium honeyed orange with a short cap of off-white head. The aroma was on the dark side with fruity and dry mead-like noets accented by floral notes and spicy yeast.. solidly presented. The flavor also had some mead-like honey along with paler malts on the core with peppery heat, zesty apricot skins, and faint herbal notes around.. finished on the warm side with a spicy complexion. Medium-plus bodied on the palate with a long, dry, yeasty finish.. some stickier malts impeded the flow at times. This was a solid brew.

Praise Tsjeeses for this great beer from Struise. Had a bottle at City Beer Store in SF. Appearance is awesome orangish-copper color with lots of bubbles rising and a one-and-a-half finger off-white head. Fruity aroma. Flavor is caramel apples, yeast, some funk, and other fruits. Hints of corn tortilla. Medium-bodied and satisfying overall.

11.2 oz. bottle. LOT: B608. Slightly different label than that in the picture. Pours a rusty colored body with tons of chunky floaties and a big light-tan head. Apples, pears, apricots, and lemons in the candied sugary aroma. Fairly full-bodied and a little sticky and syrupy. Starts with lots of sweet apples, pears, apricots, and some tart cherries. Transitions nicely to some light vanilla flavors. Ends with some subtle lemony flavors. Alcohol warmth is present throughout. Not worth the price tag.

kinda dark orange color, little froth. Tons and tons of chunky yeasty pieces. nose is sweet, with apple and orange and yeasty barnyard. flavor is almost tart then apple, some belgian yeasts. good beer.

Golden color with a big spicy aroma that has some sugar and citrus thrown in for good measure. Flavor is a tad hoppy, a good deal spicy, and quite heavy on the candi sugar. Back off the spice and up the hops - then you’ve got it.

12oz bottle. Pours a burnished gold with a big lasting foamy head. Well carbonated. Nose vanilla, apricot and pear and honey. Very sweet flavor, hardly any hop character. Some strong apricot and peach up front with a big sweet honey laden finish. Lingering notes of vanilla. Very solid tripel.

Bottle from WestLakeView Liquors. Pours dark golden with a lasting head. Nice aroma of fruits, estery, and sugary. Flavor is pretty sweet, fruity, not very acidic like a lot of beers of this style. Alcohol is really well hidden, well at least while you’re sober. Palate is clean.