Struiselensis

Brewed by De Struise Brouwers
Style: Sour Ale
Oostvleteren, Belgium

11.2 oz bottle pours a hazy apricot hued body with a tiny white head that quickly falls. Very little lacing but the body exhibits a lot of active carbonation. Subtle aroma has white grape skins and a hint of earthy moist oak. Sour and tart, almost like a geuze. Low carbonation. Taste has some fruity green apple and plenty of tannins. Not a lot of funkiness here. This one is quite drinkable and tasty but needs some aging for the wild yeasts to work their magic.

11.2 oz. bottle. Clear, light golden color. Thin, bubbly white head. Aroma of tart citrus fruit and some earthy elements. Clean, fresh, dry mouthfeel. Carbonation is just right. Sour flavor is nicely balanced with a spicy kick. Refreshing finish with some funky elements.

Really pretty clean and very refreshing. Not too sour. Lots of hay and melon, fairly sweet. A session sour if you will.

11 oz. bottle into Corsendonk tulip; purchased at West Lakeview Liquors, Chicago. Bubbles swirl in a vortex on the pour, active and all over the place before a fizzy white head emerges and a tower of bubbles cascades up the middle of the hazy light orange-yellow beer like an underwater geyser. Melony acid and crisp yeast aromas waft from the glass on the pour; a nose stuck in the glass reveals some wood, but mostly this smells like a nice gueuze. Foam is very active on top, lacing is thick and sudsy and very cohesive. Wow. Great balance in the flavor. The sourness seems like it’s going to ramp up into a burst like a good gueuze, but then it backs off right before it forces the saliva to gush underneath your tongue. The receding sour leaves delicate yeasty things, melon, and honey on the tongue. Unlike my favorite lambics, this doesn’t really dry out, but it works, keeping it refreshing. Some pale malts mingle with the melony sourness in the finish, which isn’t exceptionally long or poignant, but nice enough. There are some apples in there too, right in the beginning and middle. This beer is right up my alley. All hail Struise.

Bottle. Pours a slightly hazy golden amber. Aroma is tart and yeasty with earthiness and a hint of light fruit. Taste is much of the same with light hops. The tartness is very clean. Sours may not be my favorite, but this is a really quality example of the style.

Pours a cloudy orange with a medium sized white head. Aromas of dusty fruit and hint of spice. Sourness is well complimented with some citrus fruit and spices. Refreshing with a light mouth feel. Very nice sour ale.

Objectively speaking: Classy and highly refreshing, vinous Belgian ale.
I like: Exquisite juicy body with classy gueuze-like carbonation. Complex funky nose remains elegant. Very well integrated brett. Growing sourness. Excellent dryness level, keeping just a touch of residual sugars. Lovely cider notions.
I dislike: An unexpected alcoholic touch removes a bit from the drinkability, though it brings the vinous side even farther. A bit heavy on the minerals. Quickly fading head.

Hazy gold with a decent-sized, foamy white head. Nose is strong and wonderful, with sweet berries and some spices of a tripel, yet it also has the tart, dusty, acidic elements of a gueuze. Wow is that juicy. Flavor is little watery, but it contains tart lemon and apple skin, a little cheese, and minor dust. It’s not quite as bracing as many sours or gueuzes I’ve had, yet as is the case with all Struise beers I’ve tasted, there’s an unmistakable touch that permeates the beer, making it unique to the last. In in this case, a smooth, spiced sour that’s 110% refreshing,