Struise Tsjeeses Reserva BBA (Bourbon Barrel Aged)

Brewed by De Struise Brouwers
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Oostvleteren, Belgium

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

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Bottle [330ml] shared with and c/o HogTownHarry. 2011 vintage. Pours a murky orange-amber with an average size lasting frothy off-white head. Slightly mild aroma is sweet, sugary and yeasty along with dark fruit, caramel malt and a bit of alcohol. Flavour of caramel malt, dark fruit, yeast, sugar and a slightly harsh finish. Alcohol is fairly well hidden. Average bodied. I didn’t really get much of the "barrel-aged" qualities but I didn’t mind, I didn’t love it either, I found it just ’good’.

Pours a hazy orange with little white head and almost no lacing. Aroma of spices, fruits like pears and maybe some peaches, a bit of oak, light vanilla. Taste is fruity just like the nose, with more spices, some oak, light vanilla, peppery. Medium to full body and medium carbonation. The barrel aging is a bit more present than the port version.

Fine foam, little lacing, amber gold, much alcohol, bit whiskey ish, oranges

330ml bottle shared with blankboy, c/o ... harrisoni???? 2011 vintage. Amber, hazy, plenty of floaties, smallish creamy off-white head. Aroma of alcohol, light oak, sweet fruity malt - yeast and that soft Belgian golden thang. Taste follows - mostly sweet, light oak, no bourbon, a little floral - slick, light carbonation, quick-finishing - not offensive and hides the 10% well - thanks Ian!!

Despite sitting in my fridge for months, a careful pour shows a hazy, murky, sediment laden, amber hue when held up to the light. The beer is topped by a frothy, light tan colored head. The aroma has a rich fruitiness to it that shows of pear jam, spicy clove, floral Macintosh apples, and, as the beer warms, some spicy, woody, Bourbon warming aromatic notes to it.

The beer is sweet, quite fruit laden, perhaps a touch spicy in the finish, but overall quite rich and satiating yet still managing to be more quaffable than a beer of this strength should be. Concentrated pear, apple butter, and perhaps some melon like notes mix with a softly spicy, lightly warming, barrel influence. Soft clove notes, some peppery notes, a woody astringency, and some spicy Bourbon notes.

The Bourbon character is actually quite a bit restrained here, it is pretty well integrated, though this still isn’t quite at the level that the regular Oak aged beer is at.

12oz bottle pours a hazy amber with small white head. Sweet bourbon and caramel aroma. Vanilla Belgian yeast and boozy taste.

HUGE and unexpected gusher... a rare occurrence with a De Struise product (for me, at least). Pours a cloudy orange with a big offwhite (dirty) head. Aroma is raw alcohol, the rubbing kind. Taste is sweet but not too much with again a lot of alcohol heat. The same fruity flavors as the original (non-BA one). I didn’t get much bourbon apart that overall boozy feeling... Quite pedestrian I must say, BBA for the sake of BBA...

bottle at Jens ... copper brown ... thon off white head ... soft oaky ... sweet ovaltine ... dark fruit ... light vanilla nose ... soft mellow fruits ... soft fruits ... mellow roast ... light soft vanilla wood ... light boozy ... soft chewy roast ..

pours hazy, almost cloudy, golden orange with a very nice off-white head, good retention and lacing. very fruity - sweet apricots, dusty and lightly tart cherries, woody notes and hint of vanilla, golden candi, spicy and grassy, bold peppery notes. booze and light caramel. average to soft carbonation, medium body - oily and sticky, medium long citrusy finish. good use of barrel but did not quite elevate the brew if not for the aroma. enjoyed it!

Sanple at the struise tasting at the klooster. Thin creamy white head. Slightly hazy amber pour. Some fruit. Very nice brew.