Dirty Horse - De Struise Brouwers

tarheels86

California

4.25/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

1983 Unblended on Tap pouring at Copenhagen Beer Celebration like boss. Beautiful hazy purple pour with pink foam. Impressive webby lacing. Nose is sharper raspberry. Taste is seedy raspberry, grapefruit peel, big lactic acid, citric acid, zippy all the way. Quenching palate. No acetic. No sweet cherry. Could even be framboise. Excellent. Rich cherries come in and out and provide some amazing complexity- sweet and sour playoff. Amazing. Couldn’t believe this was on tap for hundreds of people. Manna from the gods! 5/12/2012 8/5/8/5/16=4.2

750mL Auction bottle 20/250 courtesy of Urbain. This was of course the beer I looked forward to the most during our sour epic. But this was very disappointing. It pours a beautiful dark pink with a small, white/light pink head. Aroma is stellar: it is probably the best kriek/sour nose I have ever encountered: it is full of cherry pie, wet oak, soft leather, tannic acid, horsey Brett. Very soft nose and refined. Taste is a little bit sweet, slightly medicinal, full of sweet cherries, sour raspberries, and light vinegar/acetic acid. But overall is light-bodied, a bit thin, and not too acidic/tart. 6/8/2010 10/4/7/3/14=3.8

Serving type: on-tap

09-06-2012 19:30:54 | More by tarheels86

Chico1985

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Woahh, 1983 unblended Dirty Horse, wuddup? Thank you Ebenezer's. Poured from a keg to a sampling glass.

Pours maroon, no head, some flecks. A small white ring is formed with some agitation. Fine considering the age.

Nice scent, big cherries and lemon juice.

Taste brings on pretty intense cherry+lemon sourness, some musty basement funk but it's mostly fruity. Some red grapes/red wine presence there as well. Quite fruity+bright considering the age, impressive.

Good mouthfeel, surprisingly lively and drinkable for the age+ABV.

Happy to finally bite the bullet and try this - though it's not quite world-changing, it's very good and you'd probably never guess it was nearly 30 years old.

Serving type: on-tap

08-31-2012 16:51:32 | More by Chico1985

Mark000

Kentucky

4.7/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

1983 Unblended Version

Not a bad looking brownish red and definitely hazy. Basically no head except for a tiny ring around edge that is now gone. The musty aroma is there, but the cherry still comes through pretty strong with some barrel. Flavor is slightly sour at first, followed by the cherry and then I get the vinous flavors coming through. It is hanging around between sips and very enjoyable. The feel is pretty thin, but I think it's fitting. Overall very enjoyable. I am very grateful to have been able to try this legend.

Serving type: on-tap

08-29-2012 01:40:02 | More by Mark000

mistakebythelake

Ohio

4.8/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

1983 Unblended version.

Finally able to ride this Dirty Horse. Pours a hazy reddish/brownish color into the Cantillon sherry tasting glass. Little to no head on the pour. A nice cherry, musty, and leathery aroma wafted from my glass that I greatly enjoyed. The taste combined some sour cherries, with a slight lactic souring. Red jammy and dark fruit also present in the taste. Mouthfeel was medium to thin, very smooth and I was surprised at how the carbonation held up. Very drinkable and I was glad I tried this gem. Would like to see how the blended bottle versions are tasting right now for some comparison.

Serving type: on-tap

08-28-2012 00:58:24 | More by mistakebythelake

seeswo

Ohio

4.48/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

100% 1983
Pours a slightly clouded reddish color with little head. The nose is slightly musty with sour cherries and a big of barrel. Smell is really nice. The taste shockingly still has a solid presence of cherries. Vinous and slightly sour/funky. Very nice flavor. Age has treated this one well. The mouthfeel is light and low carb. Drinks very easy. Overall, this is a very good one to have tried. The effort at this point might be a little much to justify, but it is a really good beer.

Serving type: on-tap

08-27-2012 17:16:05 | More by seeswo

cbutova

Massachusetts

4.48/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

100% Unblended 1983 keg, finally ponied up and got some this year at Ebenezers.

In small plastic sample cup. Great ruby red with some stuff floating around but not too murky. No head or lace at all.

Aroma has some musty hints like my tent after being in the basement for many months. Big cherries that are nice and sour but seem fresh somehow. Some oak and fruit peels.

Very fruity and vinous. Shows no age to me here besides a hint of cellar must. Oak, cherries, wine, grapes and some acetic as well.

Thinned out most likely from age with low carbs from the keg. Tartness builds nicely to a very good level of acidity combined with the vinegar aspect.

Not overly funky at all but it certainly shows up with some barnyard horse funk. Outstanding and impressive fruit flavors for its age.

Serving type: on-tap

08-27-2012 14:37:17 | More by cbutova

Urbancaver

Ohio

4.7/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

1983 unblended 100% version On tap...
Pours a dark hazy reddish maroon. Looks like an old kreik. A touch of bubbly head that dissipates almost immediately.
Smells really nice, tons of cherry aroma with a kick of tart sourness on the nose.
Tastes very tart, a bit of funky. Very mellow while still being acidic. Amazingly not oxidized for a 29 year old beer.
Nice light carbonation, sits very nicely on the tongue. Overall, a stellar beer. Worth what it costs? Well, maybe not. But well worth the experience

Serving type: on-tap

08-25-2012 21:43:29 | More by Urbancaver

spdyfire83

Ireland

4.98/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

226th Review
On-tap at the Copenhagen Beer Celebration 2012 (highlight of the event and worth the trip to Denmark alone)
Poured in a CBC taster
Enjoyed on 11/12 May 2012

Vintage: 1983 100% unblended

A: Deep cherry red (almost maroon, but not quite). Single (off-white) fingernail head fades slowly.

S: Smells of soft sour cherry, oak, and faded mixed berries. Touch of funk and must, but not terribly pronounced. Hint of lemon, spice, and vanilla fade to aged, worn leather. Definitely old, but soft earthiness makes this quite appealing. The complexity of the nose is very inviting!

T: Wow - this beer is quite deep, rounded, and complex considering its age! Loads of soft cherry tartness up-front followed by touch of lemon zest, vanilla, oak, and plum. Mixed berries follow along with soft yeast and mild spice. Sourness and funk is smooth and slightly faded, but very enjoyable nonetheless. The complexity, yet simplicity, is what makes this beer amazing and so tasty!

M: Medium body with almost no carbonation. Soft, crisp, and dry. Very smooth and easy to drink!

O: What can I say...this beer lived up to the hype for me and I thought it was absolutely stellar. I was happy to enjoy multiple pours of this each day at CBC and think the character, fullness, and depth is brilliant. I'd be curious to see how this holds up in the bottle. Superb beer that is worthy of the hype! Urbain doesn't disappoint and neither does this beer. Standing ovation!

Serving type: on-tap

06-25-2012 08:55:04 | More by spdyfire83

Jeffo

Netherlands

3.88/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The illusive Dirty Horse. Got a chance to try a sample of this at The Copenhagen Beer Celebration this past weekend. Cheers to Urbain and the gang for bringing this one to the festival as part of the mind-boggling thirty beer collection. For some reason I thought Urbain was going to bring the 2005 version only, so I was thrilled to see the 1983 starting at me in the face. This was definitely a highlight for many of us.

Tap into a tasting glass
100% 1983

APPEARANCE: Pours a medium sized, tight, rose-white head with great retention. Kind of a maroon or burnt umber brown, hazy, with no visible carbonation. Head eventually fades to a nice wisp that remains the whole way and leaves some nice dots of lacing down the glass. Hard to imagine that this is almost thirty years old.

SMELL: Somewhat mild at this point, but you can tell it's old. Some funky notes with some sweet fruit on the nose. Some sweet melon and lemon, but the red fruits are still there. The cherry is not the star of the show, but it blends well with the other components. Mild, yet well-integrated.

TASTE: Sweet-sour up front with funky yeast notes, lemon, citrus and some sweet melon flavors. Nice tart red fruit component with a definite cherry backbone still. More prominent than the nose had advertised. Mild yet lingering finish of tart red fruits and a touch of bitterness as well. It is obvious that this is quite old and not as bold as it probably once was, but it is very nicely balanced with just the right amount of tart sourness to work with the fruit flavors. This is quite enjoyable.

PALATE: Medium body and medium carbonation. Semi-creamy on the palate, goes down fine and finishes slightly sticky.

OVERALL: This was a real treat. Dirty Horse has aged very gracefully after almost thirty years, but you can tell it's starting to get old. Consequently, while drinking this was a wonderful experience, is was probably not as memorable and impressive a beer as it would have been years ago. That said, this was very well balanced and the flavors mellow enough to drink is mass quantities. The cherry flavors, while muted after so long, still provide a nice, tart flavor to go with the funky sourness and light bitterness. It was great to finally try this beer, and I look forward to trying the 2005 batch at some point in the future. Thanks again for bringing this one to Copenhagen gents!

Serving type: on-tap

05-18-2012 12:56:47 | More by Jeffo

oline73

Maryland

4.48/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I had the 1983 version on-tap at the Copenhagen Beer Celebration. I was extremely excited to get to try this rarity. Served in a tasting tulip.

Appearance: Pours a clear reddish amber color with a layer of off white head that fades to a thick ring around the pour.

Smell: Sweet caramel malt with some tart red fruit notes. I'm also getting some vinegar and a hint of cranberries.

Taste: The tartness is a bit stronger than the malt sweetness in the flavor. The vinegar and red berry notes are both here. The finish is tart but extremely smooth. There is no real bite to this beer.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with smooth carbonation and a dry finish.

Overall: Getting to try this beer was a real treat. Very smooth and I loved the level or sourness compared to the other flavors. I would love to have it again, but who knows if that will be possible.

Serving type: on-tap

05-13-2012 18:33:25 | More by oline73

Beerenauslese

California

4.83/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

On tap at the Alvinne Craft Beer Festival March 4, 2011. Review is from notes.

Body is reddish copper with a small quarter-inch head that dissipates to a ring of bubbles.

Smells of light malt and cherries, with oak and vanilla notes.

Tastes deliciously tart from cherries with a nice dry and spicy finish.

Bodi is light and the carbonation is fizzy. Very lively and refreshing mouthfeel.

A lovely wild sour ale that is very drinkable. Could drink lots of this. Very well balanced and smooth drinking.

Serving type: on-tap

09-18-2011 19:02:15 | More by Beerenauslese

drseamus

New York

4.85/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Served on tap at Ebenezer's under the name Vuul Peird

A: Nice red body with a thin white head. I'm a little surprised that there was head.

S: All sour cherries. All good.

T: Intense tartness. It hits hard with cherries followed by continued tartness. It is almost singular in its tartness. This isn't the tartest beer I've had but it's easily top 5. Off hand, the Peach Raspberry Lambic that was served at EBF was more intense but not by much.

M: Light body with an intense puckering character. Finishes with a clean puckering finish. Lots of pucker in this fucker.

D: How do you rate the drinkability of a beer of which only 1 keg exists and cannot be reproduced?

Serving type: on-tap

09-07-2011 21:24:34 | More by drseamus

kingcrowing

Vermont

4.63/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

On tap, 100% 1983, poured into a wine glass at Ebenezer's 7th annual Belgian feast (8/19/11), reviewed from notes. HUGE thanks to Chris & the whole Eb's crew for this surprise night cap!

Pours a very ruddy dark and hazy brown/red with a small light brown head that doesn't hang around - no lacing to speak of.

Nose is tart and funky, that classic old school wet horse blanket but I guess not so surprisingly after near 30 years the nose has mellowed a decent amount.

Wow, the taste on this is super balanced, much more so than any fresh lambics I've had. It's got all the funk, the tartness, and the sour but all together it's very well rounded and smooth which is quite surprising to me. Rhubarb is a flavor that stands out a lot as it lingers.

Mouthfeel is very light, smooth and very rich.

Overall this is a fantastic beer, lots of hype, but it really is amazing, very tasty, mellow, refreshing, and unique, it's certainly something I'd drink all the time if that was an option.

Serving type: on-tap

08-26-2011 21:44:52 | More by kingcrowing

woosterbill

Connecticut

4.05/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

100% 1983, on-tap at Ebenezer's. Gigantic thanks to JAHMUR for making this review possible.

A: Cloudy pink-orange body with a minimal ring of fine tan bubbles; practically still, but for a beer that's nearly 30 years old I think it looks quite nice.

S: Rich cherries (shockingly), moderate lactic sourness, some oak, and even more fruit. Just a faint bit of musty, barnyardy funk. Enjoyable, yes, life changing, no.

T: Juicy cherries, vanilla, acetic acid, and lemony tartness. Delicious, clean finish. Very mild + smooth, with rape cherry flavor persisting for an impressively long time. While amazingly delicate and fairly complex, this honestly isn't the best-tasting Kriek I've had.

M: Smooth, soft, velvety. Terrific.

O: I'm not sure which is more amazing to me: the fact that I got the chance to try this beer, the fact that it still has a huge cherry presence, or the fact that it didn't blow me away. I honestly expected this to be the most delicious pour of beer I'd ever had, and it just didn't deliver. I've had it, I've ticked it, and I'm over it.

Cheers!

Serving type: on-tap

08-25-2011 16:37:12 | More by woosterbill

tendermorsel

Massachusetts

4.83/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

5 oz pour 100% 1983

Dark cherry color. Minimal head. Cherry was pretty muted in the nose. Musty barnyard aromas mixed with the slightest cherry aroma.

Great tasting beer. Considering the age of this beer the cherries were shockingly in the forefront. I could taste the slight almond flavors what I would assume is from the pits of the cherries. Wonderful taste and insanely complex.

Struise are the kings of mouthfeel and this is no exception. I could pound this beer!

I have been hunting this White Whale for 4 years now. It did not let me down. Awesome. I cannot believe this nearly 30 years old. So fresh and vibrant even after all that time.

Serving type: on-tap

08-24-2011 02:07:45 | More by tendermorsel

BearsOnAcid

Massachusetts

4.43/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

'83 served on tap

Opaque dirty red color with a fluffy white head.

Rustic funk with sour notes. Cherries have fallen out of the aroma obviously. The aroma has sort of evolved and perfected itself into one of the best smelling lambic aromas.

The flavor is very interesting. The sourness is relaxed, fairly dull, on the palate and let's you take in all that funk and muddled old cherry pit flavor. Once swallowed, the mellowed sourness kicks into the back of your jaw. The flavor comes in precise stages.

This beer offered more than I expected being so old. It's showing it's age but still feels like it has many more miles to go. It's especially unique since I haven't had many krieks that I thought were holding up after 10+ years.

Serving type: on-tap

08-22-2011 01:11:03 | More by BearsOnAcid

fisherman34

Manitoba (Canada)

4.65/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Draft sample at Délirium Hoppy Loft. Pale red in colour with moderate carbonation. Ethereal nose of cherry, funk, wood, lemon, and leather. In the mouth, more cherry, slightly cheesy funk, lemon rind, and savory/earhty kitchen herbs. Delicate on the palate, but not short on flavor or acidity (especially on the finish). A unique masterpiece.

Serving type: on-tap

08-12-2011 18:45:34 | More by fisherman34

fewa

Belgium

4.8/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

From my notes: had this highly sought after beer at the Alvinne festival. The beer pours a hazy ruby color, with white head. Smell: Fruit all over the place, sour cherries, and woody smell. Taste: ver well balanced. Starts with some sweetness, followed by a well balanced sourness. Fresh cherries are all over the place again. The woody hints observed in the smell are also clearly present in the taste.Overal, perfect

Serving type: on-tap

04-11-2011 18:43:49 | More by fewa

Cmack15

Massachusetts

4.65/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

I was very fortunate enough to have this on tap at the Alvinne fest this year. The beer has a soft pink/rose color and just looks beautiful in the glass. Slight sour/funk in the nose but not in your face. The taste was a well balanced gueze/sour in my opinion. The funk and sourness was there in the taste especially upfront but then it all blended together and ended so nicely. The age has really helped this beer mellow out and become a true gem. This by far is one of my all time fave beers.
Cheers

Serving type: on-tap

03-22-2011 21:03:27 | More by Cmack15

digita7693

Oregon

5/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I was very excited for the chance to try this at Pré ZBF, and had very very high expectations. And this did by no means disappoint, really it was perfect!

a nice copperish- red color, cloudy, nice white head

s earth tones, sour cherries, wood

t pretty much exactly what was in the smell, sour cherries, wood

d could easily drink this over and over. Had it not been for the ridiculously good selection of other beers at the fest I might have just had this all night.

Serving type: on-tap

03-08-2010 22:20:35 | More by digita7693

rvdoorn

Netherlands

4.75/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had this unique beer at the 1st Borefts bier festival (BBF 2009).

Poured into a de Molen sniffer. The beer pours a dark hazy ruby-red color, with a very persistent white head, leaving a great lacing.

Smell: Full of fruit, mainly tart sour cherries. Woody and a bit musty. Nice

Taste: what an incredible balanced beer was the first thought that crossed my mind. Up front, there is a hint of sweetness (this one is natural, not the artificial crap that is present in the more commercial fruit beers), followed by a great, balanced sourness. Cherries are all over the place, but also some hints of malts and almond. The woody oak taste is also there.

Mouthfeel: Normal bodied for the style (a bit watery). Medium carbonation

Overall: I have to say that I normally really not like this style, actually, I almost avoid it. But after the Crianza Helena and Blabaer from Cantillon, this is the 3rd I love. Pity all of them are limited brews....

Serving type: on-tap

11-02-2009 19:22:59 | More by rvdoorn

cosmicevan

New York

4.3/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

big thanks goes out to GrumpyOldTroll, jbuddle, Sean9689, SpeedwayJim, AgentZero, dtmets84 for sharing in the greatest day of beer that i have ever been a part of. huge thanks to mike for providing this bit of unobtainium.

notes from 1/12/2013

90/10 blend consumed from a de struise tulip glass.

poured a murky maroon almost brown with a thin foamy head that hung out for a bit. smelled rahter musty and fruity at the same time. apples and old berries...tastes pretty great. tart fruit with must. like overripe berries with must and age. tart. really nice lambic, but this is no don quijote. the mustiness is fairly heavy all around this beer. it is very good for a beer that has some 30 year old beer blended in there and it is extremely drinkable and had some really nice fairly bright fruity flavoring as well.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 06:03:23 | More by cosmicevan

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

4.08/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Review from notes, sample from an auction bottle opened at Ebeneezer's summer 2010, thanks for the opportunity Chris!
Pours a lightly hazed light red color with a smallish pink and white head that dissipates quickly. Smells of cherry pie, leather, funk, a bit of lemon and raspberry with a hint of acetic. The flavor is tart with a nice fruity edge to it. Lemons cherries and raspberries meld nicely with a hint of vinegar some leather, oak, and funk. Medium body with a light level of carbonation and a tart puckering mouthfeel. Very nice kriek, it seems to have held up very nicely.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2012 21:25:51 | More by johnnnniee

Samichlaus82

4.5/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Cherry pie like aroma; cherry, vanilla, caramel, slight funk, apple and grape. Lots going on in the nose. The flavor is mirrored by the aroma; sweet cherry and fruit notes with some overarching funk to it. Not as funky or sour as I would have expected. Balanced. Overall, am I impressed by this? Yes and no. Yes in terms of how this has held up and the overall experience of getting to drink this. No in the fact that if this was a "new" beer I would have been a little let down. Some carbonation would have been nice. Medium mouthfeel. I find myself saying that I could drink this all day.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2012 09:37:29 | More by Samichlaus82

camil1mj

Michigan

4.5/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

1983 unblended from a vial filled from a growler from Ebenezer's. Shared by Romulux. Never thought a single drop of this beer would pass over my tongue, but the little bit that did was amazing and left me wanting more.

A - Dirty reddish-orange with no head. This may be due to the small amount we had access to.

S - Vinegar and cherries.

T - The cherries are still there and taste great with a wonderful lemony/acidic finish. Not as much funk as described by others.

M - Nice dry mouthfeel.

O - The little bit I had lives up to the hype. Left me wanting more. So great. Big thanks to Romulux for sharing this rare treat.

Serving type: growler

09-10-2012 14:04:20 | More by camil1mj