Struise Tsjeeses Reserva (2008-2010) - De Struise Brouwers

KickbacksSteve

Florida

4.2/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

33 cl bottle poured into tuliip. Best by 16/11/16. Off white soapy head and lacing. Golden/amber in color. Aroma includes malt sweetness, some alcohol heat, some spicing, can't identify. Taste of sweet malt and molasses, again, mild spicing and smooth drinking. Caramel notes.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2012 01:49:39 | More by KickbacksSteve

stakem

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

You can't beat the opportunity to enjoy some brews in the company of the person responsible for their creation. Urbain described Tsjeeses '10 reserva as the port barrel aged version which is fermented 3 times. (Base yeast strain, with stone fruits and again in the bottle after barrel aging.) Another little known fact is thay every other year the barrels are switched from port to bourbon. IE: '10 is port, '11 is bourbon, '12 will be port again, etc.

The brew appears a clear amber. Quite atteactive with a white froth sitting atop. Patchy lace sticks to the glass. The head retains throughout and is effortlessly revived with a light swirl.

The smell is sweet and floral with the includion of the previous mentioned stone fruits. A mild clove and yeast presence adds character through the middle with a hint of orange flesh. Mild vanilla and oak are present blending this out with a pleasant sweetness to the aroma. Very well balance and enjoyable sweet smelling aromatics here.

The taste includes clove and a bit of mild fruity accent. Very well hidden alcohol inclusion. Some spiced aspect like cinnamon and vanilla with mild orange is in the aftertaste. The barrel aging is evident with a mild tannic and musty barrel flavor but the candied sweetness smooths everything out.

This is a medium bodied brew with a modest level of carbonation. The alcohol is masterfully integrated. This is 100x better than I remember the base beer being. I need to get some more of this to have a comparison between the different barrels.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2012 17:54:06 | More by stakem

draheim

Washington

4.2/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

11.2oz bottle (No. 11; lot C - 8 - 10) into a tulip. Pours a honey amber w/ some chunks, despite a pretty careful pour. 1-finger soapy white head, minimal carb.

Aroma is sweet candi sugar, dried apricots, butterscotch, some alcohol.

Taste is sticky sweet, fruity, with an earthy quality. Not cloying but a little caramelly, malty.

Mouthfeel is buttery smooth w/ a pretty clean, semi-dry finish.

Overall this was a little sweeter/fruitier than I like my BSPAs, but still a tasty, well-crafted beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2012 01:51:21 | More by draheim

WillCarrera

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

11.2 oz bottle, lot C-8-10, poured into a tulip glass.

A- Pours a hazy dark orange color with a finger of off-white head, leaves little lacing.

S- Lots of fruit (apples and peach) and red wine, some yeast and candi sugar. Some oak aroma mixed in with the red wine.

T- Starts out a bit sweet with peach, apple and candi sugar. Spicy Belgian yeast, eventually fades into a vinous, woody finish.

M- Medium to full body, smooth feel, very very dry finish. Alcohol is incredibly well hidden for 10% ABV.

O- An awesome beer, really tasty and easy drinking for such a strong brew, I'd definitely pick this one up again.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2012 05:47:14 | More by WillCarrera

roblowther

Texas

4.2/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

33cl bottle into a tulip glass. Pours clear copper/brown with a frothy off-white head. Smell is oranges, honey, leather...this is starting to sound like a scene from 50 Shades of Gray. Taste is nutty and biscuity, much sharper than it smells. Mouthfeel is pleasantly slick with a touch of stickiness. OK, now I can't get the 50 Shades references to stop. Overall it is a really nice beer, more intense than a strong pale ale normally would be. That gives it a lot of interest in my book. Haha. I said "book".

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 17:11:22 | More by roblowther

Floydster

California

4.22/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle, label is red and blue instead of the green I am used to because it is the reserve version, thanks to Bonus Beer Bob for leaving this behind at our tasting even though he had left and gone to bed at that point, reviewed from notes, poured into my Stone sampling glass

A-Golden orange with some reddish tint, but nice and bright, 1/2 inch creamy white head, not much retention, some legs
S-Brown sugar, orange peel, toffee, various spices, coriander, sweet malt, booze, oak, and tarty fruit
T-Starts off pretty sweet with caramel and toffee, citrus in the middle, oak and alcohol in the finish, not overly strong just warming, becomes more sweet as it warms up, flavor is more subtle than normal Tsjeeses, nicely balanced
M-Fruity, citrusy, dry, and sweet mouthfeel, medium bodied, good amount of carbonation, taste lingered
D-Could have easily drank this bottle but do not how much more after that, strong stuff but booze are hidden for the most part, pretty smooth

The barrel aging did a lot for this beer and really mellowed out the huge citrus character that the standard version has, it seems like all of their reserva brews are crafted well and I look forward to other ones they have in store, would drink again, recommended

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2009 02:00:14 | More by Floydster

brc

Michigan

4.22/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

33cl bottle best by 12 12 12. Poured into tulip. Fair warning - mine was a gusher.

Pours a large head, takes its time settling. Decent lacing. Lots of floating sediment that doesn't want to settle out.

When uncapped there is immediately a yeasty bready aroma with some spicy notes. Some woodsiness, too, as I stick my nose in it.

Lots of interesting yeasty byproducts in the taste: banana and citrus in the front. The malt flavor is fairly bready, and you also get some vanilla notes and a decent brandy kick in the finish. Bitterness is medium to low.

Super thick and creamy mouthfeel, like a top notch stout.

The alcohol is definitely there, but it's not unpleasant. All the flavors are good, and I'd go for another bottle.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2009 22:36:35 | More by brc

drabmuh

Maryland

4.22/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle shared by Brad at a recent tasting, thanks.

Can De Struise do any wrong? Every beer I've had from Urbain has been great, this one no exception. I have to go find the regular version of this and try it this year.

Beer is dark yellow and hazy with a decent head that leaves some lacing on the glass.

Lots of bready yeastiness in the nose of this beer. Very good though. Fruity with grapes and some spice, very nice overall.

Beer is smooth and medium to light in body. Woody and mildly funky with some spice and perhaps some bourbon. Some fruitiness and spice round the finish of the beer out nicely. I'd definitely have this again.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2010 22:23:11 | More by drabmuh

deltatauhobbit

Maine

4.22/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Had over at Novare Res.

Pours a beautiful amber/orange color with a good amount of fuzziness to it, love me some haze, not much of a head though or lacing.

Smell is predominately spicy, hard to make out the specific aromas though, touch of yeasty breadiness.

Taste has an active yet at the same time soft carbonation, not overly cloying although it tends to lean towards the sweeter side, the spices help balance things surprisingly, don't look for hops if you're expecting any as they're very muted, decent light fruity aspect to it, the strength is very well hidden and hardly picked up on any warmth, dangerously drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

02-05-2011 15:05:08 | More by deltatauhobbit

ILiveOffHops

New Hampshire

4.22/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I've loved most of De Struise's offerings thus far- Pannepot, Black Albert, and the original Tsjesses- so looking forward to this one.

1/3 liter bottle poured into a tulip glass. It's an opaque dark orange with a dense white head that settles down to a solid foam that covers the entire top. Spice! Clove, maybe...cardamom, almost medicinal. A really awesome yeasty earthiness. Then some soft fruit- raisins and apricot, and vanilla. The alcohol is present, and a little too hot. Carbonation is perfect.

Overall this is another great beer from De Struise. I love that typical Belgian phenolic here. I wish the alcohol was more subdued, and maybe more age would do this one well.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2011 01:51:59 | More by ILiveOffHops

BobZ

Massachusetts

4.22/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

330ml 11.2 Oz. bottle. Poured into my Duvel tulip.

Appearance: Murky, dark amber, almost honey-like in color. Small ¼" head initially that fades to a cap, nice lacing though. Just like the standard Tsjeeses there is a large amount of yeasty sediment at the bottom of the bottle.

Smell: Spice sweetness erupts off this one, with a mild phenol or booziness. Much more complex than the non-reserva.

Taste: Excellent, sweetness up front (a little spice perhaps even a little citrus) with the mild phenol/booze flavor in the background, all held together nicely by hoppy bitterness. Very well balanced, you notice the alcohol more in this one, but that is not a bad thing in any way, in fact it added to my enjoyment of this beer.

Mouthfeel: As always from Struise well carbonated, and very, very smooth.

Drinkability: Excellent beer and superior to the standard Tsjeeses. Another solid offering form what is clearly becoming the best brewery in the world.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2011 17:01:55 | More by BobZ

BostonHops

Massachusetts

4.23/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

pours a cloudy, dull yellow tone while yielding an offwhite 1" head. slowly fades to a lasting cap; decent lacing. nose is delivers a smattering of fruits: apple, maybe pear, and grape that combine with spice and belgian yeast to give this beer a rather interesting (in a good way) aroma.

flavor mostly follows the nose. very fruity - the above-mentioned plus a little more citric than what i picked up in the nose (esp orange). very good: fairly complex and enjoyable. medium bodied mouthfeel with medium carbonation.

overall i'm enjoying this a good deal. the more i drink it the more i seem to like it. not world class but very impressive.

(originally reviewed: 09-18-2011)

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2012 22:07:52 | More by BostonHops

Kendo

New York

4.28/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Poured into a Piraat tulip/snifter-type glass. Body is fairly clear, but only because of a careful decanting (there was plenty of sediment at the bottom of the bottle). Dark amber with an orangey undertone. Small khaki head on top, leaves some legs behind.

S: Sweetness - some bubblegum and ripe fruit. Yeasty/phenolic-type character to it.

T: Kinda follows the nose: fruit (berries, overripe apples, red grapes) and sugary-sweet. As it warms I'm getting some spice and a touch of woody astringency. Finishes with a drying heat from the alcohol, which is felt in the belly right away. It doesn't seem like 10% ABV in the mouth, but I can feel the alcohol going down. Didn't notice any real hoppiness at first, but there's a bit of lingering bitterness that cuts the sweetness, so it's either getting that from the advertised noble hops or some wood - is this one barrel or wood-aged?

M: Nice feel to it - nice fizzy but soft carbonation. Call it just lighter than medium in heft.

O: Nice beer. Worth the $ I paid for it (I think I paid over $11 for the bottle)? Probably not, but still glad I got to try it.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2011 02:23:30 | More by Kendo

Kshock

California

4.28/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A- Pours a nice golden color, sits with a darker brown hue. Good white head that retains for a little while leaving some lacing but never completely dissipates.

S- Spicy estery yeast, a little alcohol. Nice nose.

T- sweetness with a little fruit behind it. Very clean finish that dries a little. very balanced considering the abv%.

M- very nice soft and light body with a little carb. Dries nicely into a very clean finish.

O- really nice beer, drinks dangerously easy. Well executed.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2011 01:26:08 | More by Kshock

haz77

United Kingdom (England)

4.28/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A - Pours a clear dark amber with a towering few of inches of thick off-white head. Small, lively bubbles of carbonation mean it takes some time to fall away. A good looking brew.

S - Pear drops, medicinal phenols, peach, plum, sweet wine, vinous notes at the back. There is quite a lot in there without the aroma being particularly bold. Good nonetheless.

T - The start is sweet stone fruits with caramel joining in the middle. Medicinal phenols and a bit of alcohol heat pick up towards the end. The warming booze stays around in the aftertaste along with some breadiness and herbal hops/drying vinous flavours in the background. This is a young example so the alcohol may well even out if cellared, although to be clear it doesn't taste near its 10% ABV.

M - Persistent, tingling carbonation keeps the body feeling medium before finally fading towards the end of the drink. This allows a more creamy presence to evolve. A refined experience.

D - I really couldn't put this down once I started drinking it, even with the boozy element making itself known in the taste. I think the standard version is superior, but this is an exquisite beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2012 17:18:22 | More by haz77

dogfishandi

New York

4.3/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2010 Vintage. 11.2 oz bottle at fridge temp poured into an ommegang goblet.

pours out a murky, reddish, mahaganey color with huge chunks of yeasty trub floating around as well as tons of sediment, kind of takes away from the appearence. a nice retentive off white head, almost a little tan colored. good retention, but no real lace to speak of.

a very vinious, wine like aroma. lots of slightly funky, oaky barrel qualities as well. a hint of a dark fruity, dark bready, slightly sweet malt and just a little tartness.

very nice taste, lots of complexities. starts off with a slightly prickly carbonation and kind of a dry wine taste, then moves into some wonderful, somewhat sweet, toffee, brown sugar, candied caramel, figs, dark breads, a bit of vanilla and a hint of nutmeg and other such spices. the slightest bit of funk. the vinious wine like fruity flavors come back in the finish. all the flavors meld together so nicely.

medium to full in body. just the right feeling carbonation for this beer which is a touch on the high side.

a very enjoyable beer. the regular tsjeeses was a winner for me and this is even better. much like many of struises belgian beers, it seems to
embody everything you would want in a belgian. age has done this beer well with so many complex flavors that meld with one another so nicely. if this is still at my bottle shop, ill be sure to grab more for the cellar. highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2012 00:40:54 | More by dogfishandi

FreshHawk

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Cloudy, murky golden, orange, beige mixture for color. Fairly large foamy and creamy slightly off-white head. Average retention with a nice thin layer of foamy and sticky lace.

S - Wet grainy and bready malt. A touch of fruitiness (in particular apple and orange but some other golden fruit). Some woodiness and earthiness along with a good amount of spice and vanilla. Good amount of yeast and sweetness.

T - Similar to the nose. Bready pale malt and wet grainy taste. Fruity flavors present but not overly strong with apple and orange strongest but some peach, apricot, pear, etc. Some spice of clove, coriander, cinnamon and pepper along with a strong yeast flavor.

M - Medium body with a good amount of carbonation. Fairly smooth.

D - Very drinkable beer that is quite balanced. ABV is well hidden and it goes down easy.

Notes: Best before 12/12/12. Well balanced beer with a good amount of malt, fruit, and grain taste along with hints of woodiness and earthinesss. Not really like other BSPAs and it is pretty interesting, especially with the hints of woodiness. I wasn't fully blown away by the beer, but it was an enjoyable beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2010 14:47:45 | More by FreshHawk

GbVDave

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from an 11.2oz bottle into a Struise tulip.

LOT: C 8 10

A: Pours a lovely deep copper color. A thinnish layer of off white skim spreads out on top and stays around for ages. Lace is ropey and droopy and the carbonation is plentiful.

S: Fantastic. Huge aromas of Bosc pear, red apple, caramel, and a suggested layer of spices.

T: Drank a few sips of a "clean" pour and was impressed with its' fruitiness. Decided to swirl the sediment and treat myself to a "dirty" pour and thats when the spices really pushed through. I noticed allspice, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, and maybe the barest trace of anise.

M: Slick and sweet. Coats extremely well. The spices dial back on the oiliness with some welcome astringency.

D: An excellent beer. Didn't pick up on any of its' 10% although my cheeks felt a bit flushed by the end of the bottle. So glad I was finally able to try this!

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2011 15:51:17 | More by GbVDave

DefenCorps

Oregon

4.33/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I bought a bottle of this at Max's yesterday.

A little cloudy, there's a dense off-white head that has decent retention. The nose is great. Milder than the regular version in that the stone fruit is milder and rounder, with peach, apricot and an excellent, mild, tartness. Quite fruity. The palate opens fruity and vinous with caramel, candied apricots. A little mellower and more vinous than the regular version. Alcohol is very well hidden here. Medium light in body with high carbonation, the flavors on the finish are excellent. I'm glad I bought a bottle of this.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2011 15:00:07 | More by DefenCorps

UCLABrewN84

California

4.33/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottled 8/10.

Pours a hazy honey orange color with a 1 inch off-white head that fades to a very thin cap on the top of the beer. Random legs of lacing on the glass on the drink down. Smells of green apple, caramel malt, Winter spices, and yeast. Taste is of green apple and other light fruit flavors, light spices, and some yeast flavors. There is a slight spice/hop bitterness on the palate after each sip. Mouthfeel has a good level of carbonation but is still a bit thick and sticky. Overall, this is a very nice beer from Struise and slightly better than the regular Tsjeeses that I tried in the past.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2011 01:47:13 | More by UCLABrewN84

perrymarcus

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

pours a cloudy, dull yellow tone while yielding an offwhite 1" head. slowly fades to a lasting cap; decent lacing.

nose is delivers a smattering of fruits: apple, maybe pear, and grape that combine with spice and belgian yeast to give this beer a rather interesting (in a good way) aroma.

flavor mostly follows the nose. very fruity - the above-mentioned plus a little more citric than what i picked up in the nose (esp orange). very good: fairly complex and enjoyable. medium bodied mouthfeel with medium carbonation.

overall i'm enjoying this a good deal. the more i drink it the more i like it. very impressive.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2011 04:05:09 | More by perrymarcus

rye726

Colorado

4.38/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Up for review is a bottle of Tsjeeses Reserva from Struise. POured into a snifter at cellar temp. Golden color with a nice beige head. The barrels really did this beer well. Much more complex than original. Nice full body with excellent carbonation. Go get some, try it for yourself.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2011 01:47:19 | More by rye726

SpdKilz

Illinois

4.38/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance – Pours into a generic tulip with a great looking golden orange color and over a finger of slight off white head that dissipates slowly leaving nice looking lacing.

Smell – Lots of spices up front – I can immediately smell coriander, clove, cinnamon, and just a hint of peppermint. It is not in your face spices, which is nice. I often get worried when I take a sniff and am overwhelmed by heavy spices. The light spices are followed by some nice citrus/fruit aromas including pear, raisins, plums and other dark fruits, and a hint of granny smith apple. There is also a nice malty backbone and caramel at the end.

Taste – About on par with the aroma. The aformentinoed spices up front but mixed with what seems to be a honey flavor. Lots of yeast and breadiness after, which then follows with boozy fruit flavors. A pleasant tasting beer.

Mouthfeel – Creamy, lower carbonation, oily.

Overall – Glad I picked up another one of these. I can’t wait to open it this Christmas. Better than I was expecting.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2011 01:20:36 | More by SpdKilz

donkeyrunner

Massachusetts

4.38/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Amber with a fingerswidth wheat head. Superb layer of retention puts up a tentacle or two.

Spicy/fruity aromatic mix. Spicy that's kinda like bright green grass mixed with mulling spice - but not really. Fruity like sugared apricot and golden pear. Tinge of butternut squash.

Well balanced dry vs. juicy taste. Yeasty spice (dry) vs. rich apricot and white grape juice. Dry, lightly burnt sugar finish that contrasts the sweet and juicy and sets up the next sip.

Magically delicious, it magically disappeared before I knew it. Merry Christmas to me.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2011 21:29:12 | More by donkeyrunner

dgfair

North Carolina

4.4/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

11.2 oz bottle poured into Corsendonk Christmas goblet.

Pours a brilliant burnt orange color with a huge creamy, pillowy off white head. Leaves thick lacing all over the glass. Smell is slightly spiced with nutmeg and coriander notes. There is also a fruity undertone with a little apple, grape, and pear. Nice smell, but not super complex. Taste is fantastic with a delicious spicy fruitiness and a very nice hop balance. Fruity but never sweet due to the great balance from the generous flavor of spice and hops. Mouth is creamy and smooth and finishes surprisingly dry. Overall a great beer from Struise. Glad I have one more to save for a cold winter night.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2011 00:22:38 | More by dgfair