Macadame - De Struise Brouwers

beerdrifter

Germany

4.03/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Thanks to Bart for snagging this for me from the Struise beer store! Thankfully I read Jeffo's review as it would have been a gusher had I not been careful opening it. Dark brown-black pour with a two finger tan head that fades quickly with nice lacing. Subtle roast and strong vinous notes dominate the nose along with hints of cola, raisins, cocoa, and just a touch of funk. Very funky-sour and unique taste that like the nose, is dominated by the Monbazillac wine barrels. Subtle fruity sweetness is complemented nicely by roasty chocolate, licorice, and a bit of burnt espresso and bourbon on the finish. The mouthfeel is slightly fizzy and a bit thin for a stout, but finishes with a subtle creaminess and peppery bite. Overall, this was a pleasant surprise. It's definitely not your typical big barrel aged stout, but it's unique enough to make it very interesting.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 23:20:33 | More by beerdrifter

Jeffo

Netherlands

4.08/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Thanks to Bart for picking these up for us. Excited to try a new Struise stout that has nothing to do with Black Albert.

From a 500ml bottle into a snifter
Imperial stout aged in white wine barrels from Monbazillac & AJ.

APPEARANCE: Foamed out upon opening, so a careful pour comes out murky, light brown and yields a two finger, medium looking, light tan head with good retention. Slightly fizzy as well. Bistre brown body with higher levels of carbonation. Head slowly fades to a foam cap. A ring and splotchy wisp remain but leave no real lacing down the glass. Foaming was orginally out of control after opening, but it calmed just fine.

SMELL: White wine for sure. Light roasted and mild chocolate notes, with green apples and funky barnyard notes from the wine barrels. Definitely queuze qualities like a lambic / stout blend. Good stuff, though I'd like to see more stout come through for top marks.

TASTE: White wine, green apples, barnyard funk with dark chocolate and roasted cacao flavors up front. Bold and lingering finish of cacao, burnt and charred malts, white wine with green apples and funky notes. A sour-stout with a good dose of wine barrel. Interesting and unique.

PALATE: Medium-light body with higher levels of carbonation. Creamy on the palate, goes down smooth and finishes with a burn at the swallow. Slightly mouth-coating. A definite wine feel on this one, but creamier on the palate.

OVERALL: The wine barrel has definitely taken the lead roll here. Very wine-like stout, and the feel has defintely been heavily influenced by the barrels. This could be a De Cam Gueuze and Black Albert blend. Really nice if you're into stouts and lambic and like to see how they can work together, though it's sour heavy enough that some stout lovers might find this off-putting. Still, a cool beer that's definitely worth tracking down if you're into this type of stuff.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2012 23:23:07 | More by Jeffo