Struise ‘Tsjeeses’ Belgian Xmas Ale 2015

Rating:

imageWell it’s Christmas morning and the presents are done. What else to do, but crack open a Xmas ale, in Danish style.

We pop open the cap at 7:20am and we get rich aromas of port, sweet Belgian yeasts, bubblegum, spices and stewed dark fruits. There is contained alcohol here. Very nice indeed. We pour into a snifter and the initial bubbly pour fades leaving no head in the glass. It looks like a malty IPA..dark copper, tinge of amber. The palate hit is all about the carbonation on the lips, which then turns a tad sour, and ends with a drying bitterness. It’s not overpowering though. We get doughy yeasts, bit more banana and bubblegum, some clove in there also. Bit of a spicy hop hit, but there is a tinge of tropical fruit coming through as well. We are amazed to see that this drop is 10% alcohol. So damn smooth. It has a medium to full body, and good length. We note from the bottle the IBU is 35 and this is fair as the bitterness is restrained. We are enjoying the doughy, Belgian flavours. By the end of this bad boy, we are seriously buzzed. With no breakfast in the tank, I need some bacon and eggs to offset the alcohol. This is a damn fine ale. Full of Christmas flavours like you’re having pudding, port and cherries. Enjoy.