Hello,
Two new beers from beer firm VDACO bvba have been tasted.
Beer firm VDACO aka the Struise Brouwers.
Struise which is derived from their Ostrich farm, located in the west-corner of Belgium.
More info: http://www.noordhoek.com/rondleiding.html
Struisvogel = Ostrich // Struis = also Dutch for sturdy (yes, the sturdy brewers)
Well, what sturdy beers we've tasted here. Exceptional quality !!!!

First, their new Christmas beer, called Tsjeeses.
Tsjeeses is a Dutch expression, and is in fact an exclamation of wonderment.
Derived from the English expression Jesus.

This beer is already brewed in February at Deca services in Woesten.
It has been lagered on fruit !!!!! White grapes, orange, apricots and other stone fruits, and this for a period of 8 months at 10° Celcius.

This X-mas beer is blond, 10 vol% strong, 14 EBC colorwise, 32 IBU hop bitter by the use of Marynka and Brewers Gold.
Nice creamy longlasting head too. Hazy.
Quite sweet beer, very dense too. Tasting indeed gave those fruity accents, but nevertheless I spotted something spicy too !!
A very distinguished taste but to the point that I was not able to point the exact spice(s).
Anyway, a marvelous Belgian X-mas beer addition !! 

Second new Struise Brouwers beer: Aardmonnik - Earthmonk.

Only 1000 75cl. bottles are produced, and 5000 33cl. bottles.
A one-time experience, so very exclusive indeed !
First, uncorking the bottle.

Pouring out gave no foam at all !
On the other hand, we were welcomed by a wonderful winy/fruity/estery/parfumy aroma escaping the bottle.
Dark to black color. Quite clear beer too.

I'm happy this beer has been bottled with plastic corks, so unpleasant cork tastes are eliminated.
This beer has to be classified under Flemish "Oud Bruin", because this is a blend of two top-fermented beers produced with a mixed fermentation.
30% old aged "unfiltered" beer that has aged for 18 months in oak barrels. At this stage a secondary lacto-acid infection/fermentation has been achieved. Oud Bruin has - as so - undergo a mixed fermentation.
This aged lacto-acid beer has been blended with 70% young beer, and the end result is an 8vol% strong Oud Bruin.
Interesting to know is the fact that the old beer (the 30%) has been brewed at the Ostrich farm !, and this for 10 times, just to achieve the perfect amount for blending into the desired proportions.
The 70% young beer on the other hand is brewed at Deca services in Woesten.
Some specifications: EBC 92, IBU 15, Hops are Bramling Ctoss, Hallertau MF, alc 8vol%.

Tasting was an extreme pleasant experience. A heavenly treat really.
This beer is flat. No carbonation, which reflects in the mouth feeling, which is also quite mushy.
You really drink some kind of winy Port alike liquid.
Surprisingly this beer has alot of burnt roast malty flavours to it. A distinguish characteristic.
Somehow Pannepot came into my mind here !!
Mellow lacto-acidity with estery additions.
Port and wine touches, perfectly in balance with the woody flavours from the oak barrels.
I call this beer a "masterpiece" !

Please, try to hurry, because 1000 75cl bottles and 5000 33cl. bottles is not exactly what you can call a big brew capacity outcome. 

VDACO bvba (Brouwerij Deca services, Woesten)
Landbouwersstraat 18
8660 De Panne This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
www.struisebrouwers.be (Great site by the way !)

Another btw: Thierry and Bianca, THANKS for the opportunity to've been able to have tasted those wonderful beers......

Cheers,
Filip

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