Bottle, vintage 2012. Nice amber color, with small white head, disappearing. Aroma is honey, candi sugar, caramel, raisins, ripe fruit, amaretti. Taste is sweetish but not too much, caramel, raisins, liquor. Medium-low carbonation. Reminds some barley wine. Another great beer from Struise.

0.33 l bottle from 'Etre Gourmet', bottled in July 2016. A bit hazy, dark reddish amber with a thin, frothy, almost stable, off-white head. Sweetish-malty, gently fruity and a little oxidized aroma of raisins, prunes, figs, vanilla, molasses, some bourbon and a touch of red wine. Very sweet, malty, gently fruity and a little yeasty-spicy taste of molasses, raisins, prunes, bourbon, vanilla, some red wine and a touch of lovage, followed by a medium long, moderately bitter, slightly yeasty-spicy, gently warming, moderately boozy and minimally oxidized finish. Medium to full body, gently effervescent mouthfeel, average to lively carbonation. Really tasty and complex beer with lots of different layers of flavours. Another gem from Struise!

330ml bottle, 2012 version. Pours opaque maroon brown with a ruby-ish tinge, off white head. Aroma: hazelnut, caramel, amaretto, raisins, figs, plums, oak, vanilla. Taste: moderate to heavy sweet & moderate bitter, dried fruits, dark fruits, caramel, oak, bourbon, dessert wine vibes. Medium body, smooth carb, warming finish. Cracking

Special version of Struise's Rio Reserva, aged on both St. Emilion wine and Kentucky bourbon barrels; originally a limited release of 75 cl bottles only, now apparently released again but in 33 cl bottles. Thanks to Craftmember for sharing. Mousy but opening, egg-white head with some flat 'islands' in the middle, hazy deep peach blonde robe with an ochre-brownish tinge. Beautiful, alluring bouquet: hazelnut paste, lots of vanilla-scenting wet oak wood, almond, caramel, amaretto, dessert wine and sweet grapes, damp hay, raisinbread, ripe pear, white port, whisky, baked banana, peach. Fruity, sweetish onset, melon, peach, sweet white grapes, banana mush, light wine-like tartness noticeable early on, medium carbonation, full and bit 'fluffy' yet eventually rather vinous mouthfeel, very pleasant. Honeyish caramelly sweet malt body with soft bread pulp edges, drenched in a lot of vanilla-scenting oak, tannic and rustic, with stewed white fruit aspects lingering till deep into the finish; vinous ending with both wine and bourbon clearly distinguishable, yet neither of the two becomes overly dominant over the beer. Earthy, fruity touches, warming and complex. Barleywine-esque, very complex and refined, this - like the original Rio Reserva version aged on bourbon barrels only - very clearly exceeds the classic 'tripel' profile, and that is an understatement. Rio Reservas still are among the best Struise creations ever for me.

Imported from my RateBeer account as Struise Rio Reserva (St Emilion Wine + Kentucky Bourbon B.A.) (by De Struise Brouwers):
Aroma: 8/10, Appearance: 4/5, Taste: 9/10, Palate: 4/5, Overall: 17/20, MyTotalScore: 4.2/5

17/XII/18 - 33cl bottle from het Schooltje, shared @ home, BB: n/a, bottled: 12/VII/16 - (2018-1997)

Clear orange to red brown beer, small irregular off-white head, pretty stable, bit adhesive. Aroma: some nutmeg, oxidized, vanilla notes, some tobacco, dusty, some cinnamon, marzipan. MF: ok carbon, medium body. Taste: sweet start, caramel, bit oxidized, bitter touch, lots of alcohol. Aftertaste: more caramel, oxidized, dried fruits, sugary, orange peel, some alcohol, little bitter, some ripe banana, nice one!