A visit to De Struise brewery is a must for any beer geek touring through Belgium. And it was no different for us when we found out about the beers they created.
Urbain (formerly an ostrich farmer) and Carlo (a wine maker) started out as gypsy brewers, first brewing their beers in the Caulier Brewery in Hainaut. The popularity of their beers soon meant a move to bigger production facilities was required.
Deca Services in Woesten-Vleteren was the next step on the path. Here they increased both production volume and variety, gaining much international recognition for their creations. The jewels in the crown were Pannepot (a strong dark and spiced ale) and the Black Damnation series of various interations of their Black Albert 13% Russian Imperial Stout - or 'Belgian Royal Stout' as described by Struise.
In 2008 Ratebeer.com rated them as the 'Worlds Best Brewery', and with this came more international fame and demand. This led to a move to a new home a couple of years later.
A double IPA from Struise, originally made for De Molen's Borefts beer festival as a tribute to De Molen Vuur & Vlam
More like a traditional quadrupel than the Pannepot; brewed for the Dutch market.
One of the best Belgian beers you'll ever taste - so much flavour it's impossible to describe.
Beer number two in the Black Damnation series
A massive barley wine aged in Bordeaux French oak barrels that were previously home to Swiss red wine
The sister-beer to Pannepot, this quadrupel was first made for the Danish market
The famous Old Fisherman's Ale from Struise is a spiced strong dark ale
The 2019 version of Pannepot aged in bourbon barrels
Struise's spiced strong dark ale Pannepot, matured in Bordeaux barriques for a full 4 years
Struise's famous spiced strong dark ale aged three years in wine and port barrels
A dark blond quadrupel that has been aged in both St Emilion wine barrels and Kentucky Bourbon barrels
An amber ale brewed with barley, wheat and oats and finished with a little Belgian candi sugar.
A delicious dark quadruple aged for three years in Woodford Reserve Bourbon barrels
A big Belgian quadruped aged in Woodford Reserve bourbon barrels for two years
The Struise Tsjeeses is their blond-amber Christmas seasonal beer, with this 2014 vintage being aged in Bourbon barrels
Another masterpiece from Struise, a blonde Christmas Ale full of flavours that come through in layers.
A cracking seasonal blond-amber Christmas beer from De Struise Brouwers
Struise's winter seasonal offering - a 10% strong blond spiced ale