Struise / Three Floyds Shark Pants

An Imperial India Pale Ale with a bitterness of 300 IBU.

3.6

298 reviews

Oostvleteren, Belgium

Community reviews

4.1 Pours a slightly cloudy, dark amber, coppery coloration with a medium, fluffy head. Smells of caramel malt and resinous, citrus hops, with notes of grapefruit and pine. Taste is a great balance of caramel malt and bitter, resinous, fruity hops, with citrus notes of grapefruit as well as a strong, quite resinous pine presence and lighter accents of spice, with just a hint of cardamom. Finishes with a medium/strong bitterness and some grapefruit and pine lingering in the aftertaste. Smooth mouthfeel with a medium body and carbonation. Despite some lightly spicy Belgian yeast accents, which actually add an interesting character to this and go well with the bitter, resinous hops, this feels a lot more like classic, old school West Coast IPA than a Belgian IPA, not that there's anything wrong with that. It's really dominated by a strong resinous pine character, which I love, as well as some zesty citrus, the aforementioned spice and a very solid caramel malt backbone. The claim of 300 IBUs seems highly exaggerated though, or is perhaps proof that the human tongue simply cannot perceive bitterness beyond a certain level. However, I certainly seem to remember having a beer or two that felt more bitter to me and didn't claim 300 IBUs. Overall, this makes for a terrific West Coast IPA with a certain Belgian touch that's big on the bitter, resinous hops, which are balanced very nicely against some sweet caramel malt.

3.7 Bottle at home. Murky amber, big foamy off white head. Pine hoppy, caramel malty, high bitterness: classic American DIPA. Medium body, low carbonation.

4.0 33cl flesje via Mans, Margraten Alcoholpercentage van 9% Uitgeschonken in Brand Porter glas Uiterlijk: amberkleurig met goede volle witte schuimkraag Aroma en smaak: aroma moutig, smaak is eerst zoete mouten, licht fruitig van sinaasappel en daarna de 300 IBU aan straffe bitterheid.

3.2 Sample at Borefts '11. I remember it to be a sweet, malty, but also very bitter DIPA, both herbal and fruity, marmalade. Thought it was too sweet and lacked real oomph.

3.7 Rami Rami is drinking a Shark Pants by De Struise Brouwers at Czerniakowska Powaga, mokry pies w aromacie. Troche miodu. Dluga gorycz. Miod gryczany. 3 lata po terminie jako, ze bez oceny, to wbijam srednia z RB/UT. bo tak samo z siebie to pala ;)

3.9 Pours a deep dark orangish amber color. Aromas of big hop action, sweet malts, and more hops. Flavor has some bready maltsy tastes with nice grapefruit and floral hop taste. This is one hoppy sumbitch. These guys sure know what they are doing.

3.8 On tap at the brewery tasting room. Hazy, dark yellow colour. White thin head. Tropical fruits in the aroma. Spicy, fruity beginning. Citruses in the middle. Hints of peaches and tangerines in the end. Hoppy aftertaste. Really refreshing, rather medium bodied, well balanced IPA. Still suprisingly light.

3.7 Bottle at kulminator. Pours hazy deep amber, nose is sweet toffee, pine, citrus, taste is bitter and dry, light fruit.

4.0 Foam is solid, rich, and almost no aroma slip through the dense foam. A little fresh grains are only aroma. Good fruit notes of ripe berries, mango and sweet plums are first taste impression, but then it has a very good and delicate hops that leaves a dry aftertaste. A little bit of smoke in the aftertaste makes it very extravagant, and this is an IPA that I think a non-IPA-believer also will be able to get something positive out of. It also has a bit of character of freshly baked white bread and it is certainly the flavor I could sense in the beginning. The label mentions 300 IBU, but this is reflected in the form of tasteful fruity hops and works in no way provocative. Very delicious Imperial IPA.

3.5 330ml bottle. Unclear amber reddish color with off white to light beige head. Malty and hoppy aroma, caramel, bready, pine, citrusy fruity. Sweet and bitter taste like aroma. Medium oily body with soft carbonation

3.5 Bue à la pression de 8cl à l’école à Oostvleteren, couleur blonde, belle mousse et effervescence moyenne, une bière avec une grosse attaque sur le grain, le pain et la céréale, continuité sur le caramel au lait.

3.3 Bue à la pression chez De Struise. IPA fidèle au genre bien que plus alcoolisée. Arômes floraux et citronnés en fin de dégustation. Chouette.

3.3 33cl bottle. Pours hazy orange with two fingers of creamy light beige head. This bottle was very close to the expiring date so the hops are almost completely gone. Aroma is sweet malts, caramel and fruits (cherries, plums) with some vegetal notes. Taste is similar with some roastiness, citrus, marmalade and a not too strong final dry bitterness. At least it’s interesting to know how a 288 IBU double IPA will evolve with time (answer: not very well).

3.5 330ml bottle from a shop on Grotemarkt, Ieper. Pours murky brown with medium off-white head. Aroma is hops, slight liquorice & toffee. Taste is a tangy pine hop-fest, with spice, citrus rind and plums. Nice hoppy IPA.

4.2 Imperial IPA with an impressive IBU of 288 and probably one of the hoppiest beers ever made in Belgium, but a collaboration with famed American craft brewery Three Floyds. Rocky, snow white head over a hazy copper coloured beer, deeper and darker than usual even for an imperial IPA. Very strong hops nose, grapefruit, tonic water, unripe peach, tulips, caramel, orange peel, pear, sweet tobacco. Malty background, dry fruity taste, peachy, citrussy, resinous mouthfeel, finishing in a very powerful and long, complex, peppery, leafy, oily hop bitterness. Beautiful Belgian-influenced IIPA.

3.3 "Something Belgian this way comes. Definitely not a straight American take on the style...darl, pungent, malt heavy with slight spice and a hint of tart. More bitterness than actual hop aroma or flavor. I liked it for it’s uniqueness, but not what I’d grab first when looking for a IIPA."

3.6 Bottle. Medium high creamy lasting off-white head. Hazy dark brown body. Alcohol dominated malt caramel flavor, pretty sweet. High carbonatied malt caramel plum raising prune flavor with notes of alcohol. Long and dry hoppy finish.

1.6 Een IPA met een heel uitgesproken smaak, maar dit was echt mijn ding niet. Dan zijn er betere IPA’s.

4.4 A collaboration between Belgian bad boys De Struise and 3 Floyds. A very hoppy IPA, not at all typical for Belgian beers. Murky amber with a light white head. Paying homage to Belgian roots with a thick caramelised aroma with hints of lambic sourness. The hops hit the palette first, folowed by warm caramel and an epic bitter after taste. Slow drinking. Special mention for the label design, which shows an angry silverback wearing a shark for pants, with all that entails (pun intended).

3.7 Bottle. Semi hazy amber red beer with a large beige head. Aroma is malty with notes of caramel, red berries, citrus, apricots and dried fruit. Flavor is malty with notes of caramel, citrus, peaches, dried fruit and pine needles. Very well balanced.

3.9 o,33l fles gedeeld met james. Geur is in eerste instantie gistachtig met brood, daarna de hop met een mooi fruitig aroma. Smaak is rozijnen gecompineerd met een aangenaam grapefruit bitter. Redelijk volle body. bijzondere ipa

3.8 Aroma of malts, caramel, grapefruit, pine, aromatic hops. Flavour is malty and hoppy with a vey potent lingering bitterness in the aftertaste. Quite nice!

3.6 TAP at Gainsbar Kortrijk. APPEARANCE: clouded dark blond beer, huge stable off white head. NOSE: hoppy, spices. TASTE: caramel, very hoppy, fresh, spices!

4.7 Parfois les brasseurs cherchent les records, un peu comme les raters sur ratebeer … Ici les Struise affiche un niveau IBU de 300 (!!!) avec la complicité des gars de Three Floyds, et peuvent ainsi prétendre à la bière la plus amère en Belgique... Est-ce un gage de belle dégustation ?? Nous allons le savoir. Couleur ambrée prononcée. Clarté nette. Bulles fines à moyennes dans tout le verre. Mousse blanc cassé qui nappe bien. Arômes de tabac, prunes mûres, pain d’épice, cassonnade, spéculoos. 1ère bouche soyeuse très haut perchée en amertume, mais nuancée de tabac et coriandre. Arrière-bouche poivrée et houblonnée très amère, mais constituant un joli ensemble exotique. 2ème beaucoup plus équilibrée. Le malt passe. Très grande classe. 3ème bouche qui offre un très grand amalgame, où l’amertume pionte par intermittence (comme ceux du spectacle...). Arrière-bouche un peu ferme mais classe. La longueur entame sur du tabac de classe Semois, et des épices brunes orientales. Elle montre un ensemble harmonieux malgré cette prouesse record en amertume. La levure est une très belle ligne, forte, ferme. L’alcool est juste à la proportion de cette bière (9 % abv, il n’en fallait pas moins!!). La finale est plus soft que le reste, et se laisse apprécier à un très haut niveau. CONCLUSION : un record entériné en amertume, certes, mais malgré cela une bière réussie dans le sens d’une combinaison savante entre des éléments pas toujours faciles à concilier... Donc encore une fois, un très grand savoir des Struise, même si ce n’est certainement pas LA bière que je retiendrais pour les représenter.

3.7 Bottled, BB 30-11-2014, large sample. Hazy copper color, short frothy light brown head. Aroma of fruity hops, citrus, pine, hint of strawberry, some sweet caramelly malts, toffee. Very bitter in taste, but lots of caramelly malts to back it up, quite sweet as well. Alcohol is noticeable. Decent stuff.

3.4 Bottle. Very dark amber pour, frothy light brown head. Nose is sweet, roasted malts and caramel. Bitter and roasted taste, mainly malts. Long bitter finish. Soft carbonation.

3.6 3oz pour at Max’s Belgian Fest 2014. Pours a clear orange with a ring of white head. Nose is pithy, orange, pine, candy, tangerine. Flavor is very pithy, tangerine, orange, malt, honey, vegetal. Bitter finish. Really interesting.

4.0 Taster on draft. Golden pour, lots of hops, citrus and pine... A hop explosion !!! Wow!

3.4 Draft at Max’s Belgian Beer Festival. Pours clear copper with a fizzy white head. Tastes slightly sour, malty, nutty, musky. Light body and low carbonation. Smells like musk, wheat, and sweet pine and syrup. Light body and low carbonation.

3.4 Tap at Max’s. Pours clear amber/copper with creamy off-white head. Aroma is cereal and toasted malts, caramel, floral notes, some funk, fig, and dates. Flavor is dry malts, floral and pine hop bitterness, dark fruit esters, and faint caramel and toast; dry finish with some bitterness. Medium body and carbonation.