Ichtegems Grand Cru

Brewed by Brouwerij Strubbe
Style: Sour Ale
Ichtegem, Belgium

Bottle. Dark mahogany pour with light white head.When i read that it was a red flemish sour, i expected less of a vingear ish sour flavor than i received. Flavor was light, dark fruits, oak, but the vinegar tinge killed it for me.

Bottle from keg Liquor. Poured clear brown color with a large fizzy brown head that mostly lasted with good lacing. Moderate to heavy dark fruit and yeast aroma. Medium body with a smooth texture and lively carbonation. Medium to heavy fruity sour flavor with a medium sweet & sour finish of moderate duration. My expectations where met with a complex beer.

Pours a very dark brown color, almost black with deep mahogany edges when held to a light source. Creamy .5 off-white head that quickly fades into the thinnest of rings leaving very small specks of lacing. Tart funky aroma with a nice oak vanilla presence from the barrel aging. Also a bit of a vinegar and dark fruit notes. Lighter end of medium bodied and a bit watered down. I was expecting a fuller mouthfeel. Tart and puckering but much more of a vinegary sourness than expected. Lots of oak and vanilla character with a pleasant dark fruit flavor. Dark cherries, plum and raisin notes with a dry finish.

Bottle from the Sam’s in Downers Grove, Illinois: It pours a deep chestnut body, clear around the edges, with a decent beige head that collapses quickly. The aroma is venegar and tart cherries with oak and dark caramel. The flavor is a tad more sourwith less cherries but a bit woodier. It finishes tart and dry with a lingering acidity. Very nice.

I had this beer on tap at Beachwood BBQ’s sour beer fest. The fruity nose was very nice. Overall, the beer had a nice balance between tart and fruit.

Dark brown with auburn highlights and a beige head that quickly disappeared. Aroma of vinegar, red wine, and cherry. Disappointing flavor especially after the aroma. Slightly tart on the back end, but watery and not much flavor otherwise.

nice, almost bar b que aroma. nice amber burgandy color, doesnt hold its head though. has that bitter taste that hits the back of you tongue, love it! a true sour ale very well brewed.

Dark chestnut color with large, fizzy beige head. Dry nose of wet wood, grape. More complexity in the flavor: malt, berry, grape, light vinegar. Thin, undercarbonated body with a watery, grape-skin finish. Very enjoyable and drinkable, but it could use more sour complexity. At least it isn’t all vinegar.