Ichtegems Grand Cru

Brewed by Brouwerij Strubbe
Style: Sour Ale
Ichtegem, Belgium

Pours a deep crimson with an airy beige head. The nose does not suggest any sourness, only sweet red fruits and light malts. The flavour is initially sweet pear, plum and other red fruits (possibly candied), fading into some corn syrupy malts, and very mild tartness. The finish is short-lived and artificially fruity and toffee-like, maybe caramel. The carbonation is a bit on the soft side, but the texture is silken and rather nice, despite the watery finish.

750 ml bottle. It poured a very dark liquid with reddish tones and a very small foam. The aroma was sour and fruity with red berries. The flavor was sour, sweet, with red berries and a hint of red wine. It also had some sweetness. Very nice, I like this kind of beer.

Tan head. Sour kraut with slight metalic aroma. Mild sour with oak barrel flavor. A good simple sour beer.

Pours with a fairly clear medium brown body. Funky sour aroma. Nicely tart flavor with just enough unerlying sweetness to balance it nicely.

11.2 oz. bottle. Appetizing, sour aroma features apple, salt, rhubarb, and crabapple scents. Pours a hazy, almost opaque maroon to dull medium brown. Small amount of beige head. Sour, clean taste. Finish is slightly metallic and features a grapefruit or blood orange tang. Bubblegum and lemon juice flavors. Some light, dry bitterness. Easy to drink. Light to medium body. Lively in the palate. Ichtegem’s Grand Cru is not remarkable, but it certainly is drinkable.

bottle, red colour, medium white/orange head fading away quite slowly. Smells very fruity. Taste: sweet, cherry,woody, bitter, sour. Well balanced-easydrinking beer to drink fresh on hot summerdays.

On tap @ The Trappist. Dark copper brown with a two finger beige head, fair retention. Light vinegar, tart cherries, and old barrels up front. Saltines and sweet caramel behind. Flavor is still salty, but not really all that sour--I also wouldn’t call it bland by any means, but the flavor does seem muted. The cherries only show up in the finish, and the caramel turns more earthy. Finish is saltines with bitterness @ a 2, sourness @ a 2-3. Light carbonation with a light to medium body. Fair.

Bottle from Oak Tree. Slightly murky copper in color with a small lasting tan head. Earth, caramel, sour cherry, slight metal in the aroma. Taste: a bit sweet for a flemish red, caramel, some light sour cherry, light balsamic vinegar, and some metallic notes....