t IJ Biobok

Brewed by Brouwerij ’t IJ
Style: Belgian Ale
Amsterdam, Netherlands

Hi. My name's Dan, and I'll apparently be the high rater on this one. Clear, opaque orangish-brown. Pours to a big head that fades gradually and sticks on clumps around the side of the glass. Nose sweet and lemony, malts definitely announce their presence. First taste is an aggressively sugary bite, but not overly sweet or cloying. Impressive fruitiness follows, lemony with strawberries and possibly a bit of banana or pear. Definite raisins at the end, nice depth. Finishes sweet again. Nicely smooth. A bit more bite at the end might be desirable, but this is still pretty exquisite. Much more complex than I expected, just lovely.

33 cl bottle, served in Gouden Carolus glass. Orange/reddish-gold appearance; impressive head w/ good retention. Beautifully hopped w/ noticeable yeast, and orangeish fruit notes. Initial, pleasing tartness is kept in check by a light, delicate sweetness. Impressive, dry finish. Quite easy to drink. A fine, very interesting beer that oddly enough reminds me of Orval, although it's not quite as complex. Definitely not your typical bock. A nice surprise.

33 cL bottle, snifter, 10/2002 bottle. Tall, creamy, khaki head sits on a murky, brown-orange body. Powerful and sweet aroma of raisins, prunes, and cranberries. Dust and cobweb contributions from the yeast. Cinnamon and a bready sweetness are subtle. A boquet of floral hops comes in last. A bock with Flemish Sour tendencies, if you would. Moderate sweetness and acidity balance up front with the sweetness yielding to a moderate bitterness in the finish. Marvelous, flavors as if from nowhere! Chocolate, anise, kiwi, and a few other strange ones find their way into the mix of the flavor. Medium body, velvety texture, lively carbonation, slightly drying finish. Absolutely zero alcohol presence (it’s a 2.5 year old bottle). The bottom line is: amazing, simply amazing. How does a 6.5% abv beer play this many tricks on my tongue and nose? How does it stand up to nearly three years of aging? I love this brewery.

12oz, Best before october 02 (I had not noticed), bought at Somerville SuperSavers, NJ in October 2005. Some liquid paper reminiscent markings indicate #300 on the back of the bottle. Spectacular bloodied copper pour raises a lacing landmark of a head, without a single off-bubble, light beige and forever lasting as a 1-inch perfect cover. Gentle small sediments bathe at the bottom of this jolly pool, possibly smiling at the invasion they comitted. Indeed, this is completely gone wild, tart and hugely fruity with powerful brett notes. Immensely packed with fruit esters, strawberries and cider, bananas, cranberry, blood orange and pomegranate. Sweet out of the gate, but the advanced attenuation becomes far more apparent in mouth. Nutty malts and spicy oldish hops spawn a tornado of socky, tea-like, band-aidy juicy minions. Medium bodied with smooth and soft carbonation that evolves into creaminess as it fades off. Finishes weak and oddly astringent with an out of place yeast derived dry leafiness that sticks to the cheeks and reduces the grandiloquence of an otherwise jaw-dropping experience. Alcohol sneaks in to introduce a warming feel in our heart. Infected... crazy... and gorgeous. I love it.

Hazy cola-brown suntea pour with light tan head. Aroma of hibiscus and lavender. Mouthfeel is rich and mellow, carrying Fresca soda, lime, salt, light sherry, lemons, and cherry popover. Finish is sour--I would say in a blind test that this is a tasty flemish sour ale. My bottle is from October 2002, so it either aged poorly or well. I’ll say well.

Keg, tIj Brouwerij Oct2003. Deep chestnut red, good off white head and moderate condition. Excellent spicy aniseed aromas mixed with fruity malt. More fruitiness in the mouth with a hint of yeastiness developing but aniseed still to the fore. Sweet and spicy finish with some chalky yeast notes.

Sampled at Utrechts Bokbierfestival : Orange-brown color. Amber aroma. Amber sourness in the taste. Reminded me of the Chouffe Bok, which i liked very much. But this one is a bit more watery.

Bottle at The Rake, London. Deep hazy amber with a huge offwhite creamy head. Fruity nose, almost like an oud bruin. Fruity flavours, well-balanced with lactic notes. Good carbonation, warming alcohol. Far from a traditional bockbier, but still a great drinking experience.