t IJ Columbus

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

On tap at the brewery under the windmill, Amsterdam (3/2008). Firm foam head is large and dense with small bubbles that produce a tight lacing. Syrupy texture. Strong finish of pepper, corriander, and bitter hops, dry and lasting. Other than that, pretty lackluster and average. It’s an able vehicle for the alcohol, which doesn’t show much amid overripe peach, cantaloupe, and sugary malts that slide over the carbonation and never seem integrated. Light and buttery on the nose.

Big beer that doesn’t hide its character. On tap at brewery. Pours hazy orange-brown with thin, grayish-white head. Fruity nose, malty. Lightly sweet flavor rolls into moderately hoppy kick. A bit warming, with some booze showing through. Big, fun and tasty.

Bottle. Golden colour with a beige head. Aroma is fruit, yeast, apple, caramel. Flavour is hop, yeast, caramel, apple, berries, spices. Nice body and a nice beer.

(Bottle at Pikkulintu on 2008-04-18) Dark amber and cloudy. Almost white head with some tan. Fruity and bit sour nose. Medium palate. Fruity taste with some bitterness.

330ml Bottle: Very sweet aroma. Smells of malts, candi sugar, plums, honey, and general sweetness. Poured orange/amber/copper in color with a small, creamy, off-white head that lasted throughout. Cloudy. Not sparkling. Full of large particles. Flavor is incredibly sweet. Tastes of malts, honey, candi sugar, bread, yeast, and some hops in the finish. Full body. Thick, oily texture. Soft carbonation. Sweet honey and slight hop finish.

The egg of Columbus, White head, golden cloudy beer. Good beer of Amsterdam.

Bottle. A golden, hazy beer with lots of floaties and a beige head. Fruity aroma with some spices, pale malt, yeast and a funky sourish, barnyardish touch adding a nice dimention to it. The same sourish, yeasty and barnyard is found in the flavor, only more evident than in the aroma. Quite fruity and bitter too. Full body, quite effervescent. Sour and fruity finish in a nice blend. There’s alcohol evident, but it’s well hidden for a 9% ABV beer, but it gives some warmth in the mouth. Overall, this is a beauty. (080426)

Pours cloudy orange/amber, with a white head. Aroma is loaded with fruit. There’s some malt there, too. Flavor is fruit, sugar, spices, and yeast. A decent brew.