t IJ Natte

Brewed by Brouwerij ’t IJ
Style: Abbey Dubbel
Amsterdam, Netherlands

Pours deep brown into a Trappist glass. Very little head. Pit fruit aromas. Figs, prunes and dates from front to back. Lasting finish.

Bottle. Hazy copper color with a thick rocky near-white head that takes a few minutes to settle down. The aroma here is essentially just a moderate funk, but it has a light sweetness to it that keeps my nose in the glass. The taste is pretty bland, considering the aroma and the fact that it’s a t’IJ. The taste is grainy with a light funky finish. The other t’IJ brews that I’ve had come through in the taste department stronger, but this is still decent.

hazy brown with strong tan head. to call it a dubble is questionable, tastes more like a flemish sour with a sour nose with a mild malty flavor with some sourness to finish off, an enjoyable if not extraordinary beer

Bottle into L’Abbaye du Val-Dieu Trappist glass. This cellared bottle was from Sept. 2002. A geyser upon opening. Pours a customary for the style cloudy yet rich orange-brown with a rocky, dusty tan head. Slight thick lacing as glass empties. The aroma was sweet and spicy. Very pleasant and a nice start. Initial flavors are punchy: some sweet with the cherries mentioned by some, plus a definite high note of sour. Not precisely sour, but quite an unexpected taste for the style. Overall, a thin sweetness spars with the sours and tarts and brett, etc. mentioned by others. I have a feeling this has aged with some authority and attitude. I’d be eager to try it fresh, so to speak. This was a challenging drink. Not because it wasn’t interesting, but because so much conflict of flavor and off the rails for the style action was taking place.

Draught @ ’t Ij, Amsterdam. Hazy brown. Dried fruits and caramelised malts with mild brambly hops and light tart yeastiness. Pleasantly drinkable.

Hazy dark amber with large off white head. Slightly sour aroma with fruity and caramel notes. Slightly sour flavor with brett notes, fruits, toasted malt and caramel. Ends sweet.

33 cL bottle. Pours hazy deep orange to brown with a lacing white head. Again an almost gushing opening. Orange fruity and light brett-ish aroma. Fruity flavour with a distinct dry almost woody brett note. Sweet caramel malt flavour. Smooth yeasty note into the finish where the brett flavour seem to let go.

Notes of fruit, woody toffee. A slightly displeasing palate... This isn’t what I expected at all... I kept thinking that maybe I had gottena bad bottle until I read other reviews. It isn’t by any means "bad," but I had high hopes. Not worth the $7.50.