t IJ Struis

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

Dusty and malty aroma with a cloudy, amber color. The taste is fruity and clovey, and not very bitter. Full, full, full beer. Good stuff. I should mention that I sampled this at the ’t Ij brewery and it was delicious. (Be sure to get there early enough to grad a table. TIP: take the #10 tram there).

11.2 oz bottle. Pours a murkey brown with a large light brown head. This one loses a point on appearance due to the excessively chunky floaties in there even though it looked like I did a good job decanting. I don’t mind cloudy, but these are a little distracting. Aroma is deep with plum, dates, yeast, alcohol, and a little of that funk that’s typical of darker belgian styles. Mouthfeel is a little carbonated at first but quickly transitions into a creamy mouth-coating treat. Flavor is very complex, a lot going on in this one. Plums, yeast, and malt. Finish reminds me of caramels with a warming alcohol. Overall I liked this one very much. Doesn’t seem to fit either style mentioned very well, very unique.

Bottle. Hazy burgundy-amber colour with a medium off-white head of tight bubbles that left a good amount of lace. Rich aroma of brown sugar, dark grapes, prunes & alcohol. Flavour is sweet & malty, very nice, with a pleasing bit of boozy warmth in the finish. Thanks to R. for this tasty & rare treat!

Pours with a frothy, 1 finger thick, light brown head that sits atop a hazy, deeply amber colored brew. The aroma is malty and rich with notes of concentrated, sweet malt extract, a sweet dough like breadiness, along with notes of prunes and figs. To balance the sweet notes there is a baking spice type spiciness here with notes of clove, a hint of nutmeg, perhaps a touch of cinnamon, and even a note of spicy cardamom. The aroma is concentrated and sweet, like a dark holiday sweet bread or even a cake. It is quite the way to end the evening.

The taste has an upfront fruity sweetness that is not too heavy and reminds me of figs, and raisins. There is also a nice backdrop of maltiness here that has notes of caramel, brown sugar, a hint of molasses and a certain fresh, bready quality that reminds me of a sweet spice cake. This beer really has a rich quality to it that is quite satisfying and satiating, though it certainly is not sticky at all, or even too full on the palate. It has just the heft to it to remain drinkable, in fact it is the flavors of this beer, not the thick body, that make this such a savory experience.

<font size=-4>Purchased at: <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Place/illinois/chicag Wine & Spirits, Chicago IL<font size=-1>

BCA (from Bitter Virtue, BB Dec 06). Malty nutty caramel start with raisin and plummy fruit. Slight coriander and fruityness from the yeast. Just a little bit too sweet in the mouth with nothing to balance this making for a slightly cloyinh finish.

Reddish/Orange Coloring with Light Tan Ring...Shhrt Lived Lacing. Light Fruit, Prune/Spic Aroma..Light Dry Texture..Light Spice...Wet, Subdued Fruity Notes..Peaceful Ending with Light Alcohol Warming.

Bottled (33 cl) at het Amsterdamertje, Göteborg, Sweden. Hazy copper, medium off-white head. Earthy, spicy caramelly, and fruity aroma, with notes of red berries. Medium bodied with soft carbonation. Well balanced, dry finish.

Balsamico, malty nose. Nice amber body with a leggy head. Tastes like barley wine, lot of raisons. Fullmouth flavor that kicks on the roof of the mouth. A good one!