t IJ Struis

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

Dense deep red appearance, thick head formation. Sweet, strong black cherry aroma, mild yoghurty cheesiness, quite intriguing. Smooth creamy black cherry flavor, overlapped by a dry yeastiness. Heavy bitterness throughout, maybe a little too much so.

Garnet brown (pretty hue). Ok head. Caramel and toffee. Molasses cookies. Overripe fruit. Not as good as some of their other beers because of a bit of unpleasant sharpness in the aroma.

Dark burnt amber color fading to dark brown and establishing a thin yet firm khaki layer of froth. Crisp apple pie fumes flow, deeply authentic with a pinch of cinnamon and a subtle sweetness underneath. Apple flesh malt flavors absent all sweetness, a slightly acidic bitterness rides in the background..growing stronger..the apples start to brown, the flesh getting softer, and maltier...the acidic bitterness growing..

Dark red color with a thin head. Aroma of grapes. Tastes of bread and heavy malt. Texture is on the syrupy side. Slightly spicy.

Small light tan head, good retention, little to no lace. Murky brown color, not a very pretty brew. Nose is malty, caramel along with dark fruits, raisins and a touch doughy. Body is med/full, creamy with a sprightly carbonation.. A goodly amount of medium sweet malt flavors, plums a light butteryness, cooky dough and sugar wafers. Finish is medium sweet, bready. Nifty little brew.

Good sized frothy white head of fine bubbles. Excellent carbonation. Sweet and sour notes jump out in the aroma. Very fruity, with some sour grapes, light spices and wet oak. Color is a cloudy dark copper brown. Medium bodied and very warming. Light malts, spices and yeast. Sourness is not very apparent in the flavor. Big alcohol presence. I would guess more that 9%. Finishes pretty clean and warm with a lingering spicyness. Pretty good and very easy drinking.

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>

fairly thin dark tan head, goes moderately quickly. ruby brownish color, dark gold at edges. some yeast specks but not too cloudy. sourdough yeasty aroma, malty, tart apple, date, molasses too. dry vinuous start, light carbonation. medium body. malty flavor and mild alcohol too. some hop in the finish, nice dry aftertaste