t IJ Struis

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

Into a stumpy chalice at just on cool. Big, rocky beige head formed off the pour with little stopping its release. Rose a good half inch from the lip of the glass. Body, a muddy chestnut with a lot of quickly settling yeast forming a cake on the base. Big, fresh, prickly and tickly fruits on the nose like honeydew, cantaloupe and tart peaches. Nice backbone of sweet toffee, candi and a hint of yeast aids its complexities, yet it didn’t excite like the last ’t Ij I tried. Yeasty, caramelly and doughy in the mouth, light showing of toasted grains and ripe tart fruit with just a tainting edge of plastic taking the fantasy out of it. Frothy in the mouth, body is medium. Rock candi flavour lingers in the aftertaste, a light warmth of alcohol in the swallow. A peppery spice aids it’s phenolics, well masked alcohol, though, adds points. A mere shadow of the ’Vlo’. Not altogether integrated but as is it weren’t too bad. (33cL, Batch No.20, Int’l Beer Shop, W. Leederville)

Light brown coloured, little carbonation. Large off white head. Fruity alcoholic aroma, with a herby touch. Full creamy body. Finish is strong, alcoholic, little dry near the end.

Hazy deep amber with floaties and a medium off white head. Slightly sour aroma with brett notes, fruits and caramel. Sweet and sour flavor with fruits, caramel and brett notes. Ends dry.

A characterful beer with an interesting tartness to it. Bottle at the Wildeman. Pours cloudy amber-brown with beige, lacy head. Nose is fruity and tart with an odd chemical edge like Sweet Tarts candy. Taste is both sweet and tart, fruity, with a moderately bitter kick that goes bone dry like a big saison. Funky.

Bottle dated 01/05. Fruity aroma. Figs, dates, raisins along with some earthy dryness and some sourness as well. Pours murky brown/amber with a small off white head. Flavor has a lot of malty sweetness with lits of dried fruit notes. Plums and raisins. Some dry leafyness as well. Wet, cut crass. Lots of damp earthiness. Medium bodied with low carbonation.

330ml bottle (Cracked Kettle, Amsterdam)
Lively as I pour it, a huge tight creamy, self-supporting and persistent off-white head. I’ll need a spoon to get through to the beer! Mahogany in colour, slightly hazy. Dry, slightly yeasty, bitter aromas are all I get from the head. I’ll wait another 5 minutes and see if something else vaporous collects in the glass... One Python episode later - it’s fruity and spicy. Soft palate. Quite tart, and very fruity taste - peaches and melons, with cinnamon and perhaps some nutmeg. Sweet sour tinge is interesting. Quite light, doesn’t feel 9%. Simple tangy, heading towards vegetal, but sweet, heading towards plasticky, malty finish, that segues to more traditional medium-roasted malts, which hadn’t previously shown themselves. Soft.

scura buona schiuma persitente note fruttate esteri alcoliche tosature caffe leggero acido cosi in bocca rimane morbida complessa ma ancora acidità

Bottle, De Wildeman, Amsterdam. Murky, ruddy brown colour, with a big off white head. Yeasty, sweetish burnt brown sugar aroma with dark fruit and spice. Flavour had similar elements with a malty, slightly boozy spine. Solid enough, but was hoping for a bit more.