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)

Bottle (Edo, Danke !): Chestnut-amber coloured, a bit hazy with visible sediments, creamy, egg-shell coloured stable foam; strong fruity nose (dried fruit) with caramel and (port-)wine; medium bodied, robust sweet flavour; warming, caramelly fruity finish with a little tartness and a little bitterness. A pleasant, warming ale...........

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.

Bottle at home ... foamed up a bit so very sedimenty... hazy brown ... nice sweet malt toffee and laden fruit with just a little yeastyness in its nose ... bready fruity flavours ... with a slight tart background ... quite soft .... very bready finnish... low bitterness but a little drying

Bottle at Café Gollem, Amsterdam, 14th March 09. Reddish brown, very hazy. Lots of raspberry and caramel malt. Sweet but not special.

Deep brown and full of swimmers, this has a creamy tan head with plenty o’ fine lacing. The aroma is sweet malt, yeast, raisins, and dark brown sugar. Creamy and slightly oily on the tongue, it’s got a flavor reflective of the nose except that a hint of the sturdy abv comes through. Very nice, if not exciting.

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Bottle: I swear I have never had so many beers that gush on opening as t’ IJ beers. Most of these end up all over my floor. This one followed suit as the previous. Gushed a hazy orange brown with a huge lacing beige head. Aroma is fruit and yet also a sweet caramel or toffee. Taste is sweet and fruit, but very medicinal, leads me to believe it is a bit infected.

Bottle. Pours a hazy dark amner color with a small off-white head. Has a fruity spicy aroma. Fruity malty spicy flavor with some yeasty hints. Has a fruity malty spicy yeasty finish.