t IJ Vlo

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

Notwithstanding the rare opportunity to try all 3 Westys this may have been the ‘best on ground’ performance in our recent Euro trip. Totally unique herb / spice style with masses of rich herbal notes on the nose and palate. Nettles, ginger, spice, hops – all very appealing. Carries the 7% ABV with absolute ease. (e3.40 @ Café Arendnest)

I really like this beer. had a bottle at Gollem in A’’dam. Fruity sugary aroma with banana, corriander, and citurs. appearence is an off orangish yellow that is cloudy. nice flavor that is dry and sweet. nice actiove palate. great beer.

Light brown colored, hazy appearance with medium sized white head. This traditional T’Ij aroma: good spices, lemon, yeast, flowers and some caramel. Also mild alcohol there. Medium bodied. Flavor is as dry as aroma: yeast, spices (coriander, pepper) and orange, aftertaste dries with some alcohol.

Bottled (BB 01/2007). Slightly hazy red/brown color, huge creamy off-white head, nice lacing. Wheat beer like fruity banana nose with dried hay and mould. Quite yeasty. Hoppy, spicey herbal notes, similarities to some spelt beers. Long bitter aftertaste. Quite a bio beer feeling here.

Tasted this a few months ago but keeping up on my ratings is getting to be quite a labour. Relying on notes as this sold out quickly here in Oz, limited to only a few cartons. Here goes:-
Into a chalice at just on cool. Big, big dense, creamy-thick crown erupted off the pour to settle in on the throne for the length and leave a lovely web of lace. A hazy, dull orange gold body filled the most of the glass, finely carbonated as it was with just a little floating debris bobbing about amongst the slow to release bubbles. Fresh guava, banana, riesling wine, avocado and all manner of other exotic fruits excite the nose. This is absolutely entrancing to whiff, exciting even, showing a rough shadow of Brett. yeast like an Orval clone. It works. Leafy, fresh spices grip the mouth almost instantaneously upon the liquid contacting the mouth. Beautifully presented display of Summer fruits, quenching, juicy and exotic, making the palate tingle with life. A dampening layer of sweet toffee is the only thing stopping this, and me, from taking off. Tart, tight fruit in back with a Brettanomyces like, hairy, acidic swallow adding more reasons for me to like this. The body is firm, smooth and oh so long. Finish is slightly lactic, tart and ripe with all juices flowing as all guns blazing. Near empty I got whiffs of vanilla and a vanilla bean showing on the swallow, it was there, it worked. Alcohol sits idle despite a slight warmth in the swallow. This was lovely stuff, Orval "No", Achel Blond 8 "No", but alone this was superb. Long, complex, fruity, sweet, dry, refreshing, contemplating when is my next!?! A very nice drop. Cheers to the ostrich brewery. (33cL, Batch No.5, Int’l Beer Shop, W. Leederville)

Golden of color, hazy. nice head. aroma of mango, banana, peach - but it cheats, it is not sweet, but bitter and fresh (citrus)

On tap @ Café Belgique, Amsterdam. Cloudy orange/golden color with a nice dense white head. Excellent lacing. Lots of spices and herbs in the aroma, hops, sour fruits and citrus. Nice heavy hop flavour. Also fruits and a range of spices. Long delicate bitter finish. A really drinkable and interesting beer. A style in it’s own.

On tap at Cafe Belgique in Amsterdam. Really citrusy taste, sour almost. But also very crisp. Well-worth searching out, a very good drink.