t IJ Vlo

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

Clear orange/bronze body with pillowy white head. Fruity aroma was quite noticeable followed by notes of resin and pepper. Bitterness throughout the taste was lovely, above medium body, notes of wheat and a long finish. It’s different it’s quite good although my partner doesn’t think so.

Had this on tap at Cafe Belgique in Amsterdam. Go there and enjoy. This beer is near perfect. Dry, hoppy with penty of sweet fruit notes.

Bottle. Dark golden/orange colour with a beige head. Aroma is hop, leather and yeast. Flavour is hop, yeast and some fruit.

Bottled. Hazy orange, with an off-white head. Cellar, some sulphur, sweetness, mould, fruits and spices in the aroma. Fruity flavor with oranges and cellar-notes. Medium body and a lightly spiced finish. Nice, but a bit a too special for me. (rating: 6-4-6-3-13-3.2)(060704)

This one has been on my must-rerate-list for more than a year, and when I found it in Copenhagen last week, I bought a bottle. It still pours a hazy, orange body, with a good dash of sediments if one wants to. The head is big and quite dense and lasting. The nose is quite spiced, with orange-peel and a good dash of hops. There’s also a note of alcohol and yeast. Having a sip, bitterness is very evident, as well as a pronounced sweetness, spices, some yeast and a woodyness. There’s not so much yeastyness in the flavor, but it’s there, and that goes for the orange-peel as well. Even thought there’s a good sweetness in the beer, the body feels medium full and dry. Finish is spiced and citrusy, but the bitterness plays the leading role, and lasts for a long time. The beer leads my thoughts towards Orval, but it’s not there. I pushed my rating a bit higher, but not much. (071014)

Bottle at Catford Beer Fest. Wheat beer with hints of poo and shoe polish. Dry finish - very hoppy for a wheat beer. I like it. Mineral tasting. Interesting. Quite brilliant. One of the most enjoyable wheat beers I can recall drinking.

Had bottled @Arendsnest in Amsterdam. Unusual to say the least. Orange and brown pour, sour oranges and coriander. Spicy and dark. A "biobeer." Perhaps it was the all the beers drunk that day catching up to me, but I was a bit put off toward the bottom of the bottle. Alcohol is hidden, dry finish, balanced. Would like to give this one another try.

Bought in bottle, Beerking shop in Amsterdam. Brewed specially for that shop, near the Magna Plaza mall. Delicious and enjoyable, complex. Large head. Smooth.

Hazy, orangey amber with a big off-white head. Spicy, fruity and yeasty aroma, with some acidity. Good spicy fruitiness, nice underlying bitterness contributing to a dry ending. Ful-bodied and well-carbonated. Warming alcohol. A great and complex beer from this outstanding Amsterdam brewery.