t IJ Vlo

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

Bottled at Gollem, Amsterdam. Perfumy, yeasty and sour aroma in combination with a hefty salty bitterness in the flavour makes this a highly interesting beer from ’t IJ.

On tap @ Café Belgique. Hazy golden orange, big white head. Smell of coriander, IJ yeast funk, spices. Taste is sublime, but rather sharp. Some fruity sweetness first, but then really dry and bitter, with a very bitter aftertaste. A lot of citrus/grapefruit in there too. Bottle @ Café Gollem: Tastes pretty much the same, but with a tad less bitterness and more yeasty funkiness. mIJ favourite!

Courtesy of Yespr. It’s a slightly hazy and very beautiful, warm orange-golden beer with a huge, nice and creamy head. The aroma has notes of yeast in a very harsh way, making it difficult for me to find much else than yeast. The flavour has sweetness, notes of spice, a light harshness, loads of yeasty notes and a dry, slightly citrussy finish. This simply isn’t my kind of beer, but I can see a lot of others love it.

Draft at Cafe Belgique in Amsterdam. Murky dark orange body with a tan head. Big nose of old fruit - aged peaches, old blood oranges, etc, along with candy sugar and some toast and dough. Alcohol is noticeable even for 7%. Creamy and rich up front, sweetening and strengthening over the middle, with a small bite in the finish.

a blond w/ corriander... from what I hear this was a brewers mistake that was liked so well they kept doing it. Hazy dark amber coloring nearing brown w/ a tall white head. Odd aroma hints of tart fruits that I did not expect, light spicing corriander then anotehr spice I just can’t pick out under all the corriander.. some sweet sugars blended w/ a light fruit.. different but nice. Nice palate full and well coated while lightly creamy. Odd again in taste like a brett to your lips w/ it’s dry tongue.. just lots of corriander again.. a powerful yeast taste I’m told is typical to this brewery, earthy w/ breads and some sweetness... an odd fruity oily taste that I think could be juniper oil but I’m not sure finishes very dry. I like this stuff.

Objectively speaking: A soft, clean and hugely satisfying offering. Favourite new beer in a while.
I like: Gently hazy dark straw. Spectacular white head: a tight and tall glowing pure white. An everlasting companion. Exquisite Belgian foam mouthfeel, remarkably delicate and comfortable. Alcohol nowhere to be found. Rather complex, though in a subtle fashion. Spicy, cakey (albeit not very sweet at all), hay-like malts - cushion soft. Genuine ingredients freshness aroma despite being around 1yr old. Growing clean and soft bitterness, a floral, gently earthy/sandy hoppiness. Nondescript fruitiness all around, not very forward, but think melon, papaya, passionfruit... Makes me think of an authentic Italian gelato: it’s not exactly lean, but makes you feel like it and is tasty and soft.
I dislike: Absolutely nothing I dislike about this. It’s incredibly soft around all edges. Incredibly accurate.

The best beer of ’t IJ! Nice beer with a hoppy tast. Spicy and aromatic. Malty, dryish and well balanced

Courtesy bierkoning. Lightly hazy orange/amber. Small, dense off white head. Aroma is sweet and bretty- berry, cherry, sweet malt, floral, funk, pepper, airy yeast. Flavor adds some grassy, light citrus, lightly resinous hops and finishes herbal, bitter, and very dry. Medium to medium/full body. Soft carbonation. Excellent.