Ichtegems Grand Cru

Brewed by Brouwerij Strubbe
Style: Sour Ale
Ichtegem, Belgium

11.2 oz bottle pours a slightly hazed rusty brown body with a small beige head. Aroma has earthy wood and spiderwebs, tart berry, caramel, and some cider. Sour character, as expected, has notes of apple cider, tart cherry, and prevalent wood tones. Hints of prunes and caramel. Nice example of the style.

On tap @ De Geuzen. Red/brown/purple colour, tan head. Vinous aroma, dark fruits and tart. Flavour is sweet, dark fruits, red wine, finishes sour. Hints of wood, dry mouthfeel.

scura schiuma media buona persistenza sentori acetici leggero fruttato un tocca di malto e legno in bocca buon bilanciamente tra acido e dolce un finale piuttosto amaro

The color is red-brown and the head is creamy. The aroma is sour in the right way and it has notes of malt, berries and wood. The flavour has both sourness and sweetness, and I find notes of caramel, wood, berries and hints of vanilla. It’s a really nice one.

33 cl. Clear, deep ruby-chestnut with a creamy half-inch head that lasts and laces well. Aromas of tart berry, molasses, caramelized tomatoes and light malt vinegar. Flavor is tart berry sprinkled with brown sugar, raisins, malt vinegar, and molasses with some leather and wood. Light-medium body is tartly dry and nearly too fizzy.

Bottle: Pours a maroon/ruby with a brown hue and a creamy tan head. The aroma has some dry yeasty notes- mild oak, sweet & tart fruit suggestions (cranberry), dust and mild acetic character. Light fell on the palate. The flavor has a mix of sweet and tart fruitiness (cranberry, mild passion fruit), as well as earthy qualities of oak/wood and dry yeast hints. Not a very complex example of the style, but not bad.

33cL bottle. Pours a very dark, reddish-brown color; light tan head with solid lacing. Lots of overripe red fruits, soft balsamic vinegar, and lightly toasted oak barrels in the aroma; minimal tartness; most definitely a Duchesse-like rendition, though without the sticky sweetness and overbearing balsamic notes; nicely fruity and oaked. Relaxed carbonation. Medium mouthfeel: lots of chewy, overripe red fruits, touches of funk, toasted oak and light vanilla / buttery wooden notes, and some balsamic characteristics; again, the red fruit and woodiness take a very prevalent role over the vinegar; not tart, but balanced with a light citrus acidity; not bad at all, and certainly better than Duchesse. Lengthy finish: red fruits, light tannins, toasty wood, and balsamic.

The missing link between Duchesse de Borgogne and Rochefort 10... not necessarily a sum of those two, but worth trying!