Ichtegems Grand Cru

(Bottle 75 cl) Courtesy of BelJohansen. Pours a clear, orangey brown with a dense, off-white head leaving some laces. Sweet and sour aroma with a woody touch. Rather light-bodied, vinous, notes of dried fruit, berries and lots of woody accents. The finish is lightly sour. Not exactly overwhelming but a pleasant and quaffable sour. 220308

Deep dark burgundy color. Fruity cherry aroma with touches of blackberry. Fairly sour with a good tart whack and a berrylike fruit rounding it out. Clean finish. Slightly vinous with a mild oakiness as a complement. All around really nice. I’m happy with this.

Woody, old wood, fruit, strawberries, earthy aromas. Pours dark red with a thick off white head. Very earthy and oaky, a lot of vanilla, with some dry tartness, and some slighty sour berries. Way more oaky than sour, reminds me of a much milder st. bon chien 05.

Muttled brown pour with a light wispy brown head and lace. Earthy, woody, yeasty with notes of sour unripe fruit. Some fruit in the flavor (apple and pear) but it is musty and some is under ripe (sourish) while some is leaning towards rotten. There is yeast and some musty wood. The sour is barely noticeable. Just Blaaaaaa. Medium body, somewhat musty thick in the mouth feel. What-ever……

Bottle from Systembolaget. Nice clear brown-redish body. Aroma is winous, berries and some some sweet candy. Flavor is from vinegar, sweets, red berries.

One of the best Strubbe beers. Good balance of sweet and sour. Full body and good lasting taste. Not too much alcohol, which makes it go down easily. Nice dark red colour, not too frothy. Makes a good aperitif.

I realy like Flemish Sours, but this one tends to miss the mark somewhat. Pours to a dark bown, with some carbonation, but little or no head or lacing. The nose is muted sour fruit, with a hint of alcohol as the beer warms. While the mouthfeel tries, it is a junior version of the strong bittersweet feel of better FS’s. The flavor is again sour fruit, but the finish is somewhat sour, somewhat stale, and definitely not up to Flemish Sour standards. Nothing special about this, and I think I’ll stick with the Duchesse.

This ale is considerably less sour than the other flemish reds I’ve had. It has a very interesting quality that the woodiness combines well with the sourness, yet both remain distinct. It gives the ale a very interesting ambience, but I truly find myself craving something more tart.