Ichtegems Grand Cru

Brewed by Brouwerij Strubbe
Style: Sour Ale
Ichtegem, Belgium

Murky, multi brown. Small, off white head disappears completely. Flavor and aroma of oak, toasted malt, earth, vinous dark fruit, and light acidity. Aroma more mild than flavor. Lots of oak. Medium body, smooth, easy to drink. Very nice.

Draft at DRE. Deep ruby blackish pour with off-white head. Nice aroma of tart cherry, cabernet, earthy malt, some hops. Silky palate with solid earthy malt, tart cherries, cabernet, and finsihing peaty cognacy hints. Prior ratings have shown me to avoid this in bottles, but on draft it was quite excellent.

Pours dark brown (I thought this was a red), with a tiny head. Aroma is mostly oak with a bit of sour cherry. Mouth feel is a bit sticky with little carbonation. Flavor is remarkable not sour for a "sour ale" and contains hints of cherry, oak and sweet malt. Not bad by any means. but not a good example of the style (one of my favorites) either.

Very dark (almost black) red color. Very light but pleasing winy aroma. Taste was slightly sour and dry. Was expecting a more aggressive sourness considering it is Flemish. Very little hint of the oak barrels it was matured in. Not a bad beer, but it didn’t fulfill my expectations of a Flemish ale.

Pours a very dark, purple-brown body that appears black on first glance. There’s a small, foamy, light-tan head that settles quickly to a thin film. Minimal sudsy lace noted. The nose is quite vinous. I picked up sweet and sour black cherries, boysenberry jam, dark caramel, and a sharp, funky yeast. The flavor is sweet and sour. The sour cherries dominate the sweet, with scorched caramel providing the bulk of the sweetness. There is an earthy, woodsy quality that is no doubt the result of the Bordeaux barrels used in the brewing process. Oak and vanilla are both prominent. Medium bodied, smooth and easy drinking. I can’t help but think some of the poor recent ratings are the result of bad bottles.

Bottle: Pours dark reddish-brown, light brown head. Strong wine-like aroma, with a strong waft of spoiled meat or stinky-foot cheese. Looks so nice. But the taste. Oh, that taste. First some coarse barley bread flavor, then very woody and kind of astringent, with a strong belt of sour vomit. Down the drain, to the demons of the privy with it.

Draught: Sweet, but also sour aroma. Smelled of cherries, sour milk, funk, and blue cheese. Poured amber in color with a small pinkish head. Hazy. Sparkling. Sour flavor. Tastes of funk, blue cheese, cherries, and sour milk. Medium body. Tingly texture. Lively carbonation. Sour/funk finish. Overall, yuck.

33cl bottle. Poured a deeper and dark orange color witha large sized off white head. Aromas of wood, caramel, and some vinegar. Tastes of cherries, wood, vinegar vanilla, and slightly buttery. Lots of lacing on the glass.