Ichtegems Grand Cru

Brewed by Brouwerij Strubbe
Style: Sour Ale
Ichtegem, Belgium

Dark brown with auburn highlights and a beige head that quickly disappeared. Aroma of vinegar, red wine, and cherry. Disappointing flavor especially after the aroma. Slightly tart on the back end, but watery and not much flavor otherwise.

nice, almost bar b que aroma. nice amber burgandy color, doesnt hold its head though. has that bitter taste that hits the back of you tongue, love it! a true sour ale very well brewed.

Dark chestnut color with large, fizzy beige head. Dry nose of wet wood, grape. More complexity in the flavor: malt, berry, grape, light vinegar. Thin, undercarbonated body with a watery, grape-skin finish. Very enjoyable and drinkable, but it could use more sour complexity. At least it isn’t all vinegar.

(bottle - 330 ml) Dark ruby red pour with a pillowy tan head. Aroma is tart and sour with some light hints of caramel and oak. Flavor begins with a tart hint of cherries that moves to a sour and acidic, bitter middle. Finishes dry and very tart with that farmhouse funky aftertaste.

Bottle at home. Hazy red brown coloured with a medium sized beige head. Ligyt acidic aroma of caramel, red wine, oak and glue. Light acidic flavour of red wine with notes of oak and vanilla. Tart finish.

Bottle (cellphone rating). Cola coloured with off white head. Nose of wood, sourness, ripe fruit and dark sugar. Sweet flavour of dark fruit, wood, tobacco, vanilla, some berries with sourness. A dry bitterness and well carbonated.

33 cl bottle, bougth at Ølkonsortiet, Aalborg. Reddish brown color, fine off-white head. Aroma has fine sourness and oak/wood. Flavor is fruity, fine sweetness and has a very moderate sourness. Nice one.

A sweet, pleasing Flanders Red. This beer pours a brownish red color with a better than expected off-white head. The aroma is sweet and sour cherries with a touch of malt. The flavor is similar with a medium-light vinegar kick. My score is dropping as I go through my glass, which is never a good sign. There’s a somewhat cloying syrupy character to the beer. I’m not good enough at beer tasting to tell if it’s back-sweetened, but it tastes that way to me. If this beer was bone dry and a lot oakier, I’d like it a whole lot more. As is, the sweet cherry flavor is growing acrid on my palate. It’s not a bad beer, but I prefer a bit less sweet in my sours.