Ichtegems Grand Cru

Brewed by Brouwerij Strubbe
Style: Sour Ale
Ichtegem, Belgium

Bottle: Moderate sweet cherry with the slightest hint of tartness in the aroma with some faint caramel and wood. Pours a dark brownish-red that is mostly transparent when held to the light. It has a rather large beige head but minimal retention has it fading to a small film within a minute or so. It has light cherry and caramel up front with a very faint vinegar backbone. There is a strong metallic flavor that is as strong as any other flavor...big time negative points here. Lightly woody and faintly tart in the finish. Light-medium bodied with soft carbonation. Maybe a bad bottle, but one of the worst "sour" ales I’ve ever had. I tried to finish it, but had to pour it down the drain, the metallic flavor was too much.

What an average beer. This one poured to a really hazy brown body with a thin white head and spotty lacing. The aroma is weird. Buttered wood and pale malt. The flavor is very lightly sour with some brown malts but no nuttiness. Aged oak. Subtle. The palate is medium bodied. Boring!

From bottle at Zeno’s. Light sour ale aroma, with oaken tang and fruity malt character. Nice sour undertones, with some lactic character. Dark coppery amber clear with thin off-white lacing head. Medium body character with medium-heavy carbonation. Starts with typical sour ale profile. Light oaky start with lactic tang ang mild hoppy profile. Oaky sour finish and lactic tang. Finishes clean with hoppy sour tang. Nice sour ale.

11.2 oz bottle, via jbrus. Pours a dark garnet body under a very fizzy off-white head that faded to a whispy partial covering quickly. Nice tart and slightly sour nose with a hint of balsamic vinegar. Cherry skins, light oak, and dark fruits round it out. The flavor is lightly acidic with an herbal component, kinda like the aftertaste of spaghetti sauce. Just lightly sour with some oak tannins, sour cherry, and almond on the finish. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with a slight stickiness and a little dryness on the finish. Overall, this was decent, kinda what I expect from these middle of the road slightly obscure Oud Bruins.

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.

Dark Red color with Dark Sandy Head. Strong Sour Cherry Aroma. Medium Bodied...Silky Carbonated Mouthfeel. The Sour Fruit Tang Isn’t as Intense as it was on the Nose...Some Notes of Oak and Vanilla...Drying Fruit Finish. Very Solid and Well Balanced. For Flemish Sours, This Should be a ’Must Drink’

Bottle (75 cl) from Systembolaget. Beautiful deep reddish copper with a large creamy beige head. Cidery aroma with red apples, some cherries, and dry woody notes with a light dusty ash tray feeling. Good mouthfeel. Well balanced with a dry but flat finish.

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.