Ichtegems Grand Cru

Brewed by Brouwerij Strubbe
Style: Sour Ale
Ichtegem, Belgium

Bottle, 75cl Cubée 2005. Deep red/copper clear colour, with a nice huge creamy head. Aroma was of Viny, fruity ,citrus, a nice sournes in the end. Flavor was, almost the same, but has a pappry dry mouth feeeling, a dominans of raspberries/sweetnes. Thin to medium body, and a mild medium fruity finish. Nice!

Pours amber into an Oerbier tulip. Fluffy off-white head pancakes as is slowly recedes to coat surface and eventually hug rim. Cherry and tobacco aromas. Sharp sour plums upfront turning oaky through the lasting tart tobacco finish.

Bottle @ Plan B., Cph.
Pours deep brown with slight red edges. A big, creamy, off-white/beige head. Aroma is sweet, lightly roasted malts, some toffee, good woodiness and light tartness. Fine, creamy mouthfeel. Flavour is lovely softly tart, good caramel, some light chocolate and roasted malts. Lots of dry, tart wood in the aftertaste - very dry.

Bottled 0,75l, Cuvée 2006, from an Ultima Thule beer glass (really important piece of information!). There’s a mushroomy aroma, but the beer is a bit cold. I feel cherries and wood as well as a soapy perfume. The taste is complex, starting with a sour kick of candysticks, then turning sweet until the wonderful flavour comes up when swallowing. The finish is sour and rather bitter. This is a happy beer. The beer is dark brown with a medium-sized light brown head and the texture is full.

0.25 l bottle. Reddish brown color with creamy tan head. Acidic, vinous and acetic aroma. Nice vinous and slightly acidic flavor with notes of licorice and nuts. Woody and fruity finish. Light bodied and drinkable. One of the best sour Flemish ales.

On tap at Max’s Taphouse in Baltimore during their Belgian fest. Pours a deep, translucent dark brown with a white slim head. Sour aroma that’s a bit fruity with plenty of grapes. Flavor is sour but extremely unique with grapes and yeast dominating. A weird, earthy and cheesy flavor also races over the tongue. Slightly creamy texture on the end. One of a kind.

Pours a dark brown with redu hue, light on the aroma, but some of the oak and sourness comes thru. Very smooth palate and taste, sourness in the front, oak flatness in the finish. Halfway thru the drink the complexity is hidden, and it becomes a light drinking beer. The first half is complex and very enjoyable, the last half your palate is accustomed and the drink smooths out and the complexity is lost, but still good.

A fantastic introductory sour ale. Not too sour or vinegary but enough to be interesting without the bitter burnt flavor some have. Very enjoyable.