Jopen Koyt

Jopen
Brewed at De Proefbrouwerij
Style: Traditional Ale
Haarlem, Netherlands

Serve in Dimpled mug, English pint, Stein, Yard

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This is something else. This redbrown beer has a very strong flavour due to the use of ’gruit’ in stead of hops. A very complex beer, that is very drinkable never theless. Totaly different than the more modern Belgian and Dutch speciality beers; a lot more complex in the taste!!

UPDATED: MAR 7, 2012 This is one of my favorite beers. It is a rather unusual beer, since there are no hops in it: it is spiced with a "gruit", a medieval mixture of herbs. Secret, of course, but there is a rumour that it contains gale. Jopen Koyt (Koyt or "Kuit" is the name of this unique Dutch style) is a very aromatic, bittersweet beer. Drinking it feels like eating cookies, but I like this more than cookies.

Dark ruby color with brownish foam head lacing to glass. Aroma is bread, taste is tickling caramel tickling on tongue. Surprising beer. (Velp 201206) ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

UPDATED: MAR 13, 2005 Brown with nice thick head. Very nice complex nose, malty, spicy and some wood. Rich and complex flavor, some alcohol. Nice warming malty finish. Additional note: Compared a fresh one with a nine year old bottled version (from 1996), which was brewed at Halve Maen. The flavour of the old sample has obviously matured, but it also significantly lost complexity: besides the port-like liqourice flavour almost all other flavours present in a fresh sample were lost or severely suppressed. I guess nine years is just too long for this beer (or was it just another recipe back then?).

UPDATED: OCT 26, 2004 2003 bottle. (BB 4/4/2005). Oh hell ya. Big ass malt smell, brown sugar, belgian yeast, honey, and cotton candy. Maybe a touch of light fruity esters. Damn what a pour, bottle conditioned and just plain brown. Brown and a light brown sugar colored head to follow. Flavor is full, sweet, malty and perfectly belgian (though it’s from the dutch motherland). Amazing! are there no hops here? I couldnt have guessed. Reminds me of belgian christmas beers. Nowhere near the herbs I thought I would taste, though the aftertaste boasts of some leafy, lightly astringent herbs and spices. Hell ya, this stuff is so good. What a style. It’s a toss up between this and Kuhnhenn’s gruit. One is much more spicy and herbal the other, this, being much maltier and bigger.

Wow! What a great beer! Poured a dark brown-amber hue with a small off-white head. Gingery root nose. Finished sweet and malty, and quite smooth. One of the most original beers I think I have every had the pleasure of trying.

Marzipan, candy, spices, sweet malt and nuts in the aroma. Smells a lot like a Biere de Noel. Brown-orange colour with generous, tan, fully diminishing head. Subdued spices and sweet malt. Spices emerge more in the finish, especially as it warms. Light yeasty notes. Medium body. Alcohol completely unapparent. Refreshing. Excellent. Bottle (enjoyed with MartinT and Rastacouere).

A translucent copper/amber color. Good head retention, with a fine layer that lasts. Lacing is sticky. Aroma is earthy, astringent, spicy and light on the hops. Taste is sweet and spicy-- earthy with a very slight hop finish. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, creamy and effervescent. I had this on tap in Amsterdam. I remember it being darker and a more intense. This bottled version was still an experience.

UPDATED: MAY 8, 2003 Huge rocky foam with excellent stickiness. Quality and unique aroma which reminds me of Fantome characteristics: mint, herbs, orange peel, pepper, bubble gum, wood, and cilantro. Aroma seriously rivals Corsendonk Christmas yeastiness. Sits absolutely perfect-o on the tongue: soft, tiny, and velevty bubbles. Very complex flavors of cherry, numerous herbal notes, hint of chocolate, subtle iron, cork, doppelbock-like sweet cotton candy round malt, and yeast. I love this long and medicinal and tropical fruiy finish. For a beer with no hops, it had this hophead worried. Needless to say I was more than impressed and am surprised by its poor ratings.

Wow, not what I was expecting at all. The spiciness is way in the back underneath a nice sweet maltiness, with some candi sugar. Aroma is wild and funky, but flavor is rich and extremely pleasant. Extremely subtle spicing shows some nutmeg liquorice and vanilla. This is to me what most christmas seasonals should taste like--subtley spiced and warming. You need to work to try to discern what spices are there, rather than being overpowered by them. An extremely satisfying brew.