’t IJ Columbus

Brewed by Brouwerij ’t IJ
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Amsterdam, Netherlands

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

Huge off-white head of fine bubbles. Lots of carbonation. Reduces to a rocky foamy clump. Sweet orange aroma with apricots and spices. Lots of fruit and yeast and spices. Smells more like a belgian triple. Color is a hazy dark orange. Fizzy in the mouth with lots of spice and yeast. More fruit. Little tart and dry at the finish. An ok belgian but not all that great in comparison.

Heavy, strong yet refreshing, with the typical ’t Ij spice - very prominent coriander. Looks opaque and thick - it feels very opaque and thick on the palate too, with a heavy & full body. Nice and hoppy with an in-your-face taste & aroma - dry, piney and yeasty. Overall bold & strong. Nice one.

cloudy dark orange with a large cream colored wavy head. aroma of citrus, wood, olives, hops, oranges, pineapple. flavor is wood, yeast, marshmallows, and olives. must be aged in oak barrels. decent, but i hate the woody(olive) flavors.

Bottle. Orange. Off-white head. Aroma: Sulphur/egg. Flavor: Malt and a hint of apricot. Fruity finish.

Thick head on a dark golden coloured body. I drank it a a Dutch beer tasting, after a couple of less interesting brews, and I must admit it took me by surprise. Surprisingly good, although quite yeasty and strong, but I’d love to get drunk on it. Very enjoyable indeed.

UPDATED: JAN 25, 2007 11.2 oz bottle into a English Pint glass. Pours a crisp looking golden color with lots and lots of bubbles rising in the brew with a big foamy and pillowy white head. Floaties waver around with the bubbles. Lots of breads and yeasty smells waft off the brew. A bit of spices mixed in there as well. A bit of a sweet malt flavor comes in on the palate first, which then moves into a peppered and spicey yeast note that lingers for a bit. Kind of has this weird appley fruit thing going on past the spices, where it finishes out. The spice lingers for a quick minute. Kind of reminds me of a triple, but way more spiced. Enjoyable, but nothing to WOW about.

Bottle (from Bitter Virtue). Alcohol noticeable but fairly restrained. Peppery yeast, sweet malts and a touch of boiled sugar. Light herbal grassy hops. Becomes a bit sweet in the end without enough bitterness to round it off. Fairly enjoyable for a while just not particulary drinkable.

Fresh green apples, coriander brown sugar cinnamon aroma. amber orange opaque with right cloud white head. Yeasty green apple pie with coriander and other spices, tangy. Chewy malt, plenty of flavor. Yeast makes it a bit gamey.