4.6 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 19/20
Columbus pours wonderful with a nice golden color and a short tight white head. I am very impressed that the bottle has held up as well as it has. Although it doesn't pour out of the bottle as well as the draught version at the brewery (with a huge white head) I will settle for the bottle. Somewhat pungent aroma, crisp malt flavor, and slight alcohol burn for an exeptionally balanced finish.
4.4 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 17/20
Bottle from the Cracked Kettle, Amsterdam. Lovely cloudy, golden ale with a large firm head. The first sip puzzles me. What is this? An explosion of flavour. Fruit - apples, pears and oranges. Spice - nutmeg, corander and cinnamon. Hoppy fruitiness with a cider-like dry finish. All these elements blend superbly into each other.
Amazing.
4.4 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 19/20
Bottle year 2006/02 - review year 2008/12 (almost 3 years old)
9% alcohol.... ok... where are they hiding the remaining 5%?! This is the smoothest 9% I think I’ve ever had.
Some citrus, no hops, lemon in the smell... this beer has LAYERS! On one hand it is very easy to session, on the other hand it is very easy to sit back and appreciate.
Fantastic.
Reviewed again on 04-11-2009
Bottle year 2006/02
I decided to revisit this beer, as it was my gateway into belgians. Now that I’ve had more of the same style I felt it was a good time to see how it compares.
Still, this is easily in my top 10 of beers. Again with this bottle I’m getting some citrus, lemon, honey, sugar and hardly any of the 9% of the alcohol.
I dropped the score because the bottles are chock full of floaties... I really couldn’t care but I suppose that’s not a very appealing thing.
Still, after sampling this I haven’t been able to find a good alternative, none of the other belgians taste at all like this one. Much sweeter, sweeter then anything I’ve had at Unibroue, sweeter then any of the trappists. Lots and lots of honey, with some citrus.
4.3 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 18/20
Orange color with a big head. Aroma: Malty, fruit, yast, spice, toast, alcohol. Palate: Caramel, malt, toast, spice, warm alcohol, hops.
4.3 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 18/20
Slight banana nose.Overflowing head.Herbal bitter orange flavor then dark rye bread then the dry bitter herbal finish again.Its like a beer sandwich.
4.3 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
I cant beleive someone posted and said this had an awful smell, a very nice smell, reminded me of Antiek Blonde alot. The beer is orange, with a massive white head. Spicy and bitter, with some fruity notes.. VERY NICE!!
4.2 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
Bottle conditioned. Amber bronze with a good thick white head that lasts and good condition that picks up chunks of flaky yeast. Nice blend of hop sack, apple, yeast and bread aromas, quite complex flavours of butterscotch, malt, apple, whisky and coconut and a slightly sweet but dry long hoppy finish
4.2 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
Many happy returns in Amsterdam. This strong beer always seems to get the job done.
4.2 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
This must be my favourite IJ beer, but I truly like most of them. Alcohol is well hidden, malty. Excellent ale.
4.2 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 18/20
Bottle: Cloudy ambercoloured, big off-white head. Distinct IJ-aroma of their yeast, sugar, fruits and some hops. Taste is initially sweet and fruity, but then the bitterness hits you. It even leans a bit towards the bitterness of bile, but not in an offensive way. Dry, bitter and fruity aftertaste. Smooth mouthfeel. On tap @ IJ brouwerij: Sweeter and more bitter than from the bottle, the flavours seem more out of balance. I prefer the bottle. Still one of the best strong tripel-style beers imo.
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