t IJ (Scharrel) IJwit

Brewed by Brouwerij ’t IJ
Style: Belgian White (Witbier)
Amsterdam, Netherlands

Pours a cloudy gold with a large sandy white head. The aroma is oranges, tobacco, and phenolic clove with the flavor being dry wheat malt and slightly tart. The tobacco funk is a bit unusual for the style.

Pours cloudy, with a coarse white head. Looks a lot like unfiltered apple juice. Lots of yeast in the nose, some citrus notes. The flavor is interesting, it’s sort of what you’d expect from a wit, but it’s thicker and more substantial. The finish just drops off though, which is a shame. A slighly different take on a wit, and enjoyable.

Yellow colored, little white head. Fruits, orange, yeast and obvious coriander in aroma. Medium bodied, differs positively from "standard-wits" by higher ABV. Flavor is also rich with good touch of fruits, orange and spices, yeast and mild alcohol last in aftertaste.

(Bottled) Opaque orange color with a smallish head. Soapy-lemony, very spicy ginger aroma with yeast. Acidic-lemony, slightly alcoholic flavor with quite De Dolle -like yeastiness and strong ginger hints. Light to medium-bodied, crisp and refreshing - although a bit alcoholic - palate with smooth carbonation. A nice, gingery terrace drink.

On tap at the brewery. Cloudy light gold, with a fairly large head. Recommended by the barkeep as a good beer for the rather hot day. Very fruity smelling. The body was very light with a taste of lemons and wheat. This beer is very smooth and fresh. I’m not sure if the bottle would be as good.

Almost went all day without a beer. Got a lot of stuff done so i thought I would pass myself to the land of dreams with beer. Bottle poured into a Bodum small coffee glass (hey its glass). Pours a dark glowing yellow. Cannot see through the beer. Head was pretty big but dissipated quickly. Very loud too, dont think I ever heard a beer make so much noise (like fresh opened soda). Aroma is present - candi sweetness mixed with a charcoal-like cooked meat background. Effervescent orange aroma as well. Taste is very unique for a wit, as eaglefan stated below, this realy is a different type of wit. Taste has a strong muted orange taste followed by a grainy flavor. Aftertaste is grainy sweet fruit. Despite the over-caronated look of the beer, the mouthfeel was really pleasant, not poppy like most wits. This is also one of the stronger Wits I have encounters and which is not at all present in the beer. I give this beer a few more points for creativity. Everything they make is really good. As it warms (and with the sediment) the taste becomes a mix of orange candy sweetness.

An odd take on the wit style, although this brewer does its own thing across the board. Pour was cloudy golden yellow-orange with a small head that remained thin and only yielded minor lacing. The aroma was wheaty and of light spicing, as well as honey. The flavor featured no floral aspects, underplayed coriander/spicing, and some typical orange flavors. The honey was definitely detectable in the flavor before it warmed and the citrus/orange notes took over with temperature - along with some pretty wheaty flavors. Mouthfeel was light bodied and watery, although this managed to finish with a little sweet/stickiness. Odd, not a classic best, not worth the price, but an interesting experience.

Draft glass
Consumed at ’t IJ, Amsterdam, May 2006
Orange and bronze color, cloudy but only slightly. Beautifully foamy fine-bubbled head. Sweet, yeasty biscuit aroma. Semi-tart peach rind and syrupy candy sugar flavor, along with some grapefruit sourness and orange flavors.