’t IJ Struis

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

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

Murky brown pour with lots of floaties and a medium light brown head that leaves nice lacing on the glass. Aroma of leather, yeast, malt and caramel. Very good flavor of leather, yeast, malt and caramel. The body has a light to medium thickness with a creamy and dry texture and soft carbonation.

UPDATED: OCT 26, 2006 This is excellent. I say we call it an Abbot. No hops to this beer, it is all about the malt. Aroma begins with an initial burst of alcohol, then that fades and what remains is malt, fermenting fruit, and yeast. Flavor has sweet plums, cherry, light raisin, brandy, brown sugar, bread dough, and caramel. Thick and heavy, dark brown with lots of sediment and a lasting head. As usual, t’IJ has a great beer.

11.2 oz bottle. Pours a murkey brown with a large light brown head. This one loses a point on appearance due to the excessively chunky floaties in there even though it looked like I did a good job decanting. I don’t mind cloudy, but these are a little distracting. Aroma is deep with plum, dates, yeast, alcohol, and a little of that funk that’s typical of darker belgian styles. Mouthfeel is a little carbonated at first but quickly transitions into a creamy mouth-coating treat. Flavor is very complex, a lot going on in this one. Plums, yeast, and malt. Finish reminds me of caramels with a warming alcohol. Overall I liked this one very much. Doesn’t seem to fit either style mentioned very well, very unique.

Bottled. Hazy dark brown colour, topped with a fluffy tan-coloured head. Yeasty and biscuity aroma with notes of black cherries, black currant, alcohol and caramel with a light sourish undertone. Quite dry flavour of yeast, cherry-skins, dried figs and oily hops. Long finish of orange-peels, yeast and cherry pastilles. A very interesting ale.

Pours a dark, ruddy, caramel brown color with a burnt orange tinge. A thick, creamy, beige colored head displays excellent retention, leaving strong, well defined, foamy lacing behind. The aroma shows the signature ’t IJ funk throughout, with musty, peppery yeast permeating a malty base of caramelized apples and candy sugar. Flavors follow suit, with caramel and orchard fruits intermingling with sharp, dry, spicy yeast notes. The result is a unique contrast between sweet, sour, and dry that just seems to work in a funky sort of way. Medium-full bodied and moderately carbonated, the yeast dries out whatever sugary sweet textures that the malts attempt to impart. I call this brewery the Jolly Pumpkin of Europe, and brews like this go a long way to substantiate that claim. Great beer.

Murky brown color with big bubbled head that leaves quick. Lots of aroma, mostly of caramel, apple and cloves. Taste is malty, which becomes sour, like cherries. Bitter chocolate and malty creaminess. Very bitter hop finish.

Bottle. Large ivory head that was mostly lasting, fine-small sized bubbles, decent lacing, hazy, and a brown hue. Nose was malty, caramel and sweet. Nice! Flavor was malty, caramel and vinuous. Very, very nice! Tingly and dry palate.

outta the bottle at the t’IJ..last beer before we moved on so i had to work kwik, kicked the panter...I was looking forward to this. Pours a light dark brown but not really see through. nice aroma. great smooth first sip. a mellow alcohlic brew that goes down very easily; and complex too.