’t IJ Struis

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

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

Pours opaque, dense mahogany...pretty. Heavy, primal aromas of maple, oak, toffee and earth. Dried cherries and peaches swimming in caramel and scotch, with an understated sour finish, when its rich and syrupy mouthfeel becomes immediately dry and bitter. A wild, ancient animal of a beer.

Thanks to Beerbiker. Tasted not too long after an Oval - this is the closest to an Oval i’ve had. Murky greyorange with a bubling white head. Funky Brett aroma, mold and mixed with belgian fruity yeast. Flavor is big and complex. Lots of refined sweetness. alchohol and brett. Great beer.

Good appearance on the glass even though there do appear to be some floaties here and there. Good rich nose which complements the weather outside in the northern hemisphere. There is a warming undertone that finishes off well in a dry after palate. From the bottle regretfully as I didn’t get to the bar.

Bottle. A very sweet aroma of caramel, Port, also some yeast. The head is very large, white and foamy with a long duration. The body is dark orange to red. A light sour taste of yeast, light burning, malt and some caramel in the middle part. The finish is rather long. The body is medium strong, creamy and with much carbonation.

Draft - Hazy amber body, creamy light beige head, lacing; Small malty sweet fruity nose; Soft fruity bitter body, very soft texture and carbonation; Fruity slightly bitter and very a little sour finish, malty, buttery aromas.

This beer smells great - strawberries and fruits abound! The finish is also quite good - full mouthfeel and nicely balanced bitterness. Many spicy fruits in the flavor as well, and the alcohol is well masked. The flavor is just a tad too thin for my taste, but overall this is a very good beer.

Smells kriek! Lots of cherry and sourness. Hazy brown, thick brown head. Latent sourness in the taste, short finish. Not that good after all.

UPDATED: NOV 7, 2010 330ml bottle. Clear mahogany, thick coat of beige head. Aroma of dried fruits (currants, prunes, muscatels), dough, leather, spices (cloves, cardamon, vanilla, galangal, pepper). Creamy mouthfeel - the carbonation combines with the slight syrupiness very nicely. Fleeting big sweetness with lots of dried fruit and some brown sugar; then quite spicy bitterness and a little passing sour/ brett yeastiness. Surprisingly brief finish has spiced fruit and drying wood. Pretty well-hidden alcohol. A little bit of rather welcome acidity creeps out about halfway down the bottle - I liked the balance more as it warmed. [3.9]

330ml bottle. Gusher. Dirty brown with a large dense beige head that laces extravagantly. Aroma of dried fruits, acidic pineapple, leather/ doughy funk, ginger, cardamon, pepper. Smooth, lactic mouthfeel. Some overt alcohol. Fruity sweetness and yeast overtaken by quite a lot of acidic pineapple. Finish is drying but mostly astringency fighting yeast. A little chocolate and wood right at the end. Recognisable as the same beer as last time, but this is a _very_ different bottle. Engaging.