’t IJ Struis

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

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

Good sized frothy white head of fine bubbles. Excellent carbonation. Sweet and sour notes jump out in the aroma. Very fruity, with some sour grapes, light spices and wet oak. Color is a cloudy dark copper brown. Medium bodied and very warming. Light malts, spices and yeast. Sourness is not very apparent in the flavor. Big alcohol presence. I would guess more that 9%. Finishes pretty clean and warm with a lingering spicyness. Pretty good and very easy drinking.

Best before 10/05: Really good except for it erupting like Mt. St. Helens when I opened it. It just foaming out and I didn’t have a glass ready. Lot of floaters in it. It is like a barley wine with just a little more yeastiness than normal and very little hops. color is a rusty brown and like I said before lot of small gelantenous floater in there. It tastes really good though. Caramel, a little fig, plums, alittle raisin are all in the flavor. Carbonation is a little fizzy. Body is medium. Enjoyable, but I only got about 7 oz. out of it.

Bottled. Hazy brown, beige head. Sourish chocolate-aroma. Full chocolate-flavour with a warm alco-feel.

Son of a bitch gusher. Dark hazy ruby brown color, fizzy brown head, disappeared in seconds. After this I was reluctant to try, just knowing it was going to be infected or off, but it wasn’t. Fruity and full malt aroma, prune, cherry, a touch yeasty. Brown sugar in the flavor along with notes of caramel, berry, and malt. Medium to full bodied, very active mouthfeel, no signs of the booze in this. Very good, too bad I lost some of it from gushing.

Pours with a frothy, 1 finger thick, light brown head that sits atop a hazy, deeply amber colored brew. The aroma is malty and rich with notes of concentrated, sweet malt extract, a sweet dough like breadiness, along with notes of prunes and figs. To balance the sweet notes there is a baking spice type spiciness here with notes of clove, a hint of nutmeg, perhaps a touch of cinnamon, and even a note of spicy cardamom. The aroma is concentrated and sweet, like a dark holiday sweet bread or even a cake. It is quite the way to end the evening.

The taste has an upfront fruity sweetness that is not too heavy and reminds me of figs, and raisins. There is also a nice backdrop of maltiness here that has notes of caramel, brown sugar, a hint of molasses and a certain fresh, bready quality that reminds me of a sweet spice cake. This beer really has a rich quality to it that is quite satisfying and satiating, though it certainly is not sticky at all, or even too full on the palate. It has just the heft to it to remain drinkable, in fact it is the flavors of this beer, not the thick body, that make this such a savory experience.

<font size=-4>Purchased at: <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Place/illinois/chicag Wine & Spirits, Chicago IL<font size=-1>

Bottle. Damn! this one strange beer! The first thing you notice is the awesome aroma, that tickles your nose right after you open the bottle: raisins, brown sugar, old port wine - which is naturally intensified when you pour it into the glass.

When poured it sports a big bubbled tan head (which quickly fades) on top of a muddy brown body full of big yellow yeast lumps. Flavor is not as intense as the aroma (I would guess it to be overconditioned), but nonetheless quite tasty with pumpernickel bread, dried fruit, licorice and a nice dry malt flavor, Unfortunately there is also just a hint of metal and bakers yeast giving it a home brewed signature... but not enough to really detract from the overall picture. The alcohol is amazingly well hidden for a beer this ABV - I would have guessed it to be in the 6-7% range.
The finish is watery and with no signs of hop bitterness - the carbonation is quite powerful.

I’m starting to develop a soft spot for this brewery, as they seem to produce beers that you may not find entirely like, or fin are well made, but with personality and character - which I deem more important. Thanks Rpattinson for bringing this one (as well as a load of other stuff to Copenhagen to share)

UPDATED: SEP 2, 2007 bottle from lowlander. Pretty deep red-amber with a swollen off white head that faded to a good half inch of dense cream head, leaving a perfect lace. Strong nose of vanilla, oak, walnut, tangerine and some caramel. Taste is a let down after such a fantastic aroma - light spice, nuts, apple, fig and dates. Slightly metallic finish. Creamy, full body. Too watery in the taste, but otherwise a top bew.

(3/16/08) Bottle at Arendsnest in Amsterdam. Hazy red with a big, slowly-diminishing, off-white head. Aroma of some malt, wood and fruits – quite nice. Sweetish flavor with some malt, a bit of caramel, some oaky sour notes and some nice fruitiness. Medium-bodied. Very pleasant.