’t IJ Struis

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

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

UPDATED: FEB 23, 2007 This one is really nice. Complex taste, lush colour and full, thick body and aroma.. great barleywine-ish brew.

Cloudy brown colour, tan head. Aroma had caramel and dark fruits. Flavour is of dried fruits, malts and some caramel. Very nice!

Bottle. Pours a thick orange/brown hazy liquid with a thick foamy yellowish beige head, some sediment at the bottom of the glass. Aroma: great fruitiness with some spices, not very yeasty. Taste: fruit, dried fruit, malt, citrus, some yeast, brown sugar, still not too sweet. Thick, medium fizzy mouthfeel. Really good, well balanced and very drinkable, the 9% ABV is hardly noticeable.

UPDATED: OCT 21, 2007 bottle from brickskeller (02/02 brewed, 05/05 drank). pours a dark cloudy brown with slight head that barely laces. nose is malt, booze, bread, coffee? flavor is excellent: medium-bodied, malty, raisins, hops, with the presence of a 9% beer, but without the unpleasant alcohol flavors associated with that. a barleywine with a belgian twist, indeed. it has a brief note of harshness at the finish, which is the only thing that keeps this from being amazing. finish is dry in the mouth...the hops survived at least in bitterness. this beer is to barleywines as the de dolle export stout is to stouts. re-tasted on tap at brewery. dark amber. aroma of caramel, port, figs. heavy. lots of rich malty fruit up front. some evidence of the high abv, but well hidden. delicious.

This beer was hearty, thick and fresh, but it should have been fresh because I was drinking it in the same town as it is brewed. I had no idea of its strength at the time but it sure explains why the rest of the night is kind of hazy after a full day of drinking. I would definitely appreciate another sampling of this with fresh tastebuds.

Bottle sampled with Beerded_one. Pours bronze\brown with a large fluffy lasting off-white head. Aroma is floral, citrus, fruit, yeast, and belgian style spices. Flavor is smooth, sweet, floral, citrusy, fruit, spices are present, carbonated. Good body, excellent brew.

Pours a hazy mahogany brown color with a tan head. Aroma is raisins, malty, brown sugar, and a hint of honey. Flavor is malty, apricot, honey, and raisins.

UPDATED: JUN 9, 2006 Head goes quickly. Dark copper no sediment. Smell is bananas and metal. Banana malt chocolate that expands and tingles as far the effervesense. In the middle of the palate the bitterness hits. Ends on a slightly bitter note TIJ does a great of making all of it’s offerings very unique from each other.