Bockbier
Brouwerij 't IJ

 

 

On tap at the brewery.

LOOK: Rustic hazed amber, excellent lacing.

SMELL: Deep caramel, dark bread, yeast, dried plums, mellow alcohol

TASTE: Dry, toasted grain, husky, brown malt, dried fruit, hint of alcohol, herbal, woody, juicy fruit

A very dry bock, quaffable. Pretty complex malt profile. Really enjoying this beer, each sip grows on me.

Red-chestnut color, with some ruby reflexes. Beige foam, creamy, but maybe with some bubbles on the sides.
Smell: malty, apricot, medlar, and peach; honey, light caramel, cereals. Even some floral note?
The taste is fruity. Peach again. Raisins. White grapes. Ripe banana. Then caramel, again. Slightly more heavy and less fresh than the smell. Essentially malt sweetness, with ripe fruit, but even some touch of dryness. Maybe a little too sweet. Dry floral, hay.
Structured body, medium-highg.
The aftertaste is tending to sweetness, but the hop is present, and it balnces well the aftertaste. Some floral, dry.

It pours a reddish-brown with a slight haze and a light tan head. There is a lot of fruit in the nose with some floral and honey notes and a touch of spice. It has a malty body that tastes like cherry pie with a tinge of sourness. There is also some yeasty notes and it finishes with a slight pepperiness. Not exactly what I was expecting for a Bock, but I enjoyed it all the same.

33 cl bottle, served in Gouden Carolus glass.
Orange/reddish-gold appearance; impressive head w/ good retention. Beautifully hopped w/ noticeable yeast, and orangeish fruit notes. Initial, pleasing tartness is kept in check by a light, delicate sweetness. Impressive, dry finish. Quite easy to drink. A fine, very interesting beer that oddly enough reminds me of Orval, although it's not quite as complex. Definitely not your typical bock. A nice surprise.

Solid brown color, with an immense flourishing cream-colored head. Fresh aroma, slightly spicy, deep and dusky, heady, a little floral, herbal, even. Smooth palate, soft and full of that bouyant body that I associate with Belgian products, although this is from the Netherlands. A wonderful lightness of spirit pervades every sip, while still being dark, delicious, and full of character. Vibrant.
Sidenote: I saw the labels from this brewery in a Michael Jackson book, identified as being "the only Trappist brewery in Holland", in Tilburg. That would be La Trappe/ Koeningshoeven. Did something happen, or was it an editorial error?

Cloudy, murky looking russet color. Dark ripe fruits...plums, raisins along with some yeasty, musty, and earthy notes in the aroma. Thick, fine bubbled head. The various smells mesh into the flavor with some spicy cinnamon and a little sourness. Certainly not a traditional bock, but unique. Another adventurous brew from t' Ij.