Ichtegem's Grand Cru - Brouwerij Strubbe

TheBrewo

Michigan

3.9/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

We pop the top and foam exploded from bottle in waves. Infected?! We’ll see. We pour a brew the color of an old penny. It holds a two and a half finger head of foamy, spidery bubbles, leaving thickly patterned lacing down the sides of the glass. Retention is nice. Carbonation appears quite high, and a thick haze is noted, with flecks of large white sediment suspended throughout. The nose is funky, with tart, but softly floral, Brettiness. The malts are rich, toasty, and sweet of caramels and toffees, with accentuation by warm oakiness, big musk, balsamic vinegar acidity, booze, and freshly cooked soap. With warmth comes lightening sweetness of juicy bubblegum esters, green grassiness, and more of that typical pefumy funk. Our first impression is that the flavoring is very sharp and tart at first, but this quickly falls away by the end. As we sip, the taste opens with fusel chemical bite, booze, synthetic lavender perfume, light grapefruit zestiness, big funk of yeast, tart berry fruit juiciness, and green banana meatiness. Coming to the peak is spoiled fruit bitterness, German lager malts and lighter pales, cane sugar, vinegar, and more of that juicy bite of puckering, yeasty funkiness.
The finish comes with wax, chapstick, mild diacetyls, faint oak, that big aromatic muskiness, lemony twang, and more of that continued yeast and puckered fruitiness. The aftertaste breathes of vegetal fermentation, mineral, mud, musk, lemon peel bitterness, cranberry tartness, black cherry sugars, major funk, and distant barreling. The body is medium, and the carbonation is lighter. There is great slurp, smack, cream, froth, and pop. The mouth is softly coated and cooled, with eventual warmth of the oak, and only mild dryness or pucker. The abv is appropriate, and the beer drinks nicely.

Overall, what we enjoyed most about this brew was the aroma and the mouthfeel. There is big perfume, funk, and sweetness from the aroma, hitting most of the necessary notes quite nicely. The taste, however, was a bit curious as none of the tartness (or substantial oak) lingers through the sip. It hits hard at the front of your teeth, but is all but indiscernible through the end and aftertaste, where basic cooked brown maltiness predominates. This is partially rectified by the soft, creamy slurp of the feel. In conclusions we did not feel that our bottle was infected. This beer marks a good representation of the style, but lacked enough jazz or cohesion to pull it to the next level.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2013 01:46:47 | More by TheBrewo

deadonhisfeet

Kentucky

3.78/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a bottle into a Duvel tulip. The pour is a nice dark burgundy, a little hazy, and sports about a finger of off-white head that quickly dissipates. On the nose I get red wine notes, some vinegar, and dark cherries.

Light body with a nicely balanced sweet and sour flavor. Lots of fruity sourness up front with flavors of cherries, lemons, and oranges. At mid-palate a slight hint of vanilla creeps in, sweetening the flavor and softening the feel in the mouth. A faint lactic sourness hits on the finish that seems to clash a little with the fruit and wine-like acidity.

This is one of my favorite styles and I was happy to find another example I had never tried before. Not a bad beer, but the lactic notes kind of spoil it for me. There are far better examples out there.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2013 23:03:59 | More by deadonhisfeet

GuzzLah

Illinois

3.69/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - pours a clear, red-brown with a short head, some lace and no bubbles.

S - Sour cherry, green apple, soft vinegar and some bubble gum. No lacto or barnyard.

T - like the aroma with a pleasant finish. Nice flavor, but not extreme.

M - medium body with moderate carbonation. Mildly sour and acetic for the style.

O - not an outstanding Flanders, but I enjoyed drinking it. Conservative without being weak and probably a good gateway to more extreme examples of the style.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 03:23:31 | More by GuzzLah

confer

Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Had the 11.2 oz bottle. The beer pours dark brown with a rim of foam around the glass. The smell is tart cherries and very near a vinegar smell.
Taste isn't as tart as expected with a dull cherry juice like finish.
Not a bad sour, but I believe I'd reach for others first.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2013 23:03:23 | More by confer

Suds

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Murky brown color with reddish highlights, this beer has a thick, tan, small bubbled head. Lots of carbonation. The smell is of candy apple and earth. Musty, mixed with a tangy sweet scent. Lots of yeast scent as well. The taste is both sweet and sour, with a little slant to the tangy side. Not quite mouth puckering, but rather cleansing. Fuller in body than I expected. This is a nice beer, on style, and very approachable.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2013 20:55:41 | More by Suds

puboflyons

New Hampshire

3.65/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

From the 330 ml. bottle with a bottle cap stamped 15:20/1703-25APRIL17. Sampled on December 19, 2012 and served at about 50 degrees.

It pours a very heady, dark amber with some ruby red hues when held to the light.

The aroma is sour, no question about it. But in more detail there are esters of wood, pale malts, cherry, and butter.

The body falls into the medium range with some astringency.

As far as the taste goes this is definitely a sour ale with notes of cherry and a low but lingering bitterness. I will admit that sours are not top on my list of styles but this one was not bad.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2012 00:37:54 | More by puboflyons

Seanniek91

New Hampshire

3.88/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 11.2oz bottle into an Affligem Goblet

Appearance- Beautiful amber/brown with very short lasting bubbly white head. Head left some nice lacing.

Smell- Apple cider vinegar. Brett. Some cherry, vanilla, and oaky notes, but all very mild.

Taste- Funky earthy taste (the exact flavors I'm getting are baffling me. I can't figure them out.) Some cherry and vinegar. Minimal oak (vanilla) notes. Tart, but not face changing.

Mouthfeel- Very very carbonated. Tartness makes me salivate.

Overall- This has been a confusing beer to me. Not the best Oude Bruin, but a decent one.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 16:44:12 | More by Seanniek91

spoony

Colorado

3.63/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

From an 11.2 oz bottle into a tulip. Best by date on the cap says 25 April 2017.

A-The brew is a dark cola color with only the slightest hint of ruby colors. There is a healthy, pillowy, tan head (two-fingers, at least) that really sticks around. Visible carbonation keeps a cap of head on the beer and leaves quite a bit of lace on the glass.

S-The smell is typical oud bruin...sour, funky cherries with a pretty big whiff of sweet vinegar and candied lemon. Just a bit of oak to be found.

T-The taste is tart, but not mouth-puckering. You get a little oak, but the predominant flavor is a sweet, slightly malty, light cherry flavor. There is just a bit of funk as the beer warms up.

M-Carbonation is pretty fine, but noticeable on the palate. The brew is medium bodied.

O-This is not the best oud bruin I've had, it lacked complexity and punch on the tongue, and it was a touch over-carbonated for the style; but a little more sour-power and this thing might move up a few notches. That being said, the appearance and aroma were pleasing.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 02:52:20 | More by spoony

CloudStrife

New York

4.23/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

11.2 oz bottle poured into a snifter. 15 April 17 on the bottle cap.

A: Pours a cloudy/hazy brownish ruby with a 1.5 finger off white head. Too hazy to see any carbonation. Leaves just a little lace.

S: Very funky and tart aroma. Vinegar in there as well. Can tell this one is gonna have a sour taste. Sweet malty aroma as well as oak.

T: Hits you at first with a funky tart taste that transforms into a sweet malty beer with an oak backing. There is plenty of a candied sugar. Ends with almost a wheat malt taste.

M: Fairly light body that feels heavier than it is. A good amount of carbonation. The sour aspect makes it fairly crisp.

Overall a beer I could really get into. Has the full fledge wild fermentation aspect along with a very realistic beer body. Perhaps a little sweet but that compliments the tartness.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 22:15:36 | More by CloudStrife

Jfriz25

Wisconsin

3.2/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Appearance- Pours a murky reddish brown. If you've ever donated plasma it's like a darker version of that.

Smell- Read some reviews after purchasing and wasn't thrilled but my first thought when I poured the glass was "maybe they are wrong.". Smells tart and funky wih some green apple coming out.

Taste- Starts fairly tart but it is overtaken by a artifcial rotten apple note. Not sure if this is an old bottle because it just tastes kind of stale.

Mouthfeel- Medium body with a decent amout of carbonation on the finish. Probably the highlight of this beer. If only I could drink it without tasting it. (ok that's an exaggeration but still)

Overall- I had never seen this on the shelf before and I'll never pass up the chance to try a new Flanders. I think I paid $6 for this bottle and it definetly wasn't worth that. If you literally had no other sour options fine but it is the definition of mediocre.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2012 22:35:21 | More by Jfriz25

falloutsnow

Illinois

3.55/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

From: Friar Tuck's, Savoy, IL
Date: Best by 13-Nov-2016
Glass: New Belgium globe glass

Strubbe's Ichtegem Flemish Red comes across as a more intense version relative to their Flemish Red Ale Grand Cru, and by intensity, I mean the noticeable "funk" and acidity in the aroma and taste. There is a definite bile or acrid urine component to the scent and flavor of this beer, but it's integrated fairly well, and I suspect that others would view it as fruit-like flavors. Somewhat amusing, I found this more palatable than the Two Brothers' Moaten, mostly because this actually had a character, whereas that beer was abnormally bland. An interesting Flemish Red, one I'd try again if it were free for the taking, but when I'm paying, I'll stick with Rodenbach or Jacobins.

Pours a 1cm head of light tan bubbles, very small and dense in size, with average retention. As the head descends to a ring around the glass, it leaves some significant streaks of lacing on the sides. Body is a rather dark brown for the style with few hints of red. Beer is also transparent, with light bringing out reddish hues and making some modest carbonation visible.

Aroma is somewhat harsh, with a definite bile or concentrated uric-acid-like component to it. This gives an emphasis of smelling more sour than it is. The strange acidity takes front billing, but behind it there's some very sweet raspberry and cherry esters, though no real oak presence. Despite the apparent unpalatability, I don't find this particularly unappealing.

The taste follows scent, with minerals and concentrated uric-acid tartness on the front of the palate. Fruit esters appear predominantly in mid-palate, sweet cherries mingled with ripe blackberries, over a base of soured malt base. Back of palate picks up chemical-like tartness, a bit like red wine, but still having that bile or uric acid-like component, along with continued brown malt sweetness. Overall, not particularly unpleasant, if you're into weird sour ales, but not something I'd necessarily seek out again, either.

Beer is medium-bodied with mid-level carbonation that creates a fairly creamy, smooth mouthfeel. Finish is dry, with little residual stickiness on the palate.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2012 04:53:21 | More by falloutsnow

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +20.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Ichtegem's Grand Cru
11.2 fl.oz. bottle; cap dated 18 JAN 2016
The label reads "ingr: water, malt, caramalt, rice, hops, yeast"

Carefully poured to leave the lees behind it's a clear, ruby accented brown color beneath a pillowy head of tan. The head retention is good. It eventually falls to a wide collar that leaves short walls of lace with each sip.

The aroma suggests tart, dark, sugary fruit: cherries, raisins, figs. There's a bit of yeast to it, some malt, and a touch of mineral character as well.

The flavor follows the aroma, and it delivers a pleasant balance between gentle sweetness and light tartness. Along with the tartness and fruit there's some caramel maltiness, but it's not overly done, and it doesn't stick in the mouth. It's actually quite refreshing with the mild sharpness upfront, the light sweetness across the middle, and a bit of grassiness and mineral character in the oaky-dry finish.

In the mouth it's light bodied but with a dextinous edge; and a creamy-smooth fine-bubbled median carbonation - not much is needed as the tartness gives it character.

Overall it's basically flawless, and a pretty good example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2012 15:30:13 | More by NeroFiddled

Beelzebeer

Newfoundland (Canada)

4.33/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

330ml bottle, best before April 5/16. This bottle is a year and half old, if not mistaken. Maybe a little less.

A - Dark, dark brown with 1-inch head, some lacing.

S - Dark cherry, sour

T - Medium-high carbonation off the top, gives way to cherries, sour, raisin, a little plum. Alcohol comes in at the end.

M - Carbonation doesn't last too long in the mouth. It dissipates a little too quick. A little astringent too.

O - Pretty nice. Definitely an oud bruin, not a flanders. Would recommend.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2012 01:49:27 | More by Beelzebeer

soulfly1492

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Aroma: Bold cherries and grape. Moderately sour. Some darker fruits, plums and figs. Mild spicy phenols. Low hop aroma. Moderate sweetness from dark malts.

Appearance: Pours a tall light brown head whcih fizzes loudly and dissipates in 30 seconds. A tiny bit of foam remains around the edges. Pale dirty brown with some red.

Taste: Bold dark fruity esters. Plum and raisins. Molasses. Mild pepper. Some alcohol at the aftertaste. No vinegar. Some black cherry, which turns a bit harsh at the end.

Mouthfeel: Medium stinging carbonation. Quite dry. Finishes very dry. Light to medium body.

Overall: Moderately malty, fruity, aged oakiness, slightly sour. Not the best, but certainly good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2012 23:28:44 | More by soulfly1492

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle at Josie Bones. From notes.

A - Poured murky brown with a red tint. One finger of beige head. Nice drapes of lace and a film of retention.

S - Nice woody notes. Rich fruits and spirits. Cherry, dark fruit and sweet fruits.

T - Less dark fruit, more tart woodiness. Mellowed later with a sweetness. Woody, tart, and sweet all at once.

M - Good carbonation, medium body, frothy in the mouth, tart finish.

O/D - Nice. Enjoyed it as it captured the flavours I was expecting properly and fit the style. Balanced accordingly. Nice stuff.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2012 04:49:49 | More by tbeckett

snaotheus

Washington

3.63/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

330ml bottle poured into a pair of snifters

Pours dingy reddish brown with a dirty dishwater head that fades quickly. Smell is nice, sour, and fruity.

Taste sweet and fruity and moderately sour, a little nondescript.

Mouthfeel is slightly dry, fairly light. Overall, it's not bad, but it's no Rodenbach Grand Cru.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2012 19:36:29 | More by snaotheus

mltobin

Connecticut

3.75/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From a bottle at Jimmy`s in NYC.

Appearance is a burgundy color with fluffy looking white head. On the nose, there is cherry, wood and sourness. This one looks like it is going to be fairly sour. Upon sipping, sure enough that aspect was there, along with more of those cherries. Some Belgian candy and yeast was also part of the flavor. Mouthfeel on this one was dry, nice carbonation. Some of that tart quality sits on your palate for a bit. Certainly one, to have some water and/ crackers afterwords.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2012 02:08:53 | More by mltobin

Alieniloquium

Florida

3.33/5  rDev -11%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

330 mL bottle poured into an RR -tion glass. Best by 2015, I think, but it's smudged.

Appearance - Dark ruby brown body with an ample two-finger head of off-white foam. Excellent lacing. Really nice lacing.

Smell - Sweet malts and oak are most predominant. Hardly any tart aromas. Cherry, I suppose, but it's not a sour cherry.

Taste - Much more acidic than the aroma implies. Harsh acidic red wine vinegar. Oak all over, too. Finishes just a touch sweet.

Mouthfeel - Harsh on the palate. The flavors aren't bad, but the mouthfeel is unpleasant. Very acidic and vinegary. Highly carbonated.

Overall - It's harsh and too oaky. The flavors aren't inherently bad, but the feel just cancels out all benefits.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2012 01:21:08 | More by Alieniloquium

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.9/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Best by November 2016

A: Pours a semi-opaque dark reddish brown in color with some very significant garnet red highlights when held up to the light. The beer has a finger tall creamy looking light tan head that reduces to a patch of very thin film with a much thicker ring at the edges of the glass. Significant lacing is observed.

S: There are light vinous notes as well as just a touch of sourness in the aroma.

T: This beer is both complex and well balanced, as well as delicious. There are flavors of sour black cherries, oak barrels, as well as some vinous notes. The flavors start out subtly sweet which then turns to light sourness.

M: Light bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. The tartness makes this feel a little prickly on the tongue.

O: Very enjoyable and extremely easy to drink, this beer is not as tart/sour than some of the others in the style. This beer is very approachable and definitely one that I would like to enjoy again.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2012 21:20:16 | More by dbrauneis

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

3.63/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance. Pours a deep amber brown with over a finger of off white head that lasts a while and leaves some decent lace.

Smell. Cherries, fruity belgian yeast and spice, and a bit of dank old wood.

Taste. Sweet cherries, a small dash of raspberry vinegar, a little bit woody and a slight bitterness.

Mouthfeel. Medium body with medium, lively and fine carbonation. A little bit sticky.

Overall. A bit too sweet for me. Tasted good but I won't be in a hurry to drink it again.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2012 02:55:17 | More by Rutager

StaveHooks

Oklahoma

3.63/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

11.2oz served into a Duvel tulip.
Cap states best by 4/5/2015.

A - Pours a garnet hued brown with a thin eggshell head leaves behind some spotted lacing.

S - Acidic grapes, fresh wood, saw dust, cherries, raspberries, vanilla, all melded perfectly.

T - Raspberry red grape tartness, a good dose of oak wood, muted watermelon rind, finishes dry with light notes of balsamic vinegar on the aftertaste.

M - Light body, soft effervescent, powdery dry on the finish.

Great nose, good looking but the taste didn't rise to the occasion. Still a very nice Flanders that I probably should have held onto another year before cracking open. I'll go pick another one up.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2012 19:24:57 | More by StaveHooks

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

3.15/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A bottle split with oglmcdgl. I've had this a few times.

The liquid comes out looking dark reddish in hue with some brown strokes set within. A nice fuzzy coca cola like head skims up with some tightness and a off tan color to it. No stick on the glass. Smell is pretty much deep vinegar with some faint cherry scent and some grain. Trace amounts of caramel notes, but this one is all about the vinegar. Taste is sweet over sour and it's very apparent. Vinegar, cherry, cola, sweet malt, you get the picture. Very reminiscent of Duchesses. Feel is less than medium, a nice crisp carb and not acidic, not a pucker inducing beer, but pleasant, I just cant stand the vinegar. I could only drink 6oz of this before passing on it.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2012 21:28:20 | More by onix1agr

AllenJasper

Minnesota

3.53/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle to Snifter
First 'sour' beer so i may just be rating the style, not the beer itself.

A: very dark red with a brownish tint. Sandy tan head, no lacing.

S: kinda smells like sparkling wine. Fruity and a strange vinegar hint.

T: it's got a raspberry/vinegar sourness that accommodates a dark red/brown ale flavor.

M: kinda sticky, with sharp carbonation... Sourness lingers

O: I like it. to my lips it's as simple as a sour brown ale, and I normally don't like brown ales. I can't imagine drinking more than 12 oz of this, it kinda baffles me that so many sours are served in 750mL bottles... I'll finish the bottle happy that I tried it though.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2012 04:32:08 | More by AllenJasper

GusDom

Illinois

3.38/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance- Poured with an inch worth of head, the color is of a darker ruby reddish/brown. Fine bubbles floating to the top. Pretty nice looking beer, not much lacing being left though. Head dissapeared after about a minute.

Aroma- Grape skin, slight green apple and vinegar. Smells like kombucha. Fresh tart cranberries, slight caramel, faint bitter-sweet chocolate. Has an oaky finish.

Taste- Caramel, prunes, slight vinegar, oak, smell and taste are actually pretty different. I also get a nutty taste, similar to an almond. The smell tends to be more pungent where as the taste is just slightly pungent with a slight sweetness added.

Verdict- I have mixed feelings about this beer. I definitely appreciate the aroma, the beer didn't seem too complex at first whiff but after about 4 more tries I started picking up the chocolate notes, it definitely surprised me how complex the aroma was. Still, the taste just didn't do it for me. I was expecting a little more sour and not so much sweetness. I'm not saying it was very sweet, but it did have that slight doppelbock caramel note I was not expecting in a flemish sour. I would try again if offered but Im not going to go out of my way to seek it out. I would rather recommend Monk's Cafe Flemish Sour for someone who is new to sours, it may not be as complex but it is definitely more enjoyable IMO.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2012 02:59:07 | More by GusDom

BBP

Ontario (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours ruby chestnut with a slightly thin head and some very nice lacing.

Mildly fruity in the aroma with a decent presence of tartness and sourness.

The taste is quite balanced, and while it's not too bright or sweet and appeals to me in that way, I almost wish it had more potency. It's very tastefully done, but it just seems a bit dull.

The body is medium in thickness and medium in weight. The finish is dry and slightly sticky.

Overall, this was a good drink, but it didn't set itself aside as something I'd pick up again.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2012 18:35:02 | More by BBP