Strange brewery name, but they make very good beers. I tried years ago to get some of their beers, but they were small with no need to send their beer so far afield. Since then, Duvel-Mortgaat have bought a stake in the business, and with that production has increased, so here we are with a beer from ‘t IJ.
They are a Dutch brewery located in an old bath house in Amsterdam. It really doesn’t get any more Dutch than that! The name means ‘The IJ’, ‘IJ’ being a nearby body of water that makes up part of Amsterdam’s waterfront.
Our first taste of ‘t IJ beer is their witbier, and it is important to note that they are styling this as an Amsterdam witbier, rather than trying to mimic a Belgian wit.
It pours a lovely looking slightly cloudy orange colour, with a rocky white foam. At least it looks the same as the Belgian wits.
There is a sweetness to the fullish body of this beer, both malty and fruity. Though it does sharpen a little as you go along. But it isn’t sweet in a bad way, just a satisfyingly full bodied, very pleasant flavour that gives hints of the coriander and lemon citrus that is added to the beer.
The full flavour lasts right through the beer and was giving me thoughts of a Belgian Blond by the end. It is a really enjoyable beer, and enough to ensure that we get some more beers from ‘t IJ to try.
Witbier with grapefruit and orange zest, kaffir lime leaves and coriander
The 'Witteke' is a typical beer from the past; a cloudy unfiltered, aromatic witbier.
Great example of a Belgian Witbier, voted 'Worlds Best Wheat Only Wheat Beer' in 2009.
Brasserie Du Bocq's classic witbier with fresh raspberry juice added
by Brasserie de l'Abbaye des Rocs
An intriguingly moreish Double Witbier from Abbaye des Rocs
by Brouwerij Corsendonk (at Brasserie Du Bocq)
The Belgian witbier from Corsendonk
A powerful yeast creates a sweet and dry wheat beer, technically classed as a 'Double White'.
An interesting Belgian Witbier, adhering to the Gruit style of using herbs and spices instead of hops
Four grains are used to produce this fantastic 'Double White' from KleinBrouwerij De Glazen Toren.
An imperial witbier, brewed with barley, wheat, oats and buckwheat, and the addition of coriander and curaçao
by Brasserie de Jandrain-Jandrenouille
A tasty Belgian style witbier, with a slightly heavier hopping for a lingering bitterness
A typical Belgian witbier with loads of orange and lemon citrus and a little coriander
A refreshing witbier 'hopped' with a healthy dose of jasmine
A tasty little Witbier from the province of Limburg in north-east Belgium
A witbier with orange peel, dry hopped with Mosaic hops
A biggish witbier, with the typical aroma and flavours of banana, citrus and coriander
A cross between a Belgian Witbier and a German Weisse Bier, with the addition of the juice from blood oranges
A Belgian witbier originally made in 2012 as a one-off special, revived in 2020
This traditional Witbier has been developed in cooperation with Master Brewer Pierre Celis, the Godfather of Hoegaarden.
by Brouwerij Palm (Swinkels Family Brewers)
A classic Belgian witbier, brewed with a great mix common for all the Steenbrugge beers
by Brouwerij Palm (Swinkels Family Brewers)
A Belgian witbier made using 40% unsalted wheat, 60% barley, coriander, curaçao orange and a mix of spices
A witbier with barley, wheat and oats, with added real watermelon
A classic Belgian witbier from our anything-but-classic Dutch brewery
A traditional Witbier, from the 'Brewer's Town' of Watou; crisp, light and refreshing.
