Wittekerke

It should be no secret by now how much I love witbiers.   Time for another witbier review. 

Wittekerke is a beer I read about when I first started getting into beer, and more specifically wits.  I looked for it in Buffalo and I was disappointed that I wasn't able to find it.   I came across it down here in Orlando and I decided, just based on hearing it was a good beer, that I would check it out.

I can't read their website because the brewery is based in Belgium..  yeah..

Just a little background info on the beer ...
WIT-style: A true WIT beer must be made of at least 25 % wheat malt in combination with barley malt. Belgian WIT beers are naturally cloudy since they are unfiltered.

WITTEKERKE charms you with its own character, smooth taste and a unique delicious aroma. A very pleasant drink, light in alcohol with a crisp and refreshing flavor. WITTEKERKE is always served cold, but in taking your time to enjoy it, you will find more flowery and spring flavors towards the end of your glass. Although the hoppy bitterness is an underlying taste, it is never dominant. Perfect white head.

WITTEKERKE is a fictitious name for a typical Flemish town, like we find hundreds of villages in Flanders with a name ending on KERKE (church) or KAPELLE (chapel). WITTE means white in English, thus the translation of the name is WHITE CHURCH. The Bavik brewery has since a long time brewed its own authentic WIT beer under the "Bavik Wit" label, but the brewery chose to change the name in cooperation with the producers of the Belgian sit-com "WITTEKERKE", airing twice a week in prime-time on the Belgian TV channels. The actors drink WITTEKERKE during the show.

WITTEKERKE is now the best selling WIT beer in Belgium off-premise, and was voted several years in a row the best Belgian WIT beer by Belgian beer connoisseurs.

FOOD COMBINATIONS: this refreshing light beer is mostly consumed with snacks at receptions and parties, or just as an excellent thirst quencher any time of the day. WITTEKERKE is the right choice with a very spicy Carpachio, with white fish, scallops or a fresh salad. An omelet dish will also make a good combination. Cheers.

It's also a 5% ABV

I'll be sampling it out of a can.   Let's get to it.

A - Very light opaque yellow colored.  I had a non existent head although I have read reviews that have reported a 2 finger head.   Too each his own, maybe it has something to do with me pouring out of a can.

S - Really isn't much of a scent to this beer.   Some mild grain, that is about it.   Not pleasant, but not a turn off.  It's just... there.  The more I smell it the more I smell some faint spices also.

T - Similar to how it smells.  It's a real soft, mild taste.  It's lacking a real punch, although it's not bad.   Some very light sour grain.    Also faint citrus taste is present.  On the finish there is some metallic bitterness but not enough to really make any kind of impact in the taste.   It might even be a bit of a stretch to say it has any real metallic taste.   I'm very disappointed on the taste of this beer because I was hoping for so much more.   It just seems to be weak and lacking all over.

M - Very light bodied with medium carbonation.   Very similar to your standard macro beer.

D - Very easy to drink a bunch of them based on how smooth it is.   But with a lack of taste, it really doesn't leave me wanting more.

Grade:  One thumb down.  Not a bad beer, but it wasn't something that I would jump at to drink again.

Blue Moon Grand Cru

This was a beer that was released in limited quantities in December of 2009 to help celebrate the blue moon that was going to occur that month.
In Belgium, a Grand Cru is typically a rich, bold beer brewed to celebrate the holiday season or another special event. Following the traditional Belgian style, Blue Moon Grand Cru -- inspired by Blue Moon Belgian White -- is brewed with small-batch care, while providing a unique twist on the classic Grand Cru.

An artfully crafted, full-bodied 8.2 percent ABV beer, Blue Moon Grand Cru has rich, creamy notes, with subtle hints of orange peel and coriander, and delivers a warm, spicy finish.

I'm expecting it to taste just like regular Blue Moon with a bite of alcohol to it.

A - Very cloudy and pale yellow color. Lots of junk floating around in the beer. Very high visible carbonation. Left a fairly large head in my Duvel glass, but the glass is prone to doing that with nearly every beer.

S - Strong orange rind smell mixed with slight alcohol. I was hoping for a bit more complex scent, but orange and alcohol sums this up pretty much.

T - Orange peel notes are the first taste to hit, but they fade away very quickly because the actual taste of orange is pretty underwhelming. Coriander and bitter hops follow the orange which gives way to a warming alcohol sensation which is a little offputting for me. It's a clean finish that leaves barely any aftertaste. The orange taste gets a little more bitter and sour the more you drink.

M - Based on the high amount of bubbles, I thought it would have a bit more of a carbonated taste than it did. It was medium bodied and moderately carbonated. Pretty smooth mouthfeel.

D - Based on the taste alone it's drinkability isn't as high as you'd think because I feel the taste alone is poor. Mix that in with the high alcohol and you don't have a very good drinkability.

Final Grade: Two Thumbs Down

I probably won't finish this bomber, and the sad part about it is, I have another one. I got this beer for $5 BOGO.

River Horse Double Wit

Had this beer hanging around in my fridge since around Christmas time. With me leaving for Florida in a couple weeks, I figured it would be a good time to get to the last couple beers that are hanging around in the back. No clue why I've held off on this beer for so long, because I truly do love witbiers. Let's hope it makes me sorry for waiting so long.

I'm guessing they call it "double wit" because it's stronger than the normal witbier. Normal witbier's are around 5%, this one is 7%. Not too bad, but I'm expecting just a slight bite of alcohol from it, which would be okay with me.

Their website looks like it's currently under construction, so I can't find any information about this beer at all, and they don't say anything on the bottle except for "belgian style ale, ale brewed w/ spices."

Well, since I don't have any background information at all, let's get to it.

A: This beer is much lighter than the picture shows, just an FYI. Golden hazy yellow, with a slight head that dissipates fairly quickly. It was actually gone before I was even able to type to this point. You can see quite a bit of bubbles rising to the surface through the pretty cloudy beer.

S: Strong lemon scent, which makes me think the taste might be slightly sour. Pretty much dominates the smell of the beer. There's also a bit of wheat and coriander in the background, but they seem rather faint to me.

T: Lots of lemon up front in the taste, as expected. I'm not a HUGE fan of the taste of lemons, but actually this doesn't bother me too much. It's not sour at all, and actually rather sweet. Along with the lemon, you get spicy notes, which fade into a dry wheat aftertaste. It's not a big taste, but I'm definitely left wanting a little bit more. Maybe I had a different expectation of the taste. I'm definitely let down. Again, it's not a bad taste, but it's just not a large enough variety on the taste.

M: The carbonation is very high. Prickly on the tongue and all the way down, although I'm sure a little bit of that is the alcohol. Light to medium bodied.

D: It's alright. Seems like the more I drink of the beer, the more I start to taste the lemon, and the alcohol. Doesn't seem to be mixed all that well, and it's kind of a turn off the way the lemon and alcohol tastes are overwhelming me. I definitely couldn't see myself drinking more than one of these in a sitting.

Rating: I'd give this beer a one thumb down. It's not a beer a would recommend to someone, yet it's not terrible enough to drain pour.

The Bruery Orchard White

Appearance: First impression.. HOLY BUBBLES! Tons of bubbles in this thing. Looks like a reverse waterfall. Golden yellow color. Huge head. 3+ fingers. It recedes rather slowly (and that's too quick of a term to use) and leaves minimal lacing. Very creamy head.

Smell: Floral aroma is predominant. Very very soft flowers. Almost like a spring garden. Bready smell is in the background of the beer. Also a little bit of citrus. Nothing too out of the ordinary.

Taste: Pretty standard for a witbier. There's a taste in it that I can't exactly put my finger on. It must be the lavender taste that they advertise on the bottle. But like I said, it's a pretty standard witbier taste. You have the corianderand yeast of course... The lavender taste really does dominate it though. It's not well balanced, although I do like the flavor it gives off.

Mouthfeel: Very well carbonated. Almost too the point where there is too much carbonation... but not to the point it's a turn off. Maybe just slightly overdone. Medium to Light body. Probably leans towards the light side... has that watery style almost. I would like it a little more if it were a bit creamier and more full.

Drinkability: It's not a bad beer at all. I paid about $10 for a 750ML bottle of this though, but I'm not so sure if it's worth that. There are many other Witbiers I can get a six pack of for $6-$8 and be much more happy. With that being said, it is a pretty drinkable beer, as most witbiers are. It's just rather expensive for the amount you get.

Overall: I liked it. It would be a one thumb up beer based on my rating system. I probably wouldn't buy it again though. It didn't blow me away. It's an average witbier with a new twist.. the lavender which did make for something interesting, that's for sure.

Long Trail Brewmaster Series Winter White

The only other beer I've had from Long Trail was their Belgian White, and although I love the style, I remember not being a HUGE fan of it, so hopefully this well be much better.
At 7.2% ABV I'm expecting this to have a little bit more of a bite in comparison to the average witbier since they are normally around 5%. I have a nice big bottle of this so I hope it's enjoyable. The bottle is pretty plain, but I love it. Nice soft colors, so I'm hoping that transfers right to the taste.

I bought this back in late December and I think it was just a limited release considering I can't find any more info on Long Trail's website about it. Let's just cut to the chase and enjoy a beer.

A - Very clear see through gold color. Bubbly with a 2 inch frothy head that dissipates rather quickly. No lacing is stuck on the glass at all.

S - This beer absolutely reeks of orange and coriander. Also there is a hint of wheat to go along with an overall pretty sweet smell.

T - With a beer smelling that much like orange and coriander, it has to have a hint of them in the taste. This is very front loaded with both. Almost has a similar orange taste like straight orange juice. The orange/coriander taste is followed up with almost a dry oatmeal taste. Right and after the oat taste the beer suddenly gets a warm sensation which can be attributed to the alcohol, which does go away rather quickly and leaves you with an almost pepper-like finish.

M - The beer looks big and tastes big, but based on the higher ABV, this isn't a light beer at all. It has big carbonation also and although it looks and is smooth like your average witbier it's not.

D - If I enjoyed the overall taste a little bit more it would have a much higher drinkability despite the higher than average alcohol content. It's got an overall good mouthfeel and the taste isn't too bad, I just am not crazy about it because of the peppery finish/after taste. I can definitely see why some people could be big fans of this beer. I guess I'm just used to the normal light refreshing witbier.

Although it's not a bad beer, I think I have to give it one thumb down. Stay away unless you think this a beer you would love.

Unibroue Blanche De Chambly

A - Straw yellow. So cloudy that I couldn't even see through it. Head nice and slowly and leaves awesome lacing.

S - Yeast, Lemon, Orange, Bananas, Apple, Grape, etc.... All the typical fruits in a Wit.

T - Taste is heavy on citrus and banana. You also get a steady flavor of bread. Pretty sweet almost tasting like a wine on the finish.

M - Very smooth and light bodied. Comparable to the style of a juice.

D - A very tasty beer, I wouldn't mind drinking a few of these..

Two Thumbs Up!

Avery White Rascal

A - Pale yellow with a 2 finger head that fades quickly. Very nice lacing with this brew.

S - Pretty standard Wit. Can smell the Citrus, Banana, Wheat, and Spice right off the bat.

T - Orange dominates the taste. Pretty spicey taste, almost caught me by surprise. Pretty solid balance of wheat and spice to create a good taste. I can't really taste the banana I smelled. Maybe it was my imagination. Almost has a bit of a bready taste to it.

M - It's a normal light bodied Wit. Tons of bubbles in this bad boy though. Pretty high carbonation which I'm not used to when it comes to Witbiers. Not saying it's a bad thing though!

D - Goes down the hatch very easy. Could easily get caught up drinking a few of these.

Two Thumbs Up!

Samuel Adams Blackberry Witbier

A - Cloudy amber/orange. No lacing and the head dissipated quickly.

S - Of course it smells like blackberries (Even though I was somewhat surprised that it did.) Seems like a little bit of citrus, more specifically lemon.

T - A lot of blackberry up front which fades into the background but takes a backseat to the lemon. The blackberry taste does stay throughout the entire experience.

M - Medium to heavy carbonation with a light body. Really thin feeling, but bubbly due to the carbonation.

D - It's a drinkable beer. Not something I'd like to drink all the time or even occasionally. It was just... okay.

One Thumb Down!

Blue Moon Belgian White

A - Cloudy yellow, borderline orange color. Minimal lacing. Pretty normal color for a Wit.

S - Coriander and clove. Hints of orange.

T - Coriander and orange immediately get your attention. Smooth clove aftertaste. Little spice hidden with the orange though.

M - Well balanced and smooth.

D - Pretty easy to get caught up drinking a few of these.

Not the best Witbier you are going to find, but it's pretty impressive for a Coors product

One Thumb Up!

Shock Top Belgian White

A - Nice yellow color. Cloudy. Small foamy head. Orange stuck inside that I decided to eat before I even took a sip. Haha.

S - The smell was nice. Coriander and orange peel dominate it. I was just hoping that it tasted as well as it smelled.

T - It did. The taste was full of orange peel and coriander. Definitely wheat to be tasted in there also. I like the taste and I definitely think it holds it's own against the average Witbiers out there.

M - Pretty smooth. Medium bodied and low carbonation.

D - Pretty easy to drink. I could see myself tossing a few back without thinking twice. I didn't expect that it would be this good to be honest. I was impressed and it caught me off guard. I was pleasantly surprised.

One Thumb Up!

Harpoon UFO White

A - Hazy yellow. Almost with an orange tint to it. Let's just call it golden. Very small head that dissipates quickly.

S - Light lemon scent. A little malt and grain hidden in there also. Nothing too special. Based on the appearance and scent, seems like just your average Witbier. (Not that an average Witbier is a bad thing!)

T - Taste seemed a little sour at first but that went away insanely quickly and left open the nice sweet orange taste. I'm surprised even though I smelled lemon, I didn't really taste it. Nice coriander/clove taste on the finish. Slight spicy kick to it. Great light wheat aftertaste. Basically the taste is really front loaded. A quick smack that goes away as quick as you get it.

M - Light bodied and smooth. Very little if any carbonation. Seems like it would be a good beer when it's hot outside.

D - Pretty drinkable. If I had bought more than a single I'd probably have a few. Good summer beer.

One Thumb Up!

St. Bernardus Witbier

A: Nice pure white head with an inch head. Great lacing. Sticking really nicely to the side of the glass. Nice golden orange color.

S: Sweet malty lemon. Maybe a little bit of light wheat and coriander.

T: Hands down one of the best Witbiers I've ever tasted. Classic grainy wheat taste with a bite of lemon. Perfect amount of citrus and spice.

M: Very light body. Uniquely high carbonation for a Witbier.. but if it ain't broke.. don't fix it!

D: So easy to drink. After the first mouthful, I said I could drink this beer all day like it was water.

"WOW!" sums this beer up perfectly.

Two Thumbs Up!

Samuel Adams Imperial White

A: Foggy orange, small head that quickly dissipates. Medium lacing.
I liked the color though but I was surprised that it was so dark. That should have been the first warning to me.

S: Spicy, Citrusy and wheat... lets not forget alcohol. This thing reeks of alcohol.

T: Very alcohol taste to it. I can barely taste anything else. A little bit of citrus but the alcohol is slapping me in the face. Witbiers normally have a nice complex taste but all I can seem to taste is hot hot alcohol and coriander. A big big disappointment for me being a Wit fan.

M: Full and thick. Medium to high carbonation.

D: Not very drinkable due to the high ABV.

I think Sam Adams tried to outdue themselves with the 10.3 ABV. Take it down to the normal Wit % of 5ish and this is probably a good beer.

I drank probably 1/2 to 3/4s of it and then it got a drain pour.
It's just a rough taste that I don't like. The last sip made me gag and then I figured it was time to get rid of it.


Two Thumbs Down!

Leinenkugel's Sunset Wheat

A: Hazy golden color

S: Blueberry, Wheat and Orange are the smells that really grabbed me.

T: Just like everyone else is saying... this beer really does taste like Fruity Pebbles cereal. It's really odd. This is a really fruity beer, doesn't really taste like your typical Wit in my opinion.
I'm not a HUGE fan of this beer.. but it's not terrible.. I could see how some people could be crazy about it though.

M: Slight hops. Nice fruity aftertaste

D: In the summer, you can go through case and case and case and case of this stuff. It's a really drinkable beer. When I first started to drink beers this was one of the first beers I was able to put down easily.

One Thumb Up!

Long Trail Belgian White

Long Trail Belgian White

A - Cloudy yellow color, almost borderline gold. Very thin head that quickly dissipates. Very little lacing.

S - Lemon, Orange, Coriander... Pretty standard Wit smells.

T - Dominated by lemon. The wheat and coriander is found but limited. It's a very very highly dominated by lemon type Wit. I'm not a huge fan of the high on lemon brews so the taste doesn't wow me. But I could see some people totally loving it. It has a sweet finish taste though which I did like a lot.

M - Very low carbonation. Seems low atleast compared to other Wits.

D - Very drinkable on a nice summer day or to just switch up the normal Wits.

It's probably not a Wit that I would drink on a daily basis because I feel there are much better ones out there. But it's not awful and I will probably easily finish off the rest of the sixer.

One Thumb Up!

Victory Whirlwind Witbier

A: Pale yellow and foamy. Small one finger head with quick retention.
Decent lacing.

S: The oh so typical classic smell of bananas, cloves, coriander and citrus. I love it.

T: Solid and unexpected. I didn't think this was going to be better than average when it came to witbiers... but it turned out to be one of my top 5 definitely. It has a nice full smooth taste of citrus lemon, but the yeast and wheat comes in before it. It's a very nice balance.

M: Clean aftertaste with a pleasant carbonation that enhances the flavor.

D: A very drinkable witbier. It's quality. Try it.

Two Thumbs Up!

Ommegang Witte

A - Cloudy pale orange color. Pretty much the standard when it comes to witbiers. Nice fluffly head. Decent amount of lacing.

S - Coriander and other spice, along with citrus. Again standard.

T - Wheat base with mild citrus and coriander. In comparison to other witbiers it seems to have less of a spice but it's more balanced.

M - Thin and light with low carbonation. It's not watery though. I'd say it's almost perfect.

D - Very drinkable. It's probably not a session brew though. You wouldn't want to drink 6 of these. You'd feel it.

Two Thumbs Up!

Allagash White

A - Nice cloudy white color. Standard for most witbiers. Nice solid white head.

S - Very lemony smell. Very! I was expecting a totally different taste because of such a strong scent.

T - Citrus upfront with a dry wheat finish and spicy! Orange, lemon, wheat and yeast. A perfect mix of all of them.

M - Light bodied and smooth.

D - Such a great witbier. I've recently become very partial to witbiers and this is definitely the best I have had thus far. It's nearly perfect in every way. If it weren't so expensive you'd probably be able to make a session beer out of it.

Two Thumbs Up!

Samuel Adams White Ale

A(ppearance) - Hazy golden yellow color. Darker in comparison to other Witbiers.
Not much head nor lacing involved in this brew.
S(mell) - Spicy Hops. Not a real strong aroma.
T(aste) - Crisp Orange taste. Spicy tangy taste, stays true to the smell thats for sure. In all honesty, I think it's a bit too spicy and it floods out the other tastes.
M(outhfeel) - Very well carbonated. Could feel the bubbles all the way down. Almost has a borderline watery taste to it.
D(rinkability) - It's a pretty drinkable beer.. I'm just not crazy about it. It doesn't leave me hurrying for another sip.

One Thumb Down

Hoegaarden Original White Ale

Appearance - Cloudy and pale with a yellowish white color too. (Almost looks like pee.. Haha!) Pretty nice head on it that dissipates quickly after pour.

Smell - Citrus like with a lemon and orange smell, mixed with banana with hints of wheat in the back. A pretty pleasant smell for the most part.
Just the appearance and smell alone were enough to make me want to drive right in.

Taste - Lightly sweet with lots of citrus and no hop up front, the middle brings out clove, cotton candy, some yeast, lemon, orange, a tinge of hops bitterness, the finish is dry, with lingering clove and faint hop notes along with persistent lemon.

Mouthfeel - Aftertaste is practically non existent. It's a very smooth brew.

Drinkability - It goes down smoothly and is light on the stomach. I could definitely drink these all night.
Definitely going to try to always keep a few of these stashed away in the fridge.

Two Thumbs Up! Definitely a must have.