Blanche de Namur

Clear yellow blond bear with a small disappearingcreamy head leaving some fine lace. Citrus aromas and some grassy hops. Lemonlike taste. Notes of coriander. Rather empty but still a nice refreshing beer.

26-Apr-07 (750 ml corked and caged bottle, Best By 19-Dec-08: Purchased 17-May-06 for $6.19 at Holiday Wine Cellar in Escondido, CA) Near-perfection to the eyes when poured, a fluffy, white head sits atop the cloudy, lemon-juice body. Gorgeous, but short-lived, as the sizeable head diminishes much more rapidly than expected, subsiding to a wide ring within five minutes and leaving nary a spot of lacing in its stead. Soothing, moderately aromatic blend of lemon, orange, sweet flowers, and dusty cobwebs with just a hint of coriander. Invited by the aroma to take a sip, the beer opens beautifully, presenting a zesty and refreshing blast of lemon and orange citrus with modest coriander and pepper in the background. This early delectation is fleeting as most of the flavors fade fairly quickly in the evolution, leaving the generic wheat flavors to finish a bit flat and uninspiring. On second thought, because the beer fails to follow through on its grand entrance, my disappointment indeed does inspire me: to quickly take another sip to reconnect with the initial joy. But it’s important to note that although the beer loses its zesty and refreshing nature in the finish, it doesn’t descend into heavy breadiness at any point. Instead, the malt remains light and airy throughout. According to the label, the beer is brewed with licorice, but if there is any presence at all, it’s extremely light, to the point where only my imagination can discern it. Light-medium in body, slightly acidic, and well-carbonated, it’s not flabby on the palate, though a bit more spiciness in the finish would help retain the early zesty quality. Overall, because of the terribly unexciting finish, this is a very nice witbier to quaff, but not one to sip slowly, ruminate over, and extol its virtues.

Corked bottle
Pours a nice cloudy yellow with a perty white head. Aroma is lemon scented carpet cleaner. Flavor is zingy lemon and coriander that aims for the bullseye but it misses the dartboard almost entirely. Average watery palate. Not a bad beer, but dadgummit, it could be a heckuva lot better.

bottle at delirium cafe in brussels. crisp and clean well balance wit. not as spicy as i would like. no blanche de chambkly

cloudy yellow with small head..aroma of spice, honey, ginger, coriander, and orange peel..flavor is heavy in lemon, with large hints of spice and coriander..quite nice

Bottled 330ml from Marche de Natalie, Bouillon, Belgium. Clouded yellow with big white head. Was I surprised with this one, expecting just another Blanche, I was so blown away i have to give it my best Belgian Wit score ever. There is lemon and spice in the aroma, this follows doggedly into the beer which is a delicate, zesty brew with maybe a touch of ginger. Its fine and not overbearing, delicate. The flavour remains throughout, with maybe a touch of yeastiness. Very good indeed.

(Draught at White Horse, Parson’s Green, London, 11 Aug 2007) Pale yellow colour, cloudy, with brief white head. Fruity, slightly tart nose with notes of lemon, plums, green apples and orange peel. Fruity, slightly sourish taste with yellow plums, lemon, wheat-flour dough and a short, spicy finish. Some sweetness throughout. Decent witbier, not the best, but very drinkable and thirst quenching.

The hue is quite cloudy and a deep yellow like the flesh of a peach. Enormous, creamy and white, the head slowly settles down to a small cap over the beer. Coriander and bitter orange peel are both very strong in the aroma, in a way that I almost get an aroma of sunscreen out of it. And orange creamsicle! Crisp wheat and sour lemon drops wrap the experience up. Fruity Pebbles sweet initial flavour gives way to a lemon sourness in the finish. A little bit of the creamsicle comes across as well, but mostly the flavour is quit mild and much less sour than I thought it would be from the aroma. Hm, sort of a ginger flavour as it warms. There’s a light astringency, as well. Medium to light bodied, with a slick texture and moderate carbonation. More sourness and carbonation, and I’d be sold. 33cl bottle, Duvel tulip, bbe 19/08/08.