Hopfenstark Blanche lErmitage

Brewed by Hopfenstark
Style: Belgian White (Witbier)
L’Assomption, Canada

Bottle from Fred82. Pours a cloudy, straw yellow. Aroma is tart with lemon and malt. Taste is tart with citrus fruit. Dry mouthfeel with popping flavours of yeast, grain and little subtle flavours that really come out as you savor this beer. My first Hopfenstark and definitely not my last.

750 ml bottle via JulienHuxley, served at cellar temperature in a tulip glass.

App.: Cloudy orange-golden with a large white foam. Aroma: Quite Saison-sorta-Lambic-ish with some definite Brett notes, bitter herbs and sourness, lots of thick yeast and bread dough, some nice bright citrus notes, bread and toast, raw wheat, earthy coriander. Palate: Medium body and quite lively effervescence. Flav.: Lots of lemony zing, wheat, plenty of Brett funk and brightness, still some nice wheat and light esters, earthy coriander, yeast/bread dough; off-dry with a bit of bitterness, light tang and a pleasant citrusy finish.

Quite different and pleasant. May have been a mistake, but it is a fortunate error. Reminds me a great deal of Orval. Huh...

Orange pour with thin white head. Aroma is rather weak a bit of spice, citrusand orange peel. Good full mouthfeel, verry little carbonation. Taste is rather bready, orange and herbal. Good balance.

Bouteille brune de 750ml. Bière blonde dorée, pas de mousse. nez épicé, bouche levurée, épicée, 8,29$ chez grand duc. trop cher.

Bottle, again at Saucisserie BDF, who else? 6,99$ for 750ml. Drank a few hours after a slightly deceiving Blanche de Chambly and I liked Hopfenstark’s rendition of this beer style I don’t like much. This one is far smoother and easily drinking and does not have that nasty sourness. Of course, there’s coriander but is rather discreet. So is the hoppiness: too bad here. Notes of fruits and grain are also obvious. For fans of the style, I think it is very interesting, as good as DDC’s Blanche du Paradis, with maybe more depth and body.

Bottle: Poured a cloudy beige color ale with a small bubble head with minimal retention and no lacing. Aroma consists of coriander and wheat malt with some dry notes. Taste is also dominated by loads of coriander with a lightly sour and dry aftertaste. Body is quite full with limited filtration with some low carbonation. Interesting and different take on the style but additional carbonation would have been welcomed.

On tap at Moniale 2009. Was expecting, and did receive a solid witbeer. Cloudy yellow with orange highlights. Some sourness. Well carbonated. A bit too cold for a sample, but that’s OK. Good drinkability

Draft. Hazy yellow with a thin foamy head with average retention. Aroma is wheat, herbs, spices and lemon. Flavor is wheat, herbs, spices and herbal hops with some citrus.