St. Bernardus Blanche (Witbier)

~12oz. bottle. Pours a moderately hazy medium golden color with a small, white head that never fades out. Decent lacing. First sniffs seem to be quite yeasty, doughy in nature. As the beer sits for a few minutes there is a more earthy and wheat malt presence. Lighter in body and mouthfeel. Slightest bits of acidity are refreshing, definite wheat malt. Lingering finish is lightly tart and pleasant. Tasty wit.

Very nice Witbier, on the same notes as the all mighty Hoegaarden. Nice fresh taste, aroma sweet and coriander citrus. More malt then other Belgium Witbier I think. Sweet bitter aftertaste. All together one of the top three Witbier from Belgium.

On-tap at the Happy Gnome: Holy crap, I was in heaven with this beer. St. B. has done it again to me. OK so the pour and the nose were a little understated compared to what can probably come out of the bottle? But damn if this stuff ain’t awesome for a Wit! Nice golden haze with a small orangey tint at the center. Small but thick capping of solid white froth that keeps for a bit before fading to its collar, where it lays for most of the session. Lacing in some small strings and spots. Aroma is dull and mild of candish lemon, tangerine, and orange. A small smidgeon of pepper spice and floral yeasty esters gradually appear as it sits. Taste is wonderfully full of candy played malts that bring one solid stance of pale lemon, orange, and pineapple. Totally like the Tripel, just a tad lessened in girth and activity. But super f*ckin’ solid for a Wit. Perhaps more malty then most Wits. But man I love it. Thick, chewy, sinking malt tones of favorable candied fruityness of lemon and orange. Yum, yum, candy stuff. Its so well-rounded in a superbly mild dullness of cooked fruity sugars its amazing. Super long lasting and reaching effect in flavors on the palate. Fine touches of peppery dry spice and flints of flowers skip there and fro from about midway all through to the finish. Lovely play of malts with one of the nicest little dispalys of drying spice. Awesome! Feel is immaculately centered around a malted candyish smoothness and chewyness. Thick, full, lush, and devine. So smooth, yet surging onto the palate with immense wanting. It wants to be drank. It just screams, drink me, drink me, drink me, I’m so damn good! And you will oblige to its Kingdom of drinkability with the ease of opening your eyes. Wonderful, wonderful stuff! St. Bernardus is the sh*t!

Pours a murky/hazy pale golden. Aroma is slightly sour/citrusey notes with yeast and a touch of barnyard. Beautiful creamy mouthfeel and flavor. Nice quality thick wheat malt and an orangey aspect with a perfect late, coriander like spicyness in the finish. A quality witbier.

(11.2 oz bottle (stamped "FL 02 02 09") from Belfast Co-op) Pours very cloudy pale grayish yellow with a very large foamy white head. Aroma citrusy, wheaty. Mouthfeel very smooth, soft, full, refreshing. Sloppy, foamy lacing. Flavor is citrus tartness, yeast, wheat maltiness and glue. Well-done example, certainly, but witbier just does not suit me well flavor-wise.

Tap on event 27/08/06. Smell’s very attractive. Spices and coriander come out ahead of the citrus in the taste. Somehwhat bitter end, dry but not overly so. Very Good whitebeer.

Rate from 02.07.05, cask from LBBF ’05. I used to drink this quite a lot, but not so much these days. Wheat in colour with foamy white head. Nose of wheat and oranges. Slightly spicy edge in the taste with lemon, pear and orange. Mild carbonation which keeps things quite smooth. Excellent wit.

I was not overwhelmed tasting this in a bottle, but later had the good fortune to find it on tap at Touristhotellet, near Gothernburg. Blimey!! Utterly sensational on tap... Without doubt, the finest Belgian white I have tasted. There is some citrus in the taste, for me, but not too much. The malts are rich and pleasing. Wonderful!