Struise Witte

Bottle (33 cl). Hazy golden with a fluufy white head. Earthy and slightly flowery aroma, with some faint fruity notes of apricot and melon, along with some yeasty notes. Light to medium bodied and very smooth. Good balance with a light sweetness and a moderate bitterness. A discrete but subtle witbier.

In the bottle from Beertopia. Pours a flaxen gold with a medium-sized white head. Mild apricot aroma. Extremely dry beer. Tart lemon-like finish. Very unsatisfying to me. Just too dry and lifeless.

Pours a very bubbly , lightly hazy gold orange, with a thick, foamy well-retained white head. Smells of distinct orange citrus, wheat fenoles, and and yeast. The flavor is very profound on the citrus flavors. The orange seems to be the biggest character. The wheat seems to be lacking somewhat, as I didnt get much of the traditional banana or clove that I usually get for this style. Still not bad, but not what I was expectig.

10/27/2007: Struise Witte has a pale straw color with a huge flurry of carbonation. It actually looks like more like champagne, but with a massive, pillowy white head that lass and lasts and lasts... The aroma has citrus, bread dough, and some fleeting spiciness that I can’t place. The flavor is lightly sour at first and has some sweet lemon and fruity (pear and green apple) qualities. It finishes slightly dry and tart with some peppery spice and hoppy bitterness coming through. Although this beer only has 5% ABV, it seems to hit harder for some reason (it is probably slightly higher from sitting in the bottle). This beer is light and bubbly, but not too effervescent. It is very refreshing and fun to drink.

11.2 fl. oz. bottle (5% Alc/Vol.) from Dilly Deli Wines & Gourmet in Mariemont, Ohio ($3.59+tax). Rating #126 for this beer...

This one is kind of odd. It hit me up with a lot of carbonation with an odd array of spices which seem lost. I sense some nutmeg, coriander in the palate, wheat and I’m not sure what to make of the champagne-like finish which rotated between wet and dry at the same time. This could be more flavorful. They should just stick to my favorite beer Pannepot and don’t waste their space for this stuff. I do like Wits so its not a style issue.

Pours golden with a huge white head. Aroma is some sour yeast, some pear, and alcohol. A sourness is the first thing I notice upon sipping this. Has a pear flavor with some fruit rinds, a bit sour, and somewhat thin body.

Pours hazy golden with large head. Aroma has yeast, lemon and wheat. Flavor is sweet with lemon notes and yeast. Taste is strange and not my favorite witbier.

Very well carbonated, the beer pours with a frothy, easily four-finger thick, light tan colored head (the head is actually darker than one would expect in a typical Wit). Without the sediment the beer is an almost clear, full gold color. The aroma is lemon like up front, but has a grain-derived grassiness, a touch of bright coriander and a touch of crushed malt aromatics mixed in. Mostly the lemon-like citrus character is noticeable.

The beer is quite dry up front and it immediately foams up as it hits my tongue. The combination of the light body and ample carbonation almost make this beer seem airy. Tart, with notes of lemon zest being prominent throughout the flavor profile. A very soft spiciness (other than the citrus) is just barely perceptible; perhaps contributing notes of white pepper, Japanese pickled ginger, and a hint of earthy / grassy coriander, and something like stinging nettle that adds a touch of green / vegetal character around the edges. The light malt character also contributes a touch of hay or grass.

This is really the consummate summer refresher, it is so light and refreshing that I could almost see drinking this instead of water, which is a rare comment from me when talking about beer. This has very little palate impact, and I would guess that trying to pair this with any type of food would completely swamp the subtle flavors of this beer.