Struise Witte

Brewed by De Struise Brouwers
Style: Belgian White (Witbier)
Oostvleteren, Belgium

Serve in Tumbler, Weizen

UPDATED: FEB 18, 2009 [Any clue to vintage lot B - 3 - BB? rated 2-11 and 3-13-08] Smells like vinegar & spice. Pours light golden with a thin white head. First taste is vinegar, sweet apples, green grapes, lemon, acidic, sour yogurt, lots of different spices, sweet metallic finish. Lots of different flavors, but I can’t tell if mines skunked, or just lots of fermentation... surely not the 5% it says on the bottle. Maybe this is supposed to be ultra-sophisticated or maybe its crap, I can’t tell yet. The body is very nice though, not too light, and the carbonation tickles just enough. Maybe its a berliner weisse? 5.4.8.5.15 [Rerate - lot B-3-BB rated 2-18-09] Pours a slightly hazy clear glowing yellow golden with a fizzy white frothy head and sparkling champaign bubbles. Funky aroma of sour green apples, sweet apricots, aged hops, french soft cheese. Taste is similar to previous description, green grapes, lightly tart, touch of lemon and green sour apples, lightly spiced finish. I respect this beer a great deal now. Really great balance of subtle wheat, spices and sourness. It is more tangy and citric than sour though. Fantastic body, medium light, super fine sizzling sharp carbonation that isn’t too abundant or airy but fantastically crisp. Great brew. Long sour green apple aftertaste.

33 cl bottle. Aromas of yeast and spices. Hazy golden color with a frothy white head. Near-medium body with coarse carbonation. Flavor is astringent*, with citrus peel and bready wheat. Spice is mixed in flavor. Finish is bready, wheaty, citrus oil. Definitely dry. Much more interesting than many wits. *Not really a flavor, but it seems to influence them.

Poured from an 11.2oz bottle and served in a shaker. This beer poured a lightly hazed orange color with a thick, lasting, foamy white head. A small amount of faint lacing was left around the glass. The aroma of the beer was made up of sweet orange, lemon, bread, clove, and cinnamon. The flavor included bready yeast, orange peel, mildly sour citrus, and some spicy yeast notes. The mouthfeel was light-bodied and crisp with a nice level of carbonation. Much more flavorful than you average witbier. Well done.

Bottle (33 cl). Pours a slightly hazy golden color with a large white head created with good carbonation. The aroma is sweet with citrus fruits, holiday bread, spices, and yeast present. The flavor is fruity, acid, and a little on the tart side. There is also a yeasty bread presence as well as a maltiness that was unexpected. I am not a wheat beer fan, but this was one of the better examples I have had.

Poured a hazy gold color with a thin whispy white head. The aroma is of citrus and sour fruits along with some spices. The flavor is much the same with some bready characters coming through to go with the sour and citrus fruits. This is medium bodied with a good amount of carbonation that leads to a dry, sour finish. There seems to be a werid flavor through out though that takes away from the beer. It is an interesting take on the style, but nothing too exciting.

My Bottom Line:
Doughy wheat and its accompanying yeast whip up a striking Camembert milkiness to surround the bittering herb presence right before a citrusy tartness aligns this serviceable and rather humble Witbier.

Further Personal Perceptions
-A creamy sheet of foam stays atop the hazy straw golden.
-This Witbier is strangely not that aromatic; there was no bursting coriander or grains of paradise in my bottle (which is a nice change of pace for the style, I must say).
-Carbonation is explosive and expansive, and tends to step on some of the flavors.
-The finish is a tad too dry and quiet for my tastes in the style.
-Expectations are very high when dealing with Struise products, so I guess this uneventful wheat beer was somewhat of a surprise.

Bottle.

Bottled. hazy yellowish orange colour with big white head. Aroma is acidic citrus, wheat and some sweeter notes from caramel and malts, some slightly fudgeish notes too. Flavour is acidic fruits, wheat, nectary notes (or sweetish fruity notes). Also quite much spices and herbs are coming through. Decent witbier, but not very "creative". Not as exciting and experimental as many other Struise beers I’ve had.

Bottled, Shelton Bros. import. Poured a clear, sparkling medium golden with lots of rising carbonation and a tall, looser cap of white head. The aroma picked up a delightful array of spicy, sour, and funky notes with lighter fruit skins first (oranges and pears come to mind), coriander and yeast spiciness behind, and another aspect of the yeast gave some subtle barnyard appeal. The flavor was similar, with spicy yeast, orange peel, and wheat layered with more oranges and dusty yeast.. nice balance, but a touch too sour. Very spritzy with the carbonation, which made this a little difficult to get down.. overall refreshing and quite enjoyable!