Struise Witte

20080821 330ml bottle, Pennington SS. Right on cracking the cap I can tell that this beer is not going to be a favorite but I have faith in Struise and so pressed on. The pour is clouded, visibly effervescent, honey amber in color, and with a thin but persistent off-white head. That head is the closest thing about this beer to anything beerily white. Robust? Well, the first sniff is boozy, doughy, and reminds of a German hefe import that has seen some years on the shelf. It’s leathery with notes of paste and soggy corrugated cardboard. The first sip, sadly, reminds only of those off-putting aromas, but the beer does show some promise, becoming decidely drinkable through the middle of the mouthful. A pleasant citric tartness melds well with the still leathery notes and some mineral earthiness. And then it is gone in a flash as the palate is forced back into suffering a stale, oxidized, cardboardy, and slick-finishing oddity of a beer. What a shame to see this one go down the drain.

11.2 oz Bottle. Pours slightly hazy orange with great lacing. The aroma is light with some spice and fruit. The taste is light and refreshing as well - notes of spice and yeast.

Golden, orange colored brew. Yeasty and fruity aroma. Some yeasty, malty flavors. Citric and spices too. Pretty nice try.

21-Jul-08 (330-ml bottle: Purchased 03-Apr-08 for $3.69 from liquidsolutions.biz) This is an odd Belgian white, not exactly to style. For starters, it pours much darker, more of a hazy, medium-dark golden color. The whitish head pours filmy and fades to a razor-thin ring. The beer smells very doughy and papery, as if it’s seen a year or two of aging at room temperature. Bright aromas of citrus, spice and coriander are strangely missing. A similar story on the palate, with heavy, papery doughiness dominating. Lightly toasted wheat bread, mildly tart lemony citrus and just a hint of herbs offer some contrasting flavors, but only the citrus is able to offer much in the way of balance. It’s much heavier in weight too, the medium body only somewhat offset in the entry by the mild acidity of the citrus, but this fades in the finish, leaving stale doughiness to linger on an unrefreshed palate. Medium-high carbonation is fizzy. Overall, this hasn’t been an enjoyable drinking experience. It’s clearly not to style, but that’s only an observation, not a reason to dislike any beer.

Bottle. Large fizzy white head that mostly expired, one ring of lacing, hazy, and a straw hue. The aroma was sweet, citrus, yeasty, spicy, some tartness, herbs, and fruity. The flavor was sweet, spicy, tart, herbs, fruity, crisp and refreshing. The mouthfeel was tingly and this beer is medium bodied. Easy to drink, refreshing but I did not care for the flavor enough to want this beer again. Not a bad beer per se, it just did not leave me wanting more.

Bottle. Slightly opaque golden yellow pour with a thick frothy head that thins out quickly. Aroma of belgian yeast, wheat, sweet malt, coriander and other spice, and some citrusy notes. Similar flavor with more maltiness than I’m used to in wits. Medium to light body with good carbonation. One of the better wits I’ve had recently.

Tasted 07/12/08, poured from a bottle.
Pours blonde with a fizzy small white head that reduces to a nice tight bubbled ring leaving some lacing. On the nose, slight tartness, hints of honey, apples, grape skins, brett spiciness, wheat, floral aromas. To the taste a little tart, sweet, wild flowers, grapes, a pronounced impression of grape skins, and an Orval-like spicy/warming brett. Drying finish, well bodied.

bottle. Appearance: bright clear golden yellow color. Half inch fizzy white head bubbles up pretty quick, clears to leave a nice ring and thin layer. Aromas of thick, sweet wheat grains, notes of coriander and orange spices, and a thin, yeasty twang. Flavors of sweet, grainy wheat bread, sharp yeast notes, sharp citrus lemon and orange, slight notes of fruity tartness. Palate is very full flavored, full bodied on the palate, with some lingering sharpness and a bit of a slick finish. Overall an Interesting and tasty brew, a better witte than many. Sharpness detracts a bit.