Wittekerke

Brewed by Bavik-De Brabandere
Style: Belgian White (Witbier)
Harelbeke, Belgium

Serve in Tumbler, Weizen

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Drought. Hazy yellow appearance with white foamy large head, citrus smell, low carbonationn slightly bitter citrus taste, abrupt finish. Very nice hefeweizen.

I poured an 11.2oz bottle into a tulip glass. There was no decipherable freshness date. It cost $2.90 ($0.26 per ounce).

Appearance: Extremely pale, lemon-skin yellow. Opaque from haziness. Forms a large, bright white, foamy head which mostly dissipates but does lace the glass well.

Smell: Light skunky aroma and a hint of lemon juice. Not as bad as a Heineken, but no reason it should be this bad considering the bottle is brown.

Taste: If there ever were an example of the Belgians not making their own beer well, Wittekerke would be it. This isn’t just a poor example for the style, it’s just a poor beer overall. I’m inclined to believe the bottle was old and/or subjected to a lot of distress. Though glancing over other reviews online, what I have isn’t all that unusual.

Take a pretty typical Belgian Witbier, water it down and skunk it up and you have Wittekerke. It’s not nearly as flavorful as Hoegaarden or any American versions for that matter. Light pale malt character up front coupled with a light lemonpeel flavor throughout. A slight candy taste on the finish followed by a strong sourness (and not in that Brettanomyces way). Not a terrible beer, and I’m inclined to believe a fresh version would be decent. As it stands, it’s tolerable but not all that enjoyable.

Drinkability: Though the taste to Wittekerke wasn’t all that pleasant, it wasn’t difficult to drink. The body is light and thin with noticeable carbonation, but nothing that gets stuck in the throat or feels too intense. Though quite light at 5% ABV, this beer drinks like something even lighter and more sessionable. I could see a non-spoiled version being quite refreshing.

Draft at Fermentation. Cloudy yellow pour with a thick white head. Doughy, wheat aroma with lingering citrus. Lemony, starchy wheat flavor with a subtle spice hint at the end.

Poured from a can. I did not like this beer at all. Overly weak. Water with a touch of corn.

This one poured from the can into my shaker glass, and was a cloudy yellow with a moderate lasting head. Nice slightly grainy wheat malt as expected with a floral/grass hop finish. As expected from B-DB.

Bottle, 250 ml, poured into a tumbler glass at home. ABV 5% Pale yellow colour on the body, very hazy, with lots of activity in it. One finger of sopay, snow-white head, with good retention, leaving no lacing on the glass. Aroma is of a typical lager, only with some lemon added in it. I only get some faint wheat. Taste follows the aroma, again only faint traces of the wheat and much more malts. Some lemon that tastes artificial and becomes more notable on the aftertaste actually. Medium body, quite carbonated, Overall, pretty mediocre and far from the style.

December 2010. From bottle. Pours hazy yellow with a white head. aromas of banana, clove, yeast and malts. Finishes with a light bitterness.

Hazy, milky yellow color with a large white head. Aroma is full of wheat and coriander. Flavor is wheat, orange peel and banana, and coriander. Medium, soft mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

In this beer’s defense, I’m not a "white wheat" brew fan. This is a dessert beer that comes with an orange... Enough said!

Bottle - Sweet citrus, honey and hay. Pale yellow with a thin white head. Hay and citrus, with a bit of a bite that fades quickly. A decent refreshing Wit, but a bit overpriced for what is available in the market.