Joseph Spelt Ale
Brasserie De Silenrieux S.A. (Chez L'Père Sarrasin)

Joseph Spelt AleJoseph Spelt Ale
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From:
Brasserie De Silenrieux S.A. (Chez L'Père Sarrasin)
 
Belgium
Style:
Witbier
ABV:
5%
Score:
84
Avg:
3.71 | pDev: 13.21%
Reviews:
50
Ratings:
57
Status:
Active
Rated:
May 04, 2018
Added:
Mar 25, 2002
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  1
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by BeerHonky:
Photo of BeerHonky
Reviewed by BeerHonky from New York

3.83/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
750ml bottle, corked and caged. Labeled as "Certified Organic", can't be a bad thing, right? At any rate, be careful when opening this stuff! After removing the cage the cork took off with a huge pop. Luckily I had my hand covering it and it didn't have a chance to take out an overhead light. Lots of carbonation and bubbles start heading up through the neck of the bottle. Pours a wonderful golden straw color that is almost perfectly cloudy throughout the glass. There's about two fingers worth of extra fizzy and foamy white head. You can immediately detect the yeasty, banana aromas. Upon further inspection, there is also some apples and pears in the nose as well. Very promising. While the aroma was fantastic, the beer was a bit over carbonated (hence the cork wanting to take orbit). So I let this warm up a bit and allowed some of the CO2 to escape. I think this was helpful as the initial flavors were hard to detect through all the scrubbing bubbles. So now I can get a nice medium, creamy body that has mostly fruity flavors up around the roof of the mouth. While you do get a slight biscuity, grain flavor, I do wish it was a little more prevelant, and perhaps some spice would be nice too. Overall its not bad and quite refreshing, would love to try this in its homeland.
Mar 12, 2007
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.96 by Antyk from Belgium

May 04, 2018
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Reviewed by OlaB from Norway

3.49/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours a hazy pale yellow color with a nice top of white head. Aroma is of lemon rinds,apples,pears,wheat and corriander but is a little weak. The flavour is kind of strange. It is sweet and fruity upfront with rich spiciness and earthy notes, but is surprisingly malty in the back for a witbier, and I don't think it function to well with this beer. The finish is dry with floral and herbal notes. The aftertaste is on the weaker side and the mouthfeel get a little watery. Beside for that is crisp and clean. It has a light body with a high carbonation.
This is a average witbier,is drinkable enough, but nothing impressing about it.
Feb 17, 2018
 
Rated: 2.93 by desint from Belgium

Feb 17, 2017
Photo of JackRWatkins
Reviewed by JackRWatkins from Georgia

3.37/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.25
A: Pours a hazy golden (brown-ish) yellow and minimal, quickly dissipating head
S: hazy a very earthy, spicy aroma with some subtle pungencies bringing up the rear with sharp with (white) pepper notes joining it
T: A very peculiar (albeit pleasant) drink, immediate apple cider vinegar and some pear (though more pulled back than this note usually appears in beer), there is a general apple richness coming through as well along with some juiciness, there is an earthy/grainy note here as well, but the watery quality kind of kills the spiciness and kind of reduces the earthy quality
M: watery
O: this is pleasant and a bit peculiar but I'm glad I got it, having the beer defined by such a singular quality (especially one not all too frequently utilized as spelt) is great because it is educational and gives a good base for recognizing spelt in the future. It's good, not great, but it is different, and you should try it.
Jan 08, 2017
 
Rated: 3.5 by pwoody11 from Delaware

Aug 31, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Quafftastic from Virginia

Jul 18, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by mrfrancis from Kentucky

Jul 06, 2013
 
Rated: 3.25 by t0rin0 from California

Aug 31, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by JAHMUR from Connecticut

Feb 16, 2012
Photo of mjyoung
Reviewed by mjyoung from California

3.75/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Split w/ bbb099

A: Pours a nice, hazy true yellow color. It might not be quite what I was expecting, but the head is nice and thick and frothy.

S: A wee bit of barnyard provides an intriguing note, but with a pretty solid malt and lemon backbone. Not sure what to think yet.

T: Let it warm. It's pretty bland and not very complex at first, but it opens up A LOT. A nice malty background with lemon zest, pepper, and a hint of wheat. Strong fruity notes with hints of apple and banana.

M: VERY bubbly but has a bit more body than I was expecting given the high carb. It works really well for me.

O: Overall? Pretty good and definitely it stands out, but not amazing. I'd definitely drink it again.
Sep 17, 2011
Photo of bbb099
Reviewed by bbb099 from California

3.85/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4
A - Clear bubbly pale golden color with foamy white head.

S - Apple, pear, citrus, yeasty aroma. Overall, fruity and belgian.

T - Cider-like flavors. Fruity sweetness followed by a sour, savory, crisp aftertaste. Great witbier flavors, smooth and drinkable.

M - Highly carbonated yet still somewhat creamy. Light bodied.

O - The high carbonation level kill the taste a little bit but the flavors come out a little more as it warms up. Nice beer to drink during a hot sunny day.
Sep 17, 2011
Photo of marty21
Reviewed by marty21 from Canada (MB)

4/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A: Yikes this was a bit over carbonated. The cork hit the ceiling and foam came spurting out the top. Anyways it pours a light yellow that isn’t exactly clear. I’ve never seen this amount of bubbles in a beer. I can’t see through the beer basically because of this. It has 2-3 fingers worth of bright white foamy head. Settles down to almost a finger of head and left tons of lacing.

S: Mostly you get lemon but there’s a little bit of grains and a faint almost skunky aroma.

T: The taste is a bit on the lighter side. You get grains, lemons and a bit of cloves.

M: High carbonation with a light to medium body.

O: This wasn’t a very complex beer but for what it was I really enjoyed it. You could definitely session this one and you wouldn’t get bored of the taste. I would gladly drink this again if it was available in my area.
Jun 14, 2011
Photo of brokensail
Reviewed by brokensail from California

2.51/5  rDev -32.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2
A: The beer pours a hazed golden color with a tint of orange and a thin white head.

S: Starts off with honey and bread notes, and a nice floral note. However, the more you smell it, the more stale and cardboardy it becomes. Light grass notes are also present.

T: Things are pretty much the same with the flavor, except the grass and cardboard are more pronounced the entire time. Light honey and bread sweetness can't salvage this one.

M: Medium in body with a medium level of carbonation.

O: Too bad as this sounded interesting.
Jun 11, 2011
Photo of ludachris
Reviewed by ludachris from Canada (ON)

4.25/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Served in a wide mouthed wine glass, this looks fantastic. Champagne-like carbonation makes the finger and a half worth of frothy egg white head stay exactly where it is. With such a high level of carbonation, its golden straw body looks almost like ginger ale.

It's doesn't give off the typical witbier aroma and I'm a big fan. Very peppery upfront with a heap of damp wheat sitting behind it. The more I smell this, the more hay I get. Lemon peel is beautifully integrated into its peppery/spicy character. Deep whiffs reveal notes of sweet but not overly ripe banana. I love its complex and unexpected aroma.

A tart and almost funky flavour tickles all corners of the mouth. A good dose of lemon peel is a perfect fit and carries from start to finish. White pepper pastes itself on anything coming through. The lemon peel makes easy work of the musty hay and wheat that make this beer's base.

The feel spells sumer. Light bodied with a modest creamy character, spritzy carbonation and a clean finish. A bit more weight to the body and this would be an exceptional brew.

I'm not big on witbiers and have never heard of this brewery before so I went into this without any expectations. Maybe that is why I enjoyed this so much. The lemony, tart, funky, peppery flavour makes me want to drink litres of this on a hot summer's day. Off the fly, I can't think of a witbier I've enjoyed more. My only complaint is with its 250ml bottle size. Please. Come. Bigger.
May 26, 2011
Photo of scootny
Reviewed by scootny from New York

4.24/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Hmm organic and spelt so this is a no wheat wit. Very pale with a light fluffy head and lots of carbonation going on. A touch of lace but not much. good "double shine" cloudiness. Notes of lemon and wheat like twang. Graininess with a hint of pepper and faint bubblegum. Simple grains and lemon with a subtle blend of spices that give a bit of depth and interest. Clean and dry finish brings light sourness and leaves light malt. Spritzy with a light weight and refreshing feel. Excellent thirst quencher and it goes down like your favorite cold soda on a 100 degree day. Just a great session brew. My new favorite lawn mower brew.
Feb 22, 2011
Photo of crossovert
Reviewed by crossovert from Illinois

3.79/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
750ml bottle.

It pours a hazy gold with a fluffy bright, white head. It recedes decently quickly with some lacing. Typical for the style.

The smell is heavy on the orange and corriander. The spelt brings a bit more musty earthiness than the average wheat.

The flavor is surprisingly tart and not as sweet as most for the style. It reminds me of a heartier version of Blanche de Namur. The flavor doesn't hold as well as it could, the carbonation is high and the flavor rolls of the tongue quicker than I would like

Ill take it over Hoegaarden any day.
Nov 22, 2010
Photo of sketchpunx
Reviewed by sketchpunx from New York

3.78/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
This is a good wheat beer. nothing too crazy or off the charts for a belgian wheat, but a good, drinkable beer. Good carbonation, nice subtle clove hints... nothing overpowering here. Hard to differentiate spelt from wheat, but do I really care? This is exactly what i expect from a good belgian wheat... nice carbonation, a nice fruity malt flavor and exceptional drinkability.
Oct 09, 2010
Photo of barleywinefiend
Reviewed by barleywinefiend from Washington

3.06/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Poured a cloudy, golden yellow color with big carbonation and a fluffy white head. Nose is faint and pretty weak with light wheat making uo the nose. Taste is light wheat, banana, some clove and spice but pretty standard. mouthfeel is a bit of spice. Drinkability is average .
Dec 30, 2009
Photo of Phyl21ca
Reviewed by Phyl21ca from Canada (QC)

3.48/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Bottle: Poured a pale yellow color ale with a large pale white foamy head with good retention and good lacing. Aroma of light funk and fruity ester with some pale malt. Taste is also dominated by some light funky notes with some discernable fruity ester and a light malt backbone. Average body with great carbonation. Well done but maybe lacking some funk to some ester to be truly exceptional.
Jan 29, 2009
Joseph Spelt Ale from Brasserie De Silenrieux S.A. (Chez L'Père Sarrasin)
Beer rating: 84 out of 100 with 57 ratings