Belgian Blonde Witbier
Wig And Pen

This is the Belgian Blonde passed through a hoperator filled with lemongrass and orange.

It pours a crystal clear copper with a white head. Not much head retention but okay lacing.

Relatively 1 dimensional aroma with little more than orange and a touch of lemon.

Flavours are disappointing, no great witbier taste with lots of fruity orange and disappointingly lots of harsh bitterness and astringency from the pith of the citrus. Sort of like drinking a slightly bitter orange soda.

Mouthfeel is okay with a medium body and average carbonation.

Overall, the flavour here is lacking a bit and makes this beer one that I'm not going to come back to. Lacking in complexity with an unwanted bitterness from the oranges.

Pours a very light white-yellow colour, with fairly strong carbonation, looks like traditional lemonade, also thanks to lack of head. Looks fairly appetising, but could be more interesting.

Smell is slightly sour with quite a bit of funk, not much spice or fruit, just a bit of tartness. Fairly simple, not very wit-like.

Yuck. It did look pretty good, but it tastes like Pure Blonde. There's a watery front palate that descends quickly into a crescendo of awful, sticky yeast flavour. Not Belgian, spicy or witbier-esque at all. Sinky, heavy mouthfeel, just ends up feeling like a lump of yeast sticking in my throat.

What the fuck kind of wit is this anyway? I know it's open to interpretation but it's a long way from "different" to "just plain awful". Hardly drinkable, this is a poor effort and a thorough disappointment.

Appearance: Cloudy off-yellow brew in an Imperial pint glass. Poured without much head, only a thin film of bubbles stick around. Lacing is patchy but sticky and dense. Carbonation is present but not too vigorous.

Smell: The glass and the serving temperature aren't especially conducive to divulging the brew's aromatic secrets, but tart, oily hops are evident. Lemon does not come through but there is a hint of coriander.

Taste: Coriander and faint alcohol astringency on the back of the tongue. Mild but flavoursome hops linger on the palate. Possibly lemon on the sides of the tongue.

Mouthfeel: Interesting enough not to cloy, delivers the subtleties well.

Drinkability: Good, but not the best they have here. I'll be following this up with something that has a bit more to it, e.g. Brewers IPA or Velvet Cream Stout.

Very light cloudy yellow, with a smallish head that collapses to film. Little carbonation.

Slightly skunky nose. A bit of a barnyard smell, and a little sour. No hint of spicy herbiness that I'd expect from a wit.

Taste is actually verging on being BAD. Bland, a little selzer-water like, then a dark descent into yeasty horribleness. Not good. Not a good wit palate at all.

Not a good example of a wit, and not a great beer. This offering has to be the weak link in the otherwise fine lineup at the W+P.