La 475 Blanche De Pratto
Microbrasserie Pit Caribou

 

A: Well, it definitely doesn't look the part for the genre. Pours a pale yellow, pretty translucent on the first pour, off white soapy head with almost no retention at all (dissipates almost immediately). Very little lacing.

S: But, it does smell good for sure. You have the typical lemon-y tartness you'd expect from the genre. There are spices from the yeast with cloves and nutmeg most of all but also cardamom and coriander. Some light honey like malt notes in the back but that's almost it for the honey.

T: First thing I notice is how clean it is on the palate. Very little malt notes in the taste but what is left is a solid lemon-y / granny smith apples like tartness. There are light mineral notes in the back too. The spices are still there with cloves and cardamom first, nutmeg and coriander second. Like someone else said, a bit more malt would have been nice (and more genre appropriate) but what is there is very refreshing and nice on its own.

M: Too light and the carbonation is wrong for the genre for sure. A good wibier should be light and fluffy in the mouth and this almost feels like a pilsner with how clean and crisp it is. Completely wrong for the genre.

O: This is a weird beer. It's definitely good on its own, but it's also all sorts of wrong for the genre. Still, I enjoyed it and I suppose most will too.

I'm not as enamoured as others about this beer but it's very good. It has a decent, medium lace (more foamy) and a cloudy pale straw (yellow/gold) color. Strong peppery carbonation that may overshadow spice flavours which I expected more of. It has a freaky (in a good way) dungy aroma with so many things going on at the same time; I think the predominant ones may be orange and banana but not sure I caught some coriander. Anyway, another solid Quebec micro-beer.

 

Pale straw misty with good head and lacing. Banana, coriander on the nose. Banana in the mouth

 

Bought this one in Rivière du Loup, at a gas bar a couple of week ago.

Finally opened the bottle, and I was amaze how nice the taste of this one was. I'm a big fan of whitbier, so I'm a bit skewed. I must say I always like them,even if the taste doesn't make unanimous descision when we do a tatse evening among friend.

The Blanche de Pratto will be in my fridge again, as soon I have the chance to find it again in a store somewhere.

I had it again on friday may 12, 2017

 

 

 

 

 

Had it on tap in Gaspe and was floored by how fantastic it was. I'm a huge fan of wit/hefe styles in general and this was a standout. When I ordered a 4th pint the waiter shook his head but I smiled broadly and kept on chugging.......head hurt at sunrise when I fired my shotgun but it was worth it. Oddly, I had one at dinner from a bottle the next evening and was very disappointed, as in it almost tasted like a different beer. If the tap represents the beer then I highly recommend it.....along with a trip to that absolutely gorgeous area of Quebec.

 

 

 

My best quebec wit beer so far. Very good taste, perfect quantity of bubbles, nice color.

 

 

 

 

Bottle: Poured a light hazy yellow color ale with a large light white head with good retention and some good lacing. Aroma of coriander is dominant with some light wheat malt notes. Taste is also dominated by coriander with a smaller malt backbone then expected. Body is a bit light for style with good carbonation. Not bad but additional malt would have provided better enjoyment of this beer.

Witbiers are the albinos of the beer genus - their complexion is ghastly pale, their colour bleached and pallid as last year's straw, except with an unusual neon phosphorescence that gives an apparent glow-in-the-dark quality. As result, they appear curious and exotic, like a prodigiously rare tropical fish. This one certainly fits the bill.

And, depending on the integrity of the brewer and the quality of the recipe, the smell of a witbier can be equally unusual. It's kind of a stinky smell actually, and rather distinguishing: such a high concentration of wheat malt, coriander seed and dried orange peels make for something extremely perfumy, spicy, lightly tart, herbal and zesty.

The flavour score, like all the others for that matter, could just as easily be upped another half point. A stiff, grainy wheat flavour is persistent and with it lingering notes of citrus juice and mellowed spices. The tastes of orange and pineapple juice pair wonderfully with hints of white pepper, honeysuckle, yeast and fresh-grated ginger.

I would have enjoyed more seasoning and less carbonation. The beer's gingery spice works wonders on the palate; unfortunately, its carbonation storms like a siege of blood-thirsty pirates. I haven't felt this much poking and prodding since my last physical. The bubbles have got to be toned down so that peppered citrus can be better appreciated.

Blanche de Pratto was brewed in celebration of the 475th anniversary of Jacques Cartier's discovery of Gaspé, Quebec. I'm not sure why they decided on a witbier - could it be that this style, which uses traditionally exotic ingredients that were imported from far lands, is somehow representative of cultural fusion? Or is it just that a style this flavourful and refreshing is perfectly suited to merry French-Canadian festivities? Either way, it works.