Blanche Herminę
Brasserie Lancelot

Hermine is a quality wit.

But of much higher quality is Lancelot's website and how they package the history of Bretagne (that peninsula that juts toward Britain) with Celtic legends (like Lancelot.) While I would appreciate having an English translation so I could describe more than just looking at the photos and speculating. But Lancelot's positioning is unique and I understood they were founded in the previous century, so they have had time to weave their products into these histories and legends. They also provide beverage culture in a region not well suited to grapes. Pairing well with my vegetable plate dinner, Hermine seems like a good table ale and as further proof was selected by an accomplished neighbourhood restaurant in Paris that actually had a decent beer list. So despite not having an English button, I still give Lancelot very good Overall Hugs.

As for Hermine, she (named for a female furry animal) Looks quite good; a generous foam that sticks around. This active yeast doesn't seem to highlight Smells which are only slightly above average for this aromatic style. However tastes offer both the style's traditional fruit and spicing; a well-balanced wheat beer, "biere de froments." Medium-mouthed.

 

 

 

 

A bottle I had at home a few years ago, but tried once again in Vannes. Pours a slightly hazy golden colour with a small white head. Aroma is of spice, coriander seeds and wheat. Taste is on the crisp side, with flavours of yeast, coriander, citrus and some spice present. Aftertaste has a slight yeasty bitter finish.

This witbier is a little lifeless, sort of flat in aroma and taste.Basic taste of the witbier is there, but maybe could be livened up with some orange peel . I thought that was for the American varieties only....

 

 

 

A light and hazy beer, with bad head retention.
Lots of carbonation. Typical witbier.

Has wheat on the nose, a light malt character. Floral notes, some say musty, I agree.
Maybe some light citrus.

Wheat, some fruity citrus and a finish that I can't quite put my finger on.
Decent.

Well carbonated, light body.

Overal a decent witbier.

 

 

Clean bready aroma. Flavor has a slightly tart lemon kick to the finish. A bit of clove and vanilla in there. I'm also finding some of the same nutty character from their Cervoise Lancelot. The spices are a touch more subdued, but for a 4% beer, this is a bit of a marvel. Count me as a fan. I wish I could find this in the states.

.33cl bottle poured into a Guinness brewhouse series pint glass in Belfort, France. Reviewed live.

A: Doesn't look very good. Two finger head is thin, devoid of cream, and of poor retention. Colour is a cloudy indistinct dirty yellow. Bleh.

Sm: Malty crap dirty esters.

T: Faux-ester malt garbage over top a weak sauce barley foundation. Bland and dirty. No cream. Some pleasant parts of the faux esters do emerge towards the climax, which is nice. It can be sort of refreshing, but it feels artificial. Unfortunately, this beer is rather simple.

Mf: Smooth and wet, but has moderate thickness. Is a bit overbearing on the flavours of the body.

Dr: Low ABV, good price, and decent quality. Ignore this one, lads. There are better witbiers to be found, though thankfully this one doesn't demand an orange (*cough* blue moon *cough cough*).

A: Dull cloudy yellow with barely any head, though some carbonation jetting to the top.

S: Musty jam, Bready, sweet pastry and strawberry jam. The mustiness is initially offputting, but it's actually a nice smell

T: Sour citrus (bad lemon). Hmm, just somewhat sour, and the flavor doesn't go anywhere. It's combined with yeast in the background but, eh. Uninteresting.

M: Slightly astringent, very little carbonation.

D: It tastes basically just like slightly bad lemon juice in a generic beer. For the style, unimpressive.

Brasserie Lancelot is one of France's older artisanal breweries at almost 20 years of operation.

Pours a clouded yellow with brown tones and a sizeable white head. Nose is floral, lemon, and quite yeasty. Flavor is lemon-forward. There's some funky in there as well. The carbonation is full and sharply bites at the mouth. Liquid is typical. A very easy to drink witbier that's fairly refreshing. Would probably be great to sit and sip during a very hot day.

This translates as the White Ermine (Weasel), which is a symbol of Breton royalty.

A - Poured from 33cl bottle into tulip. Has a nice billowy head with good retention. Beer is light straw colored and cloudy.

S - Floral aroma, with a hint of spice. Smells like clover honey.

T - Up front there is a light malt sweetness, with notes of honey. The taste of raw wheat is there as well. The finish has a light bitterness, tasting of spicy hops.

M - The mouthfeel is medium. There is enough residual sweetness so that it is not watery, even at 4%.

D - You could knock these back all afternoon on a summer day. The flavor is pleasant, although there is not as much hop or yeast complexity that some beers in this style have.