Wit'ner Touque
Indie Ale House Brewing Company

Wit'ner Touque is what Don Cherry would call a "good ol' Canadian" Witbier - even its lightest part, even when held directly into the sun, is still leagues darker than the style's standard tone. This tough-looking, mahogany coloured ale has, appropriately enough, a chilly haze and seemingly ice-hard head.

It's natural that people crave heavier meals (i.e., stews and meat roasts) in colder months. Somewhat oddly, but befitting, this "winter version" of a Witbier smells a little like smoked ham or grilled sausage and trades summery tones of coriander and citrus peel for fall-time flavours of black licorice and clove.

Wit'ner Touque has a profile suited to baking; those anise, cinnamon, and clove notes are married on the palate with vanilla, raisins, and orange zest. It's actually a good dessert option for those that lack a sweet tooth. (That said, there's a lot of spice so it's probably best to avoid fruits and stick to chocolatey cakes.)

So where is this beer's place? Good question. Witbiers are ultimate summertime quenchers and this, obviously, is not meant to be that. But it also lacks the depth and weight of malt to compare to the likes of stouts and, at 5.5%, can't compete with Belgian Strong Darks or Quads either.

Truthfully, it's neither here nor there. I appreciate the effort and intention behind Wit'ner Touque but can't really get on board with the result. While I can certainly imagine certain cool days in autumn, or mild days in winter, wherein something of this spicy, sweet profile would fit in I still could not justify favoring it over, say, a Pumpkin Ale or Porter. This is good but only provided the exact right situation.