Brewer’s Special Belgian Wheat 4,7 %
Saimaa Brewing Co.
- From:
- Saimaa Brewing Co.
- Finland
- Style:
- Witbier
- ABV:
- 4.7%
- Score:
- +6 ratings needed
- Avg:
- 2.88 | pDev: 1.39%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 1
- Status:
- Inactive
- Rated:
- Sep 14, 2015
- Added:
- Jun 02, 2015
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 0
NO SCORE
-
-
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews.
Rated by Tapioju from Finland
2.89/5 rDev +0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 3
2.89/5 rDev +0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 3
Choice to accompany the CL final 2015. 7.6.2015 0,33l/can
Jun 07, 2015
Reviewed by Jugs_McGhee from Texas
2.82/5 rDev -2.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75
2.82/5 rDev -2.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75
"Brewer’s Special Belgian Wheat 4,7 %" (name per their website).
CAN: 330ml. Aluminum. Generally appealing label art. Best before: 21/2/15. Standard pull-tab.
4.7% ABV. Unfiltered. 43 kcal/100ml. EBC 15. EBU 15.
Reviewed live as a witbier since the label calls it a Belgian wheat. Served cold into a mason jar at low altitude in Kuopio, Finland. Expectations are average given the brewery.
No bubble show forms as it's poured.
HEAD: ~3-3.5 inches wide. White colour. Fair thickness. Not real creamy or frothy. Leaves no lacing as it recedes. Decent complexion and consistency.
Retention is nice - ~3-4 minutes.
BODY: Murky cloudy muddled orange with vague brown hues. Clearly unfiltered, but not the vibrant yellow it should be.
Appears adequately carbonated. It's not a great looking witbier. Lacks the fresh vibrant appearance it needs.
AROMA: Coriander, wheat, pilsner malt, bready spicy Belgian yeast, clove, and a hint of orange peel/citrus zest. There's a faint glimmer of crackery malts as well. Shallow fruity hop notes.
Aromatic intensity is below average; the aroma is somewhat muted.
No booze or off-notes are detectable.
It ticks the boxes necessary to qualify as a witbier, but each fundamental note is shallow, if not lacking. The wheat isn't horribly fresh, the orange peel is stale and downplayed, the coriander isn't vivid or memorable. That said, this does suggest a pleasant and enjoyable (if simple) witbier, and it has a noticeable Belgian bend from the apt yeast.
TASTE & TEXTURE: The Belgian yeast lends it appropriate spiciness, with hints of clove and coriander playing off the orange peel nicely. The wheat backbone isn't horribly fresh, but it's not style either, and coupled with the pilsner malt lends this beer an approachable refreshing feel on the palate. The hops (Columbus and Cascade) are pretty muted and reticent, but their minimal presence is apt given the style.
Overall, I'd like it fresher and more vivid, with more expressive flavours, but it's fine as-is. It hits the fundamentals of the style, albeit in mundane fashion. Depth of flavour is below average - my biggest criticism of this beer.
Flavour duration and intensity are average. I find no off-notes or overt alcohol.
It's light in body, with little heft and weight on the palate. A bit overcarbonated, sure, but it's not distracting or sharp. Not astringent, gushed, hot, boozy, harsh, rough, or scratchy.
Lacks a harmony of texture and taste, but this mouthfeel does complement the flavour profile to an extent - though it fails to elevate the beer as a whole.
OVERALL: Not a gestalt expression of the witbier style, but passable. It's nice to see another witbier on Finnish shelves, but this can't hold a candle to the best traditional Belgian examples of the style - or to the best American expressions (particularly Allagash White). It's a pretty forgettable witbier, but hopefully it'll be a stepping stone into traditional offerings for many a Finn. On the low side of average, but easily preferable to the majority of the macrobrew pale lagers dominating the Finnish market. Definitely drinkable.
Low C (2.82)
Jun 02, 2015CAN: 330ml. Aluminum. Generally appealing label art. Best before: 21/2/15. Standard pull-tab.
4.7% ABV. Unfiltered. 43 kcal/100ml. EBC 15. EBU 15.
Reviewed live as a witbier since the label calls it a Belgian wheat. Served cold into a mason jar at low altitude in Kuopio, Finland. Expectations are average given the brewery.
No bubble show forms as it's poured.
HEAD: ~3-3.5 inches wide. White colour. Fair thickness. Not real creamy or frothy. Leaves no lacing as it recedes. Decent complexion and consistency.
Retention is nice - ~3-4 minutes.
BODY: Murky cloudy muddled orange with vague brown hues. Clearly unfiltered, but not the vibrant yellow it should be.
Appears adequately carbonated. It's not a great looking witbier. Lacks the fresh vibrant appearance it needs.
AROMA: Coriander, wheat, pilsner malt, bready spicy Belgian yeast, clove, and a hint of orange peel/citrus zest. There's a faint glimmer of crackery malts as well. Shallow fruity hop notes.
Aromatic intensity is below average; the aroma is somewhat muted.
No booze or off-notes are detectable.
It ticks the boxes necessary to qualify as a witbier, but each fundamental note is shallow, if not lacking. The wheat isn't horribly fresh, the orange peel is stale and downplayed, the coriander isn't vivid or memorable. That said, this does suggest a pleasant and enjoyable (if simple) witbier, and it has a noticeable Belgian bend from the apt yeast.
TASTE & TEXTURE: The Belgian yeast lends it appropriate spiciness, with hints of clove and coriander playing off the orange peel nicely. The wheat backbone isn't horribly fresh, but it's not style either, and coupled with the pilsner malt lends this beer an approachable refreshing feel on the palate. The hops (Columbus and Cascade) are pretty muted and reticent, but their minimal presence is apt given the style.
Overall, I'd like it fresher and more vivid, with more expressive flavours, but it's fine as-is. It hits the fundamentals of the style, albeit in mundane fashion. Depth of flavour is below average - my biggest criticism of this beer.
Flavour duration and intensity are average. I find no off-notes or overt alcohol.
It's light in body, with little heft and weight on the palate. A bit overcarbonated, sure, but it's not distracting or sharp. Not astringent, gushed, hot, boozy, harsh, rough, or scratchy.
Lacks a harmony of texture and taste, but this mouthfeel does complement the flavour profile to an extent - though it fails to elevate the beer as a whole.
OVERALL: Not a gestalt expression of the witbier style, but passable. It's nice to see another witbier on Finnish shelves, but this can't hold a candle to the best traditional Belgian examples of the style - or to the best American expressions (particularly Allagash White). It's a pretty forgettable witbier, but hopefully it'll be a stepping stone into traditional offerings for many a Finn. On the low side of average, but easily preferable to the majority of the macrobrew pale lagers dominating the Finnish market. Definitely drinkable.
Low C (2.82)
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