June 28, 2006 -- I recently had a chance to sample two very different Belgian-style wheat beers, or as they’re variously known, witbiers or white beers or bières blanches. The first, representing the fruity side of the palate, was the new Midnight Wit from Legacy Brewing of Reading, Pennsylvania. In this 4.8% alcohol ale, I noted a strong citrus aroma that became more perfumey once I added some of the yeast from the bottle to the glass. (Like most Belgian-style wheats, the Midnight is bottle-conditioned.) In the body, the dominant flavour remained orange, sweet and perfumey at first and more bitter and peppery in the second half and finish, backed by some faint gingery notes and a trace of hop bitterness in the finish. All in all, save for a slightly cloying finish, a nice refresher.

A much spicier example of the style was the Dominus Vobiscum Blanche, a 5% alcohol wheat from the Microbrasserie Charlevoix of Baie St. Paul, Québec. The big spice in the aroma – coriander, of course, but also clove, black pepper and, I think, grains of paradise – continues through the flavour of this heady brew, backed by notes of orange peel and honey-ish malt. Also quite refreshing in its own right, the Dominus Vobiscum finishes clean and not at all cloying, with memories of toffee and, yes, more spice lingering on the palate.

Then, just for fun, I popped the cap on the Microbrasserie Charlevoix’s tripel from its same Belgian-inspired line, the Dominus Vobiscum Triple. At 9% alcohol, this is a big, fruity brew offering notes of yellow plum, peach and black pepper in the aroma and plenty of tropical fruit in the body. The progression of taste in this ale is excellent, though, as the fruitiness of the front slowly gives way to some spiciness in the middle and a drying, warming, hop accented-finish. In fact, about the only thing keeping this beer from being a truly great tripel is a little finesse, a character trait that I believe makes the tripel such a laudable and, for brewers, frustratingly difficult beer style.

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