It’s surprising that witbiers aren’t more pervasive. For many, the Redbacks and Hoegaardens of the 90s kickstarted a journey into a new world of beer and, for some breweries, it’s a style that’s helped drive empires – looking at you Blue Moon. As tastes change, or even come full circle, it’s worth remembering how this approachable style can serve as a base for a variety of adjuncts, not to mention the opportunity for naming puns that come with it.
Beerland Brewing’s new limited edition Belgian-style witbier keeps the name straight ahead, aside from borrowing the French descriptor Blanche, which allows its wit to shine through a new illustrated decal. Likewise, Apricot Blanche lets apricots shine, with 27 kilograms of the fruit's puree added to the beer, along with coriander seeds and orange peel. In turn, those additions – plus its wheat backbone – create a beer that in some ways resembles those that are a part of the modern haze craze, including the style's luscious mouthfeel.
For the most part, apricot and light orange lead the flavour of the beer before those characters are directed towards a dry finish. While the beer does have an initial sweetness and fruitiness, that too gives way to a balancing bitterness courtesy of Saaz hops.
Guy Southern
Published March 26, 2018 2018-03-26 00:00:00
