Unibroue Blanche de Chambly

Brewed by Unibroue (Sapporo)
Style: Belgian White (Witbier)
Chambly, Canada

750ml bottle. Pours very light orange with a large fluffy white head with very little lacing. Smell is of bread with citrus and sweet fruit. Tastes of bread, wheat, yeast and a little citrus. Medium mouthfeel with a slightly oily sensation left behind. Overall a good and drinkable beer.

12oz twistoff bottle. Deep golden color. Long lasting white head full of tiny bubbles. Pleasant carbonations cascading to the surface. Fruity aromatics with a bit of ripe apple. Nice yeast, dough, some light corriander in attendance. Flavor is a dry malt in a creamy mouthfeel, followed by champange bubbles. very nice malt character, hints of mild orange zest and corriander fruitiness. Great beer for the newbie or the occasional beer drinking girlfriend. Very enjoyable.

Poured to a very pale yellow color with some carbonation bubbles, and a thin white head that dissipated quickly and left little lacing. Nose was fruity apple and the mouthfeel was slightly champagne-effervescent and dry. Flavor was somewhat muted, but a carry over of the apple mouth, all leading to a dry finish. Nothing special here.

Bottle. Poured a hazy gold with a three finger white head. Aroma of yeast and some coriander and orange peel. Flavor was malty with a normal wit flavor. Good beer.

I could write about Unibroue and their beers all day long, though I would much rather be drinking them all day long, good company and good food included of course. Much like German hefeweizen and weisse beers, the Belgian Wit, or White Wheat Ale is a love it or hate it relationship. You either love the spiced, zesty, sour, citric, and crisp style, or you don’t. While I have seen some change their playing field, that is a rare occasion indeed. The most largely recognizable Belgian wit is Hoegaarden, but today I am partaking of and speaking of the Blanche de Chambly from Unibroue. Seeing as how I fall into the “love them” category, expect much open-minded critical bias to ensue.
Pouring a cloudy bleached straw with definite traces of white throughout her body, I pause momentarily near the end of the bottle to swirl, and then watch in delight as all the bottom dregs top her off. Yes, my friends, in the case of Belgians and a few others, dregs are beautiful and tasty.  Her soft cloud-white head fades slowly, sticking to the sides of my glass. Her nose practically jumps out at me with banana, spice, clove, coriander, orange peel, soft wheat notes, and pepper. Already I am in Belgian Wit heaven and I haven’t even tasted her yet. Such a sacrilege cannot be, so I raise my glass and partake of my first of many quaffs. Full, soft, and smooth with a bubbly effervescence which is crisp and refreshing. Ripe oranges on the tip of my tongue, while clove, spices, and lemon zest follow close behind. A tart tangy finish hints of sour dough and a soft chewy banana coats my mouth. An amazingly balanced blend with just the right touch of chewiness compliments the clean and easy-drinking palate. As I near the end of my glass, I find myself wishing for more. Softer and less spicy than some Belgian Wit beers, the Blanche de Chambly from Unibroue achieves her star status through grace and balance. As I revel in a spicy orange aftertaste with a sour zest, I only wish I had another bottle to enjoy.
I find that the largest obstacle people who have never had a real Belgian Wit beer before is the abundant, aromatic, and pronounced spicy and yeasty profile. There are a few macro beers who try to claim themselves as Belgian Wit beers, but they fall so far from the tree that they go beyond misrepresenting this traditional beer style; it’s almost an insult. They aren’t bad beers per say, but they are most definitely not what they claim to be. If you want a real Belgian Wit, then get your tastebuds on a Blanche de Chambly, among others.

Pours a hazy light golden color with a susbstantial white bubbly head. I can really smell the yeast and a bit of ripe fruit. Taste is very yeasty with a dry fruity finish The feel is bubbly and slightly dry, yet refreshing. This is definitely a refreshing brew. I could have a few of these without any problem. Nothing terribly complex or overly exciting about this one, but it definitely holds it’s own. A solid good buy. Reviewed on: 04-01-2007

Bottle courtesy of Naka. Pours apple juice yellow iwth slight orange hues and 2 finger fizzy, white head, diminishing to a 1/4" foam, rimming. Nose of banana cream pie and slight citrus, lemon. Also slight coriander spiciness. Taste is malty with lots of fruity esters, banana, lemon, and mild orange, maybe slight cherry. Lots of yeasty spiciness, coriander and mild clove with mild to moderate bitter. Very dry finish with bitter present. Pretty decent. Flavors seem muted. You really have to dig for them. A bit watery.

on tap at hopcat. pours typical wit hazy yellow with medium white head. aroma is spicy, yeasty. some corriander in the flavor, malty. lots of yeast in the aftertaste. medium-heavy carbonation. nice session beer.