Another sailing excursion, another excuse to check out a canned beer. On this occasion, BOV decided to move away from the US micro scene for this packaging trend and to try instead a fine canned beer from Europe. Not Heineken, but you’re close: Belgium’s Wittekerke, a wit style beer. For a day under the sun, this turned out to be a great companion.

My favorite aspect of this beer was the packaging, but I mean that as no insult. Unlike the standard plastic O-ring holder, these cans were shrink-wrapped together with a very international flair: a little blurb on wrapper appeared in Dutch, English, French, Spanish and Italian, and even the can said “bierre blanche” “cerveza blanca” around the rim. I guess they really want you to know it’s a white/wit beer. Fair enough.

I didn’t pour this out on the boat, but I did pour one at home later, and it produces a very healthy, four-finger seafoam head atop a murky golden color- those damn proteins, as usual with wheat. It dissipated relatively quickly, however. The aroma is a light mix of bread, citrus zest and wit-yeast spicy clove or even allspice; you get his with your nose in the can just fine, too, but not as well with the sip, of course. It spills lightly over the tongue due to strong carbonation, leaving a quick tour of first grassy and spicy yeast, in the middle a sweet but soft malt flavor, no astringency whatsoever, and the sip finishes with a light taste of hops, and very mellow lingering yeast flavors. All the way through, a mild sourness/acidity seems to permeate. Pair this with bright flavors: perch en papillote with lemon, golden raisins & cous-cous might work.

Overall, I felt Wittekerke (which also happens to be the name of a long-running Flemmish soap-opera, itself modeled on this Australian one- I know you were wondering) was terrifically refreshing, certainly worth taking along for the ride if you’d be happy with a Blue Moon. It’s not at all far off from Hoegaarden and other Belgian wits, and by virtue of its packaging, it’s probably in better shape than some of those delicate Belgian imports, as well. For an American version of the same, in bottles or on tap you can’t beat Allagash White. Closest I can think of in a can would be Sly Fox’s Royal Weisse, but that’s really an American heffeweizen.

[Beer-O-Vision HINT] Go to their website and check out their Wittekerke Blik Special!

6 Wittekerkes in 25 cl. blikken én 2 Wittekerke-glazen. Het ideale cadeau voor de witbier-liefhebber.

That’s right! 2 Wittekerke glasses packaged with a sixer of blikken- definitely the ideal gift for the witbier-lover! I must know someone in that part of the world… Or better still, the Wittekerke Rose: I don’t that that blik would be allowed in the US!