de Proef “La Grande Blanche” White Ale
During these last months of summer, it is imperative that we, the beer-drinking community, drink as many white ales, hefeweizens, and summer ales as possible. Also probably some kolsches and a few saison ales. Better toss in a couple of lagers, too. And pilsners. Tonight, however, I’m focusing on the first, as I try out de Proef’s La Grande Blanch Belgian white ale.
This big bottle of goodness pours a pale and cloudy light golden color with a few chunks of large-ish debris floating around. The head on this is dense and uneven, but seems to persist for quite some time, also leaving lots of foam along the sides of the glass. The aroma of this is sweet and brisk – it has a citrus tint, some sweetish cake-like aromas, and a surprising candy sweetness. In the mouth, this beer is very sweet, light, and refreshing. There is a surprising effervescence on the tongue, considering that the cork slid out without so much as a pop. The beer is mostly brisk and citrusy on the tip of the tongue. However, about the middle of the mouth, we get an unexpected dose of candi sugar that gives this beer some impressive presence and gives it some flavors akin to a Belgian tripel. On through the mouth, this candi sugar sweetness diminishes, leaving us with a little bit of citric sourness in the aftertaste, but otherwise a rather clean and crisp finish in the mouth. I really really enjoy this witbier. Of course, I’m a huge fan of tripels, and this has some tripel characteristics that you wouldn’t typically find in a white. So, for me, this is an excellent hybrid. Sweet and rich, but refreshing and crisp. Tres bien!
Categories: Beer Reviews, White Ale, de Proef
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