- Belgium
- Ale
- ABV = 4.5 – 5.5% (Normal)^
- IBU = 8-20
- SRM = 2-4
A straw-coloured, wheat-based Belgian ale with flavours of citrus and spice.
Similar in balance to German Weissbier, but with spice and citrus character coming from additions rather than the yeast.
Appearance:
- Colour^ = Straw to light gold; made white by haze
- Clarity = Hazy
Key Aromas & Flavours:
Aroma
- Malt = Moderate; malty sweet, with a light grainy, spicy wheat aroma (often with notes of honey and/or vanilla)
- Yeast = Low; spicy
- Hops = None to low; spicy-herbal, if present
- Other = Moderate perfumy coriander, often with a complex herbal, spicy, or peppery note; moderate zesty, citrus-orange fruitiness
Flavour
- Malt = Moderate; grainy-sweet (often with a honey and/or vanilla character), plus a low bready wheat flavour
- Yeast = Low; spicy
- Hops = None to low; spicy-earthy, if present
- Perceived Bitterness^ = Low
- Other = Moderate zesty, citrus-orange fruitiness; moderate herbal-spicy flavours, which may include coriander and other spices (Optional: a very light lactic sourness)
- Balance = Towards the malt; hop bitterness is low and doesn’t interfere with the fruit and spice flavours
Aftertaste/Finish
Refreshingly crisp with a dry, often tart finish
Mouthfeel:
- Body = Medium
- Carbonation = High
- Creaminess = Often has a smoothness and light creaminess from the unmalted wheat and the occasional oats
Characteristic Ingredients/Processes:
- Malt = Typically 50% unmalted wheat, plus 50% Pilsner malt; may use up to 5-10% raw oats
- Yeast = Belgian ale yeast
- Hops = Continental hop varietals, very low level
- Other = Spices of freshly-ground coriander and Curaçao orange peel are characteristic. Other spices (ie. chamomile, cumin, cinnamon, Grains of Paradise) may be used for complexity but are much less prominent.
- Process = (Optional: May be produced with a very limited lactic fermentation or the addition of lactic acid)
Historical Development:
A 400-year-old Belgian beer style that died out in the 1950s; it was later revived by Pierre Celis at Hoegaarden, and has grown steadily in popularity over time, both with modern craft brewers and mass-market producers who see it as a somewhat fruity summer seasonal beer.
Commercial Examples:
Hoegaarden Wit, St. Bernardus Witbier, Allagash White
^Sourced from the Cicerone Certification Program’s International Certified Beer Server Syllabus.
All other information is sourced from the BCJP 2015 Style Guidelines.
