Sterkens White Ale - Brouwerij Sterkens N.V.

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle from Big Bear Cafe in D.C. Consumed during a jazz trio gig I had there.

Typical witbier appearance. Cloudy body with a thick white cap. The aroma brings coriander, light spice, orange peel. Pretty easy drinking. Citrusy flavor with a hint of pepper. I enjoyed this.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2013 02:06:03 | More by Huhzubendah

Labeorphile

Texas

4.05/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle poured into a pint glass. Nice golden hazy color typical of the style. Thin head that quickly disappeared with no lacing. Could be due to the fact that i served it a bit too cold.

Good fruity aroma with coriander, wheat and orange.

Taste was really good and refreshing. Would be great on a warm day. Paired it with bratwurst, which was probably not ideal, but it workers.

Mouth feel was amazing. Very creamy and full unlike many of the mass produced wheat beers. This was definitely the beer's strong point.

Overall enjoyable and refreshing. I'll remember this one, come late Spring.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2012 00:59:23 | More by Labeorphile

scootny

New York

4.15/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A hazy chunky yeast in a straw gold fluid. Appreciable head that gently fades. Not much if any lace. The nose if full of apples a touch of grape and wheat malt. Taste is very traditional with a good mild lemony sourness and spices. Low bitterness and a dry clean finish that leaves notes of malt and lemon lingering. Feel is just heavy enough to be above water but light enough to be crisp and refreshing with a lively carbonation. Silky on the tongue. Drinkability is off the charts and so perfect at this time of year that it is all I can do t keep from scoring it higher. Just a perfect and classic Wit.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2012 03:11:30 | More by scootny

jtierney89

New Jersey

4.3/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Incredibly pale golden color, massive fluffy and craggy bright white head. Lots of coriander, orange peel, and bright citrus fruit on the nose. Smells incredible.

Sweet coriander upfront followed by rich wheaty and graininess. Coarse full mouth mouthfeel. For how dirty and unarranged these beautiful flavors are the slightly peppery finish cleans the palate making for a super clean finish. Bright citric acidity and excellent balance. My only complaint is that at certain moments it thins out in the mouth. Overall awesome though.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2012 00:29:49 | More by jtierney89

Immortale25

Florida

4.4/5  rDev +17%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured into a Green Flash snifter. No freshness date.

A- Pours a slightly hazy gold color with a full inch of head that retains decently before dissolving to an 1/8 inch. Above-average lacing.

S- Sweet with lots of orange and spice. A bit perfumey in a wheat context.

T- Refreshing flavors of citrus and coriander. Very sweet, but not cloying. The yeast works its way into the profile but in more subtle of a way than the rest of the ingredients.

M- Lively and crisp with medium-high carbonation leading the way. A bit of a spice bite and a light body.

O- Very tasty and exemplary of the style.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2012 03:47:09 | More by Immortale25

cyclonece09

Virginia

3.58/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a 14 oz "pint" glass. Pours cloudy straw with a very large bubbly white head that dissipates fairly quickly, but leaves a little bit of lacing. Smells of citrus primarily, not much else but a little bit of wheat. Tastes of wheat, the active yeast gives it the normal taste of a white ale. This light bodied beer has good carbonation, and a clean smooth finish. Overall, a decent beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2012 00:51:53 | More by cyclonece09

DougHefe

Maryland

3.9/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The first couple of bottles were consumed too warm. Once the beer was properly chilled it was pretty tasty. A very good unfiltered beer and very well balanced.

Consumed on several occassions and with different food accompanyments. Goes well with white meats.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2012 10:40:45 | More by DougHefe

Treyliff

West Virginia

3.55/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A- pours a cloudy, murky brown-orange color with about an inch head that shrinks to a small layer on top, little to no lacing.

S- floral, citrus, bubblegum, coriander, spices. Yeast and doughy bread more noticeable about half way through. Nice!

T- Spicy up front, with notes of coriander and citrus, well water. Wheat and malt has a presence, with just a small trace of hops. Mouthfeel over is very light with high carbonation, quite drinkable.

Overall- on par with the specifications of a witbier but the balance just seems a bit off. The taste didn't come through like I was hoping after the amount of smells that was coming through. However if you are into this style I would still give it a try.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2012 00:03:46 | More by Treyliff

Nerudamann

Arizona

3.18/5  rDev -15.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass.

Look – very light golden/straw color, a little murky, with very good carbonation and about four fingers’ worth of off-white foam that dissipates somewhat slowly.

Smell – fruity/citrusy in aroma, much like a hefeweisen. Hops seem fairly present, but not as much as the smell of rye.

Taste – a little bit of a musky taste it from the start. The rye taste is less than I would have thought, but it’s there. There’s also a fizzy, champagne-like quality to the taste as well. The finish and aftertaste are both pretty mild.

Mouthfeel – pretty well balanced, but as stated above, a bit on the fizzy side.

Overall – not a bad brew, but a little plain-tasting and uninteresting.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2011 18:31:27 | More by Nerudamann

portia99

Massachusetts

2.93/5  rDev -22.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

11.2oz bottle poured into a Bruery tulip.

A - Pours the expected hazy, pale straw yellow color with 2 fingers of dense and fluffy white head. Foam slowly fizzes its way down to the surface without much success in leaving any lacing on the glass.

S - Oranges and lemons, coriander, spicy wheatiness, a bit yeasty, light breadiness. Lemons really dominate the aroma...nice.

T - Overall flavoring here is on the light side. Dry, wheaty, not much for citrusy fruit, spice or yeast. Pretty bland actually...disappointing.

M - Highly carbonated, foamy in the mouth. Body is light. Its almost like the carbonation is so potent that it overwhelms any flavors that might be in this beer...its surprisingly close to drinking soda water...maybe soda water that was in the bottle that used to contain Sprite...just a hint of residual flavor carried over.

O - Rather disappointing overall. Started off with promise with a on target appearance and aroma, but lost it where it counts in the flavor (or total lack of)...

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2011 22:45:07 | More by portia99

Hoptometrist

Oregon

3.35/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from the bottle into a nonic glass

A- Poured a hazy yellow with a three finger rocky head that left no lacing. A ring of head did remain for most of the beer.

S- Lots of Coriander and spice, bubblegum, yeast, and some citrus, but not quite as much as I would expect for the style

T- Coriander, hints of orange peel, lemon,mineral like flavor, overall pretty mild flavor. It sounds strange but there is almost a peanut shell salty flavor on the finish.

M- Nice prickly carbonation, refreshing, and smooth

O- A little bit underwhelming in the flavor department for a witbier, but very refreshing and a nice beer on a hot day like today.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2011 21:23:55 | More by Hoptometrist

SkeeterHawk

Texas

3.95/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I have seen this beer around Houston for a while and I have never reviewed it, so there you go. I have one now. Let's give it a go as my first beer of the evening.

Appearance: Pours a cloudy lemon yellow color with a thick head of white creamy bubbles that was obviously maintained by quite a few bubbles rising as it was moving around quite a bit, but it took it almost a minute before it started to fade. It was already leaving some lacing on the glass just from swirling.

Aroma: I initially got lots of clean citrus along with what I am sure is coriander. As the beer sits, you can definitely pick up the grainy wheat. There is a bit of bread dough noticeable as you get farther into the beer.

Taste: The flavor is mixed. It has some defined malty notes mixed with the bread dough and spices to come across a bit like a dessert bread of some sort. The overall mouthfeel is light with the carbonation being pretty high and the residual sugars a bit low, so it goes down really quick. There is no alcohol noticeable as you expect. There is a little bit of oxidation that is coming out as the beer warms.

Opinion: Overall this is a good example of the style. I like that the spice is not overdone as it frequently is with this style. The beer is pretty drinkable, but I wouldn't have more than one, myself. If you dig this style a whole lot, by all means give this one a shot as it hits the style pretty well.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2011 01:58:59 | More by SkeeterHawk

coalcracker

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a pale gold with very lively carbonation. Not much head- more carbonation.
Smell: Quite sharp citrus/fruity aroma instantly upon the pour. Bready presence just beyond this.
Taste: Again citrus builds upon a light but bready base. More citrus and fruit in this than others in its class, lending a slight sour quality. Can also detect pepper and other spice, though not as pronounced. Finishes very clean.
Mouthfeel: On the light side, clean.
Drinkability: Very drinkable. Light in ABV.

Overall- For such a light-looking beer, packs some flavor. A nicely-crafted wit. Would return for a second try anytime.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2011 01:35:25 | More by coalcracker

JayS2629

Alabama

3.73/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- Pale yellow with thin creamy white head. Descent retention and creamy lace.

S- Yeasty. Clove and banana, bubblegum, wheat, and fruity notes. Spice.

T- Wheat, clean malts, bubble gum and clove. Nice balance.

M- Grainy with a creamy edge. Smooth and crisp.

D- Very well balanced and easy to drink for this style.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2011 05:01:11 | More by JayS2629

mltobin

Connecticut

4.1/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I picked up a 11.2 ounce bottle of this in Western Mass.

Appearance is a a light golden color with a thin white head.
Smell contains lemons, belgian yeast, light overall. Its taste has wheat grain, some orange and other citrus flavors. It is lighter bodied with good carbonation. This witbier goes down easily and is very pleasant. I am glad that I came across it and if I had in my home state, would certainly buy it more often.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2010 00:10:55 | More by mltobin

rtepiak

Poland

3.78/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

a very simple but solid beer... something that taste like the field you're working in. wheat. orange... coriander and grass. the nose has a bit of cereal. the palate is more subdued and simple. the sweet is not grain based but mild wheat. and nice grass citrus bitter. great quality for summer.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2010 02:16:06 | More by rtepiak

Mcculler

Ohio

3.43/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Bought at Ludlow Wines in Cincinnati for 2.25 as a 12 oz single.

Pours a beautiful towering egg white head over very cloudy pale yellowish brown - like pear juice. Head refuses to go away, receding to a thick 1/4 inch that yet leaves minimal lacing.

Smell - beautiful, complex, delicious: black tea, coriander, chamomille, lemon, starfruit, pears, bananas. This is where the party stops, though.

Taste - after the smell, underwhelming. Perhaps excessively dry, minerally, watery lemon juice dominates, with very little fruitiness or sweetness - though as it warms, the bananas come back. Some tea-like hops are there. Coriander comes through faintly.

Mouthfeel - very watery with very high carbonation that dominates the taste - very little sweetness or flavor to balance this out and so the carbonation just quickens the finish.

Good drinkability of course - but, though Id rather smell this, I think Id rather drink a Hoegaarden ... Ouch... Wonder if its been sitting around for too long ...

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2010 01:31:12 | More by Mcculler

ocelot2500

Arizona

3.9/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy yellow color with a frothy white head that leaves plenty of lacing.

Smells of wheat and fruity yeast.

Tastes of big wheat notes with some spice on top. Wheat is tangy and citrusy. Fruity yeast creates notes of orange. Spice is light and peppery, but offers a good counter to the fruit.

Mouthfeel is medium with a creamy amount of carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2010 02:26:41 | More by ocelot2500

gatornation

Minnesota

3.83/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

pours a slightly hazy light pale yellow color with a brilliant white fast receding head..smell is lemon rind, citrus ,coriander, and spice..the taste is the same with lemon peel, some wheat and oat tastes, ending with a citrus zing...the mouth feel is light but crisp and carbonated..this is going down fast its very easy to drink on a nice warm day..not one of my favorites from the style but still good..i liked it and recommend trying it

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2010 22:03:08 | More by gatornation

DosBeerigos

Florida

4.72/5  rDev +25.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

C. Slightly Cloudy
H. Golden Yellow like pee
N. Honey, camomille, very floral

Clean and crisp this beer doesn't hang around long; in taste or in my cup. A little too easy to drink. Very clean crisp and smooth. A sexy blonde. If you like commercial White Ales (Blue Moon, Shock Top, or any others) this would be a good one for you to pick up. It isn't too heave in alcohol so you can have a few of these bad boys...ehh or girls. Good Beer for being outdoors. A Solid White.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2010 19:32:13 | More by DosBeerigos

nickfl

Florida

4.33/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours with one and a half fingers of bone white head on top of a hazy, yellow body. The foam settles quickly and leaves little lace.

S - Light aroma of tangy wheat with some earthy yeast character. A little bit of coriander and lemon with a malt vanilla note.

T - Tart wheat and spicy yeast up front. Notes of pepper, lemon, and creamy vanilla. Some coriander and cardamom spice notes in the middle reinforce the wheat character. Finishes with more acidic wheat and vanilla yeast character as well as a bit of lemon.

M - Medium-thick body, high carbonation, and a somewhat dry finish

D - Very drinkable this beer is light and refreshing but also quite flavorful. The wheat character works well with both the yeast and the spices, which provide a complex array of pepper and lemon notes as well as a rounded vanilla character. This is one of the best Belgian white ales that I have had, it is well balanced with level of complexity and fullness that few examples of this style exhibit.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2010 05:22:57 | More by nickfl

yelterdow

New Jersey

4.22/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A nice, fresh 11.2oz bottle with the best by date of 25/04/12 lasered on the neck. Served at about fridge temperature in a Hoegaarden witbier glass.

Appearance- After the yeast addition, this beer pours a hazy gold with a finger-thick white head. It settles to a translucent mat within about two minutes, not leaving any lacing behind.

Smell- An exquisite aroma of sour apple, coriander, orange peel, and yellow cake mix... one of the most complex, interesting, and enjoyable noses on a Belgian witbier.

Taste- The flavors here go far beyond those of Hoegaarden and even Allagash's flagship beer... the character is deep and bold, while remaining soft in its execution.

Notes of coriander and spices flow over the tongue, complementing a soft breadiness that underlies the flavors. It's delicate yet assertive, a unique paradox. The structure and balance is definitely noteworthy.

Mouthfeel/Drinkability- The initial entry into the mouth is explosive, wildly carbonated but somehow not gassy. It softens within a few seconds and becomes totally elegant and silky, finishing with an easy swallow. While I wouldn't drink more than one or two of these at a time, the sheer excellence of the flavors alone would warrant my recommendation to try this lesser-known example of a true Belgian style wit.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2010 02:52:45 | More by yelterdow

adamette

Ohio

3.85/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Live review. Poured from the 11.2 oz. bottle that I bought as a single for $2.25 at Save-On Tobacco & Beverage in Mentor a few weeks ago into my Trappist Westvleteren silver rimmed goblet.

A Cloudy light yellow body under a brief, thin white meringue like head that dissipated within 30 seconds to a thin layer on top of the beer. Visible sediment in the bottom of the bottle but less so floating about the goblet after pouring (I kept the sediment in the bottle for the most part) 3.0

S I really like the smell of this beer. There is a wheat, lemony smell that is really inviting. Already I can imagine a hot day in the summer where the smell of this beer would be welcomed. 4.0

T A very pleasant Witbier with a high lemony profile that reminds me of some of the Hoegaarden variations that I had while I was in Brussels this past summer. I really like the taste of this beer. I know that that Hoegaarden Citrus (or whatever it is called) was heavily dogged here on BA but I found both that beer and this one quite pleasant indeed. 4.0

M This beer dances across the tongue, Alka Seltzer like, but the rest of the feel is indeed thin. 3.0

D I found this beer to be quite drinkable. It really was easy for me to drink. 4.0

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2010 05:06:46 | More by adamette

yemenmocha

Arizona

4.13/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a luminous cloudy golden color with luxurious white head. Nose has elements of orange fruit and a subtle cleaning component (no, it's not the glass). Orange comes through on the palate with a very wheaty-cracker taste that carries nicely through to the finish. It ends with a light sweet 'n sour flavor that is good.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2009 03:16:22 | More by yemenmocha

SLeffler27

New York

2.98/5  rDev -20.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

A tall, loose, white meringue head quickly drops after the initial pour of this very pale yellow, almost white beer. The final half ounce carries a cloud of yeast into the pilsner glass.

Smells of a dusty, dirty sock with a pinch of ginger and lime. While subtle, these aromas leave much to be desired.

Subtle flavors of grain and dry white wine permeate prior to a quick, slightly bitter finish.

A dry, light-bodied beer, Sterkins has no presence of alcohol. The watery texture has lively carbonation.
Sterkins White could easily be a session beer as it closely resembles a light macro lager. This one doesn't do much for me.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2009 02:36:49 | More by SLeffler27