Tokyo - Brouwerij St. Bernardus NV

spoony

Colorado

4.13/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

From notes on October 2, 2012.

From a 750 ml into a pils glass.

A-Orange and light golden color with a light haze. There was a tall, shiny white head that really stuck around. Noticeable carbonation.

S-A nice bready, yeasty wheat smell with highlights of spice (white pepper), orange, and lemongrass.

T-The beer has a bright, citrusy flavor with orange and lemon components. There are hints of white pepper and coriander spice carried on a sweet, wheat background.

M-Creamy mouthfeel and lighter body. The carbonation is there, but its very fine.

O-I quite enjoyed this beer. I thought the citrus components played nicely with the wheat and spices to form a more substantial and interesting than average wit. Even though the ABV is on the lower side (although, not low for a wit), this beer had some complexity and backbone that many beers with higher ABV are lacking.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2012 05:54:11 | More by spoony

kojevergas

California

3.6/5  rDev -12%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

750ml brown glass bottle with hood and wire cap over a cork (and an entertaining label to boot) acquired at Wally's Wine in Westwood, California earlier this week and served into a Uinta pilsner glass in me gaff in low altitude Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live. Expectations are high given the brewery. I quite like the style when it's executed right; Allagash White comes to mind. 6.00% confirmed.

Best before: 24.08.13 (per the hood).

Served straight from the refrigerator. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

Yields a satisfying pop upon pulling the cork.

A: Pours almost entirely head, even though I poured it quite slowly. Head colour is beige. Good smooth rolling glistening texture, great retention, and good cream. Body colour is a murky nontransparent pale yellow. Not particularly vibrant. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show.

Sm: Excellent. Some spice. Biscuity yeast. Full clean malts. Even a bit of fruit and tartness. Amazing clean full floral hop aroma. Lactose. Delightfully bright wheat. Very fresh. Barley. This is exactly what a witbier should smell like. Its light malty aroma blended with perfect wheat is intoxicating. This is shaping up to be a great beer. A strong aroma.

T: Clean malted wheat - actually a bit artificial tasting - like a bad Trader Joe's lager. Clean malts form the foundation. The climax is primarily a little spice with a yeasty turn on the malts. A bit boring compared to the expectations set up by the aroma. The malt agression increases towards the climax to ill effect. Background floral hopping adds subtle notes and aids the balance but doesn't save it from its malty flaw. No alcohol comes through. I like the spices and yeasty notes quite a bit. Very nicely hopped, complementing the flavour well.

Mf: Smooth, wet, clean, a bit refreshing, light on the palate. Brilliantly soft. It's a shame the flavours don't deliver like the mouthfeel does.

Dr: Overpriced as an import here in the USA. I'd definitely get it on-draught at Belgian prices. I'd drink it all night in that scenario. But it's not worth getting again at these prices. I expect better from St. Bernardus. If you're looking for a great limited release from this brewery, try the Abt 12 limited release version. This is not your answer. I expected better from this brewery. That said, it's delightfully drinkable and refreshing.

Serve chilled.

B

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2012 05:05:20 | More by kojevergas

superspak

Michigan

4.53/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

750 ml bottle into signature chalice, best before 8/24/2013. Pours hazy golden orange color with a nice 1-2 finger fluffy white head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Light spotty lacing clings to the glass. Aromas of big lemon, banana, clove, pepper, bubblegum, wheat, bread, herbal, coriander, earth, orange zest, and yeast spiciness. Fantastic aromas with great balance and complexity. Taste of lemon, banana, pepper, clove, bubblegum, earth, wheat, bread, coriander, herbal, orange zest, and yeast spices. Lingering notes of citrus, banana, clove, bubblegum, wheat, bread, pepper, earth, herbal, and yeast spices on the finish for a good bit. Insane balance and complexity of flavors; zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium high carbonation and medium body; with a fairly creamy, chalky, and prickly mouthfeel that is awesome. Alcohol is very well hidden with nearly zero warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a world class witbier. Insane flavor balance and complexity; very smooth and crisp to drink. This is the best I have had in the style hands down.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2012 04:08:38 | More by superspak

nickfl

Florida

3.98/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - The beer pours with one finger of white foam on top of a hazy, dark golden body. The head drips down quickly and leaves light traces of lace on the glass.

S - A spicy aroma of wheat and coriander with some floral hop notes.

T - Spicy wheat up front with some sweet malt character. Pepper, lemon, and coriander in the middle. A finish with a complex, spicy profile of chamomile, coriander, pepper, and floral hop flavors.

M - Medium-thick body, moderately high carbonation, and a balanced finish.

D - A better than average wit beer, the spice character is present, but subdued enough to allow the malt and hops to show through. This makes for a balanced and drinkable beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2012 06:18:49 | More by nickfl

emerge077

Illinois

3.6/5  rDev -12%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Best by date "23.08.13" which seems a little generous for a witbier already 8 months old. Served in a Duvel tulip glass.

Glowing opaque orange with a superfine line separating the foam on top. Pouring the yeast in it becomes a shade darker and brownish. Fine creamy texture to the foam, with copious sticky foam draping the glass in 3-D forms.

Soft wheaty aroma, mellow citrus, orange rind.

Similar flavors, mellow coriander spice, dusty wheat, mild sweetness, dry finish. Smooth feel, medium bodied, slightly faded with a touch of white wine. Somewhat mellow in general, but pleasant enough to drink. Not picking up the hop character mentioned on the label, but that could've faded in 8 months time. Overall it's well made, but not all that different than standard issue St. B's Witbier. Wouldn't really say it's worth seeking out, maybe if you see it on the shelf and love Witbiers though.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2012 00:05:57 | More by emerge077

LiquidAmber

Washington

4.23/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours a light to medium golden amber. Healthy three finger white head with good retention and massive lacing. Aroma of citrus, sweet malt and surprisingly, coriander or clove (the bottle says it is unspiced). Spicy. Flavor follows, quite sweet malt, wheat, Belgian yeast. Finishes with slight hops and sweet wheat. Nice flavors, and fits the expectations of a fine Belgian meeting a fine witbier. Flavor is slightly attenuated, probably due to the lower ABV than a typical Belgian ale. Medium bodied with some creaminess. A very interesting take on a wheat beer and hopefully this will be brewed again in the future.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2012 04:04:24 | More by LiquidAmber

BobZ

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into my St. Bernardus Chalice.

Appearance: Bright amber (darker than the normal Wit with much more orange visible), a head of about 1” to 2” inches that recedes to a cap, very nice lacing.

Smell: The citrus is upfront as expected but there is a honey sweetness that is much more pronounced than the Pierre Celis version.

Taste: The citrus and coriander are there (again as expected); however, the sweetness seems much more pronounced. Much more of honey like sweetness more than a malty sweetness in character.

Mouth feel: Very smooth and despite its sweetness it never becomes cloying. Clean finish. .

Overall: A delicious Witbier; however, it has two strikes against it. One, I like the original better as the increased sweetness really did not make the beer more enjoyable to my palate. Two, even pricier ($15.99 for a 750ml) than the already expensive Wit.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2012 17:06:16 | More by BobZ

dbrauneis

New Jersey

4.23/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a medium straw yellow to pale golden yellow in color. The beer has a finger tall dense and creamy off-white head that slowly reduces to a thick film covering the entire surface of the beer and a very thick ring at the edges of the glass. Significant amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate aromas of wheat with some light notes of candi sugar adding sweetness. There is a lighter amount of lemon citrus along with the aromas of banana and clove.

T: Sweeter than I expected and sweeter than a lot of other beers in the stye, likely from the introduction of the candi sugar. Moderate flavors of wheat with light notes of banana, clove, and lemon citrus.

M: On the lighter side of medium bodied with moderate to heavy amounts of carbonation. Very smooth.

O: Refreshing and I can see how the slightly sweeter version of this style would be very enjoyable in a hot Tokyo summer afternoon. Glad I got the opportunity to try this limited edition version of the beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2012 15:29:03 | More by dbrauneis

metter98

New York

4.15/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: The beer is cloudy dark yellow in color. It poured with a half finger high off white head that died down a bit but consistently left a thin head covering the surface.
S: There are light to moderate aromas of wheat in the nose along with some hints of orange peels. The smell of candi sugar becomes very apparent as the beer starts to warm up; this is when notes of banana also become noticeable.
T: The taste is similar to the smell and seems to have hints of sweetness along with flavors of wheat and orange peels.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied and a bit smooth on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: I found this to be a very interesting witbier because it tastes a little sweeter compared to other beers in the style, almost if some hints of candi sugar were introduced into the boil.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2012 21:14:04 | More by metter98

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

4.03/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours out a hazy, clouded golden straw color with three fingers of fluffy sudsy head that lasts for several minutes, leaving behind decent amounts of lacing on the glass. Medium body and higher side of medium levels of carbonation.

Smells of light clove, coriander, and apple / yeastiness on the top of a fairly by-the-books wheat malt banana aroma. Tastes of the same banana breadiness but the spicing is somewhat more emphasized in the flavor than in the nose, as is the yeastiness, and the apple aroma seems to not have a flavor equivalent at all!

Everything is in great balance, but at a somewhat muted level compared to other Witbiers, and I cannot seem to find any special Belgian (or Japanese, for that matter) influence in the beer. Other than these concerns, it's a pretty nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2012 18:24:26 | More by WastingFreetime

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

4.45/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks for sharing this one, DaftCaskBC!

Appearance. Pours a hazy honey colour with a little peach and 1.5 fingers of white, fluffy head.

Smell. Toasted wheat, some spicy hops, and fruity belgian yeast.

Taste. Fruity, funky Belgian yeast, toasty wheat, and a little grassy hops. Nice.

Mouthfeel. Medium+ body, smooth medium carbonation.

Overall. Haven't had a wheat beer like this before. Very nice.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2012 20:41:23 | More by Rutager

Kromes

Georgia

4.4/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A hazy straw color with a thick white head that sits on top of the beer. Leaves rings of lacing down the glass.

A nice wheat, clove and banana aroma. A very pure smell to it. Kind of smells like banana cream of wheat.

More of the same in the flavor except a lot less banana. A touch of banana and a creamy wheat flavor with a large shot of clove spice. There is also a grape and citrus fruit flavor in the beer along with a candi sugar sweetness. Finishes sweet with lingering yeasty spice.

As you would expect, the mouthfeel of this wheat beer is super smooth with the perfect amount of high carbonation to make it feel like you are drinking velvet.

I tried to find some flaws in this beer, but couldn't. As I would have expected, a really great offering from St. Bernardus here.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2012 20:06:31 | More by Kromes

JayQue

Virginia

4.35/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Great Wit. Pours a hazy honey color/ light amber into a wine glass from a 750 ml corked and caged bottle. Looks great, nice color, big carbonated white head with good retention and some scattered lacing on the glass.

Smell is good, not blow you away good, but the wheat bitterness, cloves, coriander, lemon yeast are all there. The taste is the same but far more pronounced. Big flavor of wheat bitterness, spices and lemon zest This is just right and among the best witbiers I have tried.

Mouthfeel is crisp and rich. Very inviting. Overall an outstanding beer especially for summer time.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 20:01:52 | More by JayQue

DaftCaskBC

British Columbia (Canada)

4.55/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Notes from the 2012 BC Trailer Tasting Camping Tour with Rutager.

A: Hazy golden honey coloured with 3/4" soft white head.

S: Pepper, orange peel, lemon, grassy hops and sweet malt.

T: Pepper, orange peel, sweet malt, yeast and grassy hops.

M: Soft, medium viscosity and a high level of fine carbonation. Perfect.

O: The best witbier I have ever had, I went back to the store and cleaned them out.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2012 21:01:15 | More by DaftCaskBC

jlindros

Massachusetts

4.08/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Oooh, new St. Bernardus, can't wait to try it.

Pours a huge frothy bubbly 1.5 finger head that layers across the beer well, fading at a med pace with lots of soapy lacing, fairly hazy honey orange colored beer.

Nose starts with wheat, interesting wit like aromas, fluffy wheat with a touch of wet hay like malts, and light amber toasty sweet malts, then light spices, little yeasty aroma, some citrus orange peel, and fruity aromas.

Taste starts with lots of fluffy malts, a little creamy even, with plenty of wheat flavors, light sweet and toasty amber malts, hint of banana and biscuit, just a bit of wit like spices with some orange peel and juicy citrus like flavors, and a bit of fruity flavors again. As it warms nice Belgian golden malt flavors and light esters come through, with light apple flavor. The huge amount of carbonation helps it dance off the tongue and feel fluffy and light like it's just floating on my tongue. A nice bitterness starts to come through as it moves to the finish. The finish is dry but a bit sweet tasting, light lingering orange zest and spices, and bit of wheat.

Mouth is med bodied, very fluffy and airy from tons of carbonation.

Overall not bad, nice flavors, wheat, malts, yeast, fruit, citrus, spices, etc. Not a show stopper, but a nice drinking summer beer with full flavor and nice fluffy feel.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2012 01:20:58 | More by jlindros

julian89

Georgia

4.2/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The start to a very good evening of beer tasting, this one provided by my buddy Scudder.
Bottle into pint glass
Appearance- Pours a typical hazy opaque orange/yellow color. An excellent 2 inch head with great retention. A fair amount of lacing. A beautiful wheat beer.

Smell- A lovely floral spiced hop character with a great toasty wheat smell. Fairly typical though.

Taste- Lots of floral hops mix. The citrusy lemon taste is almost as if lemon zest was added to my beer right now.

Mouthfeel- Fairly light with great carbonation. Could use a little zing from ABV.

Drinkability- It's a great wheat beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2012 22:26:31 | More by julian89

womencantsail

California

4.33/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The pour is a lightly hazed golden yellow color with a huge white head. Really a great nose. Tons of sweet bread and biscuit malt, coriander, yeast, and banana. There’s some pear and apple along with a mild citrus peel aroma. The flavor is pleasantly sweet with a strong biscuit malt character. Good fruitiness of pear, apple, and particularly banana. There is a light citrus note and good spices, particularly coriander. Nice high carbonation to the beer, too.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2012 20:53:08 | More by womencantsail

ikantspel

California

4.33/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750 ml into a duvel tulip

Pours a hazy golden color with a monstrous foaming head that settles down quick and leaves some sticky lacy residue

Spice, clove, orange peel and sweet belgian yeast in the nose

Clove to start with some citrus and spice to finish. Not too sweet.

Definitely drinkable. Blows away any wit ive had before. Why did they make this a single batch!

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2012 04:15:40 | More by ikantspel

mscudder

Georgia

4.15/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Seems like I am the first one to review the bottle! I must say I was quite excited when I saw this in my local shop. Poured into a traditional pint. Best by 24.08.13. I like the artwork on the bottle as well. The explanation on the rear also was a nice little read; in short saying "this beer has been created for the opening of the St Bernardus Tokyo pub in Kanda..."

A - Super cloudy yellow with a sharp gradient of color as it approaches the center of the body and up towards the head. Thin pale head with little lace and retention.

S - Orange peel, touches of banana and bubblegum, malts,grains and some floral spices round it out.

T - Almost tastes on the lines of a Hefeweizen although blended with apple cider. Follows all the notes from the nose and comes together quite nicely. I must say I am sold on the taste.

M - Light malt backbone leads to a fairly large light body. Carbonation is a bit high for my liking leading to a heavy amount of a fizzy/crisp feel.

O - Another all around good beer with some nice flavors going on. For the style this is definitely a winner.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2012 04:06:50 | More by mscudder