Blanche Des Honnelles [Brasserie Des Rocs Blanche Double] - Brasserie de l'Abbaye des Rocs s.a.

GONZALOYANNA

Spain

4.25/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

330ml bottle. Snifter glass. Revisited on jul´12. Pours pale golden in color & foggy appearance. Crown is wide, creamy, white in color. Nice lacing on sides. Raw wheat, orange, coriander & floral hop aromas. Dry grainy upfront smoothed by creamy sensation of fresh bread & honey touches. Medium to light body. Lively carbonation. Oily texture. Slight astringency & acidity from raisins & pepper in the middle underlies into the lasting sweet finish. Refreshing & easy drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2012 21:11:05 | More by GONZALOYANNA

rarbring

Sweden

3.45/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A clear light amber, a warm off-white head, little lacing but some curtains.

The smell is very yeasty, grape-fruit and lime soda, some vinegar and spice.

Starting with sweet cardamom bun, then bitter orange marmalade.

A medium carbonation, small foamy bubbles, a sour dry finish.

A bit sweet, but rather refreshing, better with food than as a thirst quencher.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2012 17:59:35 | More by rarbring

thepeter

United Kingdom (England)

3.4/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured light straw colored with a fluffy head that had great retention. Smell and taste were both lacking in terms of spice and fruit flavor. They were their but way in the backround. I got some banana and a little citrus. Just expected more. Very Refreshing but still would have liked more complexity. Some may call this subtle, I thought it wasw bland. Still very refreshing, light and fresh on the palate. Overall not one of my favorites but a very nice beer for nice weather.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2012 11:23:01 | More by thepeter

Sunnanek

Sweden

3.95/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours warm golden, only slightly hazy. A rather large white airy head sinks into decent lacings.

S: Light banana, ripe and sweet, from the wheat. Coriander and citric notes. Some grass. Yeast.

T: Almost dryness from the malt, then there is the held back sweetness from the wheat; ripe bananas. Yeast and spices; mainly coriander and white pepper.

M: Aftertaste is rather long for the style, bitter. Body is light but not as light as usually in this style; probably this is caused by the high ABV – and therefore higher grade of malt/wheat. Carbonation is rich, but very smooth.

O: A very interesting Witbier; way more body and wheat/malt than usually – if the style DoppelWit was possible this would be it!

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2012 11:54:51 | More by Sunnanek

CopeTech

California

4.5/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This 750ml bottle was either poured wrong or had been handl;ed in a way that produced a lot of sediment, but the blanche double shown through.

Just a sweet lovely beer. Bought locally at Whip In, the owner says it may be along time before this comes back

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2012 05:43:04 | More by CopeTech

rvdoorn

Netherlands

4.03/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Look: the beer pours a nice dark hazy orange color with a fluffy head.
Smell: Wheat, citrus, honey, yeast, grass and some coriander.
Taste: Wheat, citrus, yeast, pepper, coriander.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, medium carbonation.
Overall: Nice brew, a bit stronger in taste than most others in the style

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2011 19:52:35 | More by rvdoorn

eduardolinhalis

Switzerland

3.9/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

330ml bottle served in a chalice.

A: Pours a cloudy beige color which is darker than other witbiers I've had. Head is big and creamy when poured. The retention is good. Never disappears completely. No lacings left

S: Smell is spicy (pepper and coriander mainly), sweet and citric. The Belgian yeasts are quite present (which is a "Des Rocs" trademark for me). When shook in the nose, you can also feel wheat, fruits, herbs and honey

T: Wheat. A bit sweet. Dry citric hops. Yeasts. Spices (pepper and coriander). The end is dry, citric and bitter

M: Medium and creamy body. Reasonable carbonation. Dry bitter aftertaste

O: Great beer. No (bad) surprise

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2011 14:18:44 | More by eduardolinhalis

mynie

Indiana

3.48/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Impossible to say how old this is. I bought it from Parti-Pak in Indianapolis--AKA the store that still sells Billy Beer and intentionally rubs the expiry dates off of their stock. I *think* the bottle says its good until 2018, which is a bold goddamn statement, and a hint that this was probably produced in 08. Anyhow, it's obviously meant to be aged, so even with its low-ABV I figure it's fair to review.

Pours very dark for a wit. Much more gold than white, with a tightly packed, voluminous bright-white head.

Smells spicy, with a strong backend aroma of the pleasant fruitiness you get with beers that are meant to be aged. Big fruitiness, too; lots of malted plums, prunes, and apples. If you had blindfolded me and stuck this beneath my nose, I would have guessed it was a dubble.

Tastes more wheaty, and unfortunately not as evenhanded as the aroma. Starts out like a wit--peppery wheatmalt, corriander--moves into a yeasty, fruity middle, and ends with a not-too-pleasant burniness that belies its low ABV.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2011 04:48:32 | More by mynie

ThaCreep

Belgium

2.88/5  rDev -25.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Lemon in the nose with a slight wheat. The mouth is in the register of Witbier, and one wonders where this is a little white double as a mixing body and lack of spice, and this significantly it seems. Just a little peppery flavor (but a little behind) and a starchy aftertaste. A bit far from the standard Hoegaarden, whether normal or special.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2011 20:33:22 | More by ThaCreep

jeranbrews

New York

3.38/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - The body sits snugly as a cloudy lemon honey with medium low white head with just a bit of lacing.

S - banana peel plus sweet-n-sour tarts, a vanilla cake frosted with sour cream icing.

T - sour with yeast. a bit of a citrus aftertaste. drying very drying.

M - Frothy. thick chewy, but leaves the mouth a bit dry.

D - overall pleasant and at the right price I'd get it again. It's a bit strong both in alcohol and in potency. The dryness makes you thirsty for something else. This is the kind of beer that would be good to sell at a restaurant because as soon as this touched my tongue I was thirsty for anything.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2010 09:25:33 | More by jeranbrews

BobZ

Massachusetts

4.38/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750ml 25.4 Oz. bottle. And I finished the bottle myself.

Appearance: Nice amber but the snow-globe of floaties that this brewery is known for. Not much of a head and minimal lacing.

Smell: Sweet and very interesting spicy like a tripel; I don't really pick-up any citrus.

Taste: Again, like a sweet tripel, rich, flavorful, great beer and very unique flavor profile for a Belgian Wit, again not getting a heavy citrus flavor, just a nice sweetness which is not cloying at all.

Mouth feel: Well carbonated, the sediment can pile up near the end.

Drinkability: Great, flavorful beer. Could easily down a few, especially in the warm months.

Ok, another very good beer from Abbaye des Rocs
you just need to get past the floaties (as usual).

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2010 01:59:27 | More by BobZ

mdagnew

United Kingdom (Northern Ireland)

4.13/5  rDev +7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

330ml bottle bought from Belgianshop.com

Poured a hazy light copper colour with lots of yeasty chunks as is usual for L'Abbaye des Rocs beers. White head poured quite small with tight bubbles then faded very quickly to very light layer.. sparse carbonation bubbles drift slowly to the surface... light lacing...

Aroma - Quite grassy, light juicy fruits (apples and bananas), quite a lot of honey sweetness for a witbier, wet hay notes, some creaminess, light corn notes, very faint coriander spiciness, peppery, spicy yeast..

Taste - Light, quite watery, juicy fruits (lemons, apples), some creaminess, salty notes, grassy, faint pepperiness, caramel and sugar sweetness, some banana, light wheatiness, yeasty, faint clove and coriander, bready..

Feel - Quite smooth and creamy with a just a little bite underneath... light bodied... Very drinkable - would be excellent on a summers day...

Overall - A pretty good and slightly different Belgian Witbier and another fine brew from L'Abbaye des Rocs... recommended...

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2010 10:23:05 | More by mdagnew

EatsTacos

Yukon (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured a hazy, clouded yellow with a thin but bubbly head. Not a lot of lacing here

The aroma is very spiced, with cloves and corriander taking a front seat to the banana and citrus notes in the background.

Again, the taste is first and foremost spiced. Characteristic of a belgian wit and much different from the hefeweizens I've been having lately. There is a good fruitiness in addition to the citrus notes. Some slight piney and hop bitterness in the finish I found unusual.

Mouthfeel: Thin bodied with an assertive carbonation

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2009 15:24:03 | More by EatsTacos

Suds

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A golden hazy color, this beer has a respectable (if just a little disappointingly shallow) white head. The aroma is predominantly of citrus and yeast. Lemon and baking bread, mingled with a little spice and a sweetish, sugary quality. It's an appealing smell. The taste is a lot sweeter than expected, with the tangy, citric qualities a little more muted than I would have likes. Lots of malt flavor, and the spice is not immediately present in the taste. However, as the beer warms, the coriander does come out in the flavor (although it's not one of the beers dominant qualities). Yeast is notable in the taste. The mouthfeel is thicker than other beers of the style, and the sweetness only adds to the sensation. Although it's reasonably good, it's not what I expected. Although I know that this beer is marketed as a 'double wit', the sweetness and thickness could be toned down a little...it would make the beer much more drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2009 20:36:03 | More by Suds

tmoneyba

Ohio

3.68/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle from River's Bend.

Poured hazy white with an average frothy white head that mostly lasted with fair lacing. Moderate yeasty citrus aroma. Medium body with a light sticky texture and particles. Medium citrus, yeasty and spice flavor with a medium sweet finish of moderate duration.

My expectations where met.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2008 13:11:46 | More by tmoneyba

nick76

Florida

3.23/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

The aroma has coriander, bananas, bubble gum, yeast, and wheat malt. The appearance is amber with a three finger white head. The flavor is like the aroma with a somewhat fruity taste. The palate is thin but OK for the style with a light pepper aftertaste. Overall it's nice and different but not great.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2008 05:01:48 | More by nick76

wl0307

United Kingdom (England)

4.15/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Purchased from the Beers of Europe, a quality online beer shop in the UK. BB 2010, served lightly chilled in a broad-rimmed goblet.

A: pours a murky, dark orangey to light amber hue, topped with a fluffy white foamy head dispersed with some dirty spots of yeast sediments, while the carbonation comes lively and constant.
S: very light caramely notes surround the refreshing wheat-ish theme, orangey fruitiness, light banana-oil and sugar-cane juice, with faint notes of coriander seed and boiled sweet potato well-hidden in the background. Very different from most other ordinary Witbier, that this one is thicker and more dense in aroma, while less spicy overall.
T: a super-refreshing wave of sour-sweet wheat-ish and bready flavour prevails upfront, immediately followed by a semi-dry yeasty palate consisting of white pepper, orangey-peels, floral esters, a faint touch of coriander seed, and an undertone of soaked honey toast... pretty clean, semi-dry and slightly tangy in the finish.
M&D: the fluffy texture of mild carbonation on top of a solid body of maltiness is the key to the consistently pleasant drinking experience, unlike many other witbiers that are prone to a watery and thin palate; where there are less spicy elements in the flavour, the full-er malty taste makes up for it, and the clean palate serves as a lively witness to the good work of multiple fermentation (the bottle says "triple"). All in all, this is one of very few samples of this style that I think I would take the pleasure of drinking perhaps more than a litter!

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2008 21:21:33 | More by wl0307

jujubeast6000

Texas

3.2/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed 11/12/2007 (bottle):

Pours a light brown clear color. Big foamy whitish head. Floral aroma, some spices, maybe some grapefruit, but weak overall. Some effervescence. Floral, taste. Fizzy mouthfeel. Light. Spices go well with spicy tacos. Very light, watery taste.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2008 17:06:51 | More by jujubeast6000

roblowther

Texas

4.38/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

750ml, clear pale gold with minimal head & not much lace. It smells, in the words of my friend Jake, like "the best smelling fart ever". Skunky lager like at first, but after a bit of breathing, you get caramel, nuts, apricots. The taste is nutty, woody, a hint peppery, and very nicely balanced between sweet & dry. Very good! The mouthfeel is nicely carbonated and slick. The drinkability is very good with a balanced flavor that makes you want more the same way that malted milk balls do. I'm starting to regret sharing that bottle with Jake...

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2008 00:41:10 | More by roblowther

dsa7783

New Jersey

3.58/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

750 ML bottle purchased for $7.99 from State Line Liquors in Maryland...
Appearance was mediocore at best - I was really expecting more for a Belgian Witbier...
A slow and steady pour yielded a bright-orange hue, very different from your typical representation of the style, with no carbonation, hardly any head, and minimal lacing to say the least...
Smell replete with oranges, spiked fruit, and spices...
Taste strongly resembled the aroma, bursting with tangerines, nectarines, tropical fruit, slight grapefruit, and a noticeable bitterness and pepper essence present on the tongue...
Mouthfeel was more loose and watered-down than I had anticipated and drinkability was good but not great, especially due to the modest ABV...
Different than your average Witbier for sure...
Mediocore - nothing special...

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2008 00:55:12 | More by dsa7783

joepais

Maine

3.13/5  rDev -18.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Large bottle poured into a Duval tulip produced a large billowy head on top of an cloudy orange body.

Aromas of Belgian yeast and light citrus fruit

The flavor starts of fruity and ends with a light spicy bitter

Medium body light carbonation

Its drinkable but not one of my favorites from this brewery

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2008 15:42:35 | More by joepais

Gueuzedude

Arizona

3.48/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Best before end of 2008; Sampled January 2008
Lots of carbonation causes this beer to foam up as I pop the cap, not so fast that I am not able to easily get this into my glass though. The beer is topped by a frothy, four-finger thick, pale, off-white colored head. The beer is a brilliantly clear, light honey color that shows a beautiful, polished, bright copper hue when held up to the light. Aromas of honey-like malt, sweet & grassy grain and a touch of crushed soda cracker notes round out the malt character. Spicy notes of orange zest, ginger, white pepper and citrusy coriander play quite a big role in the aroma. The combination of citrus and coriander definitely play the most prominent role in the aroma.

The beer is quite effervescent still as it foams up upon crossing my lips and hitting my tongue. Lightly sweet, honey like malt notes intermingle with ample citrus notes. The beer is quite light and refreshing with all of the carbonation, but underneath this the beer sticks to the mouth just a bit; letting you know that this is not your typical Wit. Grassy grain notes mix with a light herbal spiciness and a very clean, coriander note in the finish. By clean coriander I mean it does not have that earthy, exaggerated spice note that low quality coriander does. Though as the beer warms this actually changes quite a bit; the coriander not becomes much more dominant and actually a bit too much of it is present.

As the beer loses its peppery carbonation it gains a little body and definitely becomes a bit sweeter. Not a bad beer, it certainly has a much larger flavor profile, along with increased alcohol, than your typical Wit, but for some reason I am not all that enamored of this. Some how it seems a touch flabby and it has lost some of that quaffability that I would like for a Wit to have.

Purchased: Plaza Liquors, Tucson AZ

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2008 00:06:56 | More by Gueuzedude

goochpunch

Texas

4.47/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours out a hazy brass with lively bubbles that feed that fluffy, creamy, whipped egg-white head. Leaves some speckled lacing. Has a nice, cweet, orange aroma with accentuating coriander and a wheaty graininess that sets off the sweet aroma really well. Crips in the nose with no real weird "off" aromas. Some herbal/floral hop is in the nose as well. Flavor has a lovely breadiness with notes of honey and white raisins. Has a creamy taste to it to go with the citrus notes of the coriander and orange peel, making this taste like a Creamsicle. Finishes with a very "green" herbal and earthy hop. Very dry in the finish. Mouthfeel is very creamy in the carbonation department and has a bit of weight to it. Leaves a little sweet stickiness, which is my only gripe here. Drinkability is just fine, but the sweetness found in this beer becomes a little much as I make my way down the 750 ml.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2007 23:24:30 | More by goochpunch

katan

Colorado

3.03/5  rDev -21.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured out of an undated 25 oz bottle, capped and corked.

A - Pours a darker golden brown color - not necessarily in line with the style. Had alot of carbonation that faded quite quickly. Has a little bit of residual bubbling.

S - Wow a potent smell. I thought of apples. I think there is some alcohol in the background. All and all I think its fruity - apples or oranges.

T - Up front there isn't much taste there - it finishes with a malt flavor that is fairly strong. Not much bittering or spicing. The taste of this one doesn't track very well with the style. Its more sour like a saison.

M - Not much body in this one - I can drink it down easy. Its very light. Although after some tongue time, it does reveal its hidden carbonation.

D - An interesting beer that I'm not sure I could drink more than one of. All and all I'm not certain that the high carbonation would make it very drinkable to me.

I don't think I'll be back at the door of this beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2007 05:16:47 | More by katan

thierrynantes

France

3.43/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Beer bottle (33 cl), tasted in 2000.
Appearance: golden colour, creamy foam
Smell: delicate nose of wheat and malt
Taste and mouthfeel: very soft and velvety on the palate, flavors of wheat and citrus, a slight acidity
Drinkability: good beer in the style Witbier

Review added 11-24-2007, translated from french 1-26-2008.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2007 20:50:31 | More by thierrynantes