Here’s why:

Appearance: Deep maroon and plum colors with bronze accents. Consistent carbonation creates an eye catching Champaign-like quality. The head is continually replaced and offers a nice beige foam at the beginning.

Aroma: Almost like a triple or quad. Very sweet with an immediate hint of freshly pressed grapes. It lacks the alcoholic snap of strong Belgium’s, but the sour notes add a unique aspect to it. Darker fruits present themselves and there is a very faint hint of oak (more sherry-like come to think of it). I guess it smells like a jar of Smucker’s concord grape jelly.

Taste: Sweet, then sour. I think it comes as close to a fruity wine as any beer I’ve tried. Grape notes dominate at the forefront followed by a mellowed oaky sourness. There is no hop presence and the malts fade into the back ground while lending depth. Somewhat spicy at the back of the throat which I guess the flavors are due to the yeast used which is noticeable.

Mouthfeel: Light bodied and clean. While some sourness lingers on the aftertaste the finish is smooth and refreshing. The carbonation provides a bubbly character which lifts the beer from sticking to the palate.

I think this would be a great beer to serve as an aperitif. It has a low enough ABV and fruity/sour complexity to kickoff a party or course meal without making guests feel full or buzzed.

ABV: 5.5%

Grade: A-

Tom: I needed a post-work thirst quencher and Wittekerke was at the rescue. At first glance the short, unique can didn’t make me think much of it. After the pour, what the can lacked in height, the aroma and flavor made up for. It looked like a typical Belgian Wit and the aroma was similar with a light orange zest and coriander spice. The wheat and unfiltered yeast gave a pleasant bready character. I did pick up a minor metallic taste, but it was not enough to hinder the overall appreciation. It’s a refreshingly light bodied, easy sipping, palate cleansing beer. Grade: B

Michael: Pouring from a can has become a bit unconventional in my journey through craft beers, but hey, you never know. The lemonade-colored liquid goodness rushed from the can and quickly formed a puffy sponge of a head that clung to the glass. There was a spicy, effervescent smell with layers of pine, bread and citrus. I expected some generously active bubbles of carbonation, but was instead surprised by the flatness of the brew. It had a thin mouthfeel, which made it easy to down, but the citrus seemed too prevalent to make it sessionable. Grade: C+

Taylor: Belgium isn’t necessarily known for their witbier, but Wittekerke is a decent offering. I first had this beer in the signature Wittekerke mini-glass. It pours straw, with a nice white head that dissipates quickly and leaves significant lacing. The nose is not outstanding, you can make out the yeast and a little bit of citrus. Tastes like a lighter witbier, yeast, malt, and citrus notes. The can I drank (that’s right, this beer is mostly found in cans) was a tad metallic. As is the case with a lot of wheat beers, this beer is best in the summer. It is light, extremely drinkable, and definitely flavorful. Grade: B-

Noel: I was pleasantly surprised by this beer, considering I prefer German wheat beers to Belgian ones. It’s incredibly light…maybe the lightest witbier I’ve ever had, and reminded me a bit of Hoegaarden (sans banana). So don’t expect an onslaught of aromas or flavor. But the taste is refreshing: crisp and lemony, with a little sourness at the end (not sure if that’s from the yeast or the wheat malt). Perfect for a hot summer day, and for those who usually pass on witbiers because of their musty banana and clove tones. Grade: B-

Cyrus: Wittekerke is a very drinkable Belgian Wit beer. What is more fascinating to me than the beer itself, is the story behind. This was actually a “prop” beer featured on a Belgian sit-com that aired twice a week in a highly syndicated television program, called (none other than), Wittekerke. In the show, the actors drank Wittekerke beer. With a boost in popularity from the show, this Belgian Wit has since become one of the best selling Wit beers in Belgium. About the beer: wheat based, hints of lemon/grass, fairly hoppy, pours cloudy (traditional of Belgian Wits because they are unfiltered). This is very much a beer to drink on a hot summer day, refilling your stash while heading into the back nine. Fore! Grade: B

Final Grade: B-

The color is a straw pale with golden highlights and the head is a fluffy white lace. Right away I got an overwhelming sour aroma and that was about it. There was a minor hint of oak and honey, but for the most part all I picked up was tart, sour notes with a low fruitiness (raspberries, cherries). I visited the website on the bottle and it says that there are hints of Sherry because of the aging, but I’ve had sherry before (have a bottle in my cupboard) and description does not hold up in my opinion.

The taste was sour all the way through. As it warmed up I did get a little pale malt flavor, but the finish was tart and sour. This beer made me pucker and cringe to a certain degree. If you’ve seen Dumb & Dumber, you’ll recall the scene where the cop drinks out of the beer bottle after pulling them over. Yeah…that was my reaction. The ABV is 7.3% but it is not noticeable.

I was hoping this beer would turn out to be something along the line of their Oud Bruin and it was not. I pushed passed my disappointment, readjusted my expectation, and could still not find it in me to fully enjoy this beer. It might be great to serve has an aperitif as folk mill around before dinner.

ABV: 7.3%

Grade: C-