Godspeed Goodies--Kiri Belgian Witbier

Kiri Belgian Witbier, from Toronto’s Godspeed Brewery, is a 5.1% Belgian-style wheater sold in 355mL cans. It’s an enthusiastically carbonated and slight hazy beer that pours with a crown of white suds.

Kiri has a yeasty nose, supplemented by notes of orange peel and clove—classic witbier aromatics. The flavour follows the same pattern: yeasty top note, with subtle orange rind and spice elements, as well as some banana esters. The mouthfeel benefits from ample carbonation, giving it an extra refreshing quality.

I’m not a huge witbier guy, so I approached Kiri with some trepidation; however, what I ended up with was four cans of a delightful, bright summery ale. I’d have liked it a bit more if it hit the citrus note a little louder.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Brews From the Six: Belgian Wit

I don’t often find cause to use my witbier glasses during the winter months, but I made an exception for The Six Brewing Co.’s Belgian Wit, so that I could complete my quartet of reviews. Clocking in at 5% alcohol, 6BW is a nicely carbonated golden grog—less cloudy than many beers in the style—under a fluffy white head.

6BW has a cheery banana and yeast scent. It tastes somewhat similar, with a lot of banana esters. Like a classic witbier, this Belgian-style ale has some spicy notes, in the form of clove. However, these aren’t as robust as in some of my fave wits.

I suspect that 6BW will be a big hit in the steamy summer months. On a seasonably chilly March afternoon, it was a bit out of place, though I liked it well enough. If I were pulling the levers, I’d have upped the spice quotient, though that would have sacrificed some of the beer’s quaffability.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Black Bellows' White

In an extremely stylish 500mL bottle comes Black Bellows' White, a 5% alcohol beer brewed in Collingwood, Ontario by Black Bellows Brewing Co. Billed as a take on the Belgian wit, "with a hint of elderflower", this stuff sounded pretty good to me.

The brew initially poured clear, but after a swirl and a secondary pour, the beer took on the cloudy, yeasty look of a conventional wit. It's aroma was yeast-focused, but built around a potent fragrance of spices. Thin at first, the mouthfeel picked up steam on the back end. Flavour was spicy, yet refreshing.

Black Bellows' White was a tasty take on the popular Belgian style. Not particularly memorable, but certainly not flawed in any way, this was simply a well made beer.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.