Birrificio Brùton Bianca Witbier at 4.5% ABV | 10 IBU (C$6.29 at Quarry Park Calgary Co-Op, 330 ml, best before 11-May-2018, acquired 13-Oct-2016, reviewed 14-Oct-2016)
Appearance: nearly opaque straw with one fat finger of rocky white head, good retention and moderate lacing. (3/5) Aroma: mild/muted, citrus zest, coriander, yeast, wheat. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild bitter, light tart. (6/10) Medium-light body, lively to moderate carbonation, short duration finish. (3/5)
Well, I wasn’t exactly expecting great things from an Italian Witbier – which is good, because I didn’t get great things. It looked crystal clear in the bottle, with a clearly-visible yeast layer on the bottom. No bottling date, but while the BB date would suggest that perhaps it was bottled in May of 2016, I’m not sure five months would be enough to cause that sort of settling, so maybe it was 2015 – or earlier! (I swirled the last inch or so in the bottle to lift up the yeast and get the proper wit/white appearance.) The mild/muted aromas would certainly be consistent with a longer bottling date, though it did liven up somewhat as the glass progressed and it warmed. Not bad, but not a great example of the style, either – and almost certainly not worth the hefty price tag. (12/20)
6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
