Hoegaarten Whitbier

My sister being a huge Stella Artois fan apparently decided that I was harsh on Belgian beer, and gave me a Belgian Beer gift pack for Christmas. Inside was a bottle of Stella Artois, Leffe and Hoegaarten complete with their respective glasses and a pimp bottle opener. As I personally love weissenbier, I decided to properly review these Belgian favourites starting with Hoegaarten whitbier (which in my opinion came with the coolest glass of the three). Hoegaarten is described on the label as "a delicious and surprisingly refreshing taste", and has apparently been brewed since 1445.

I washed the glass out and poured the beer according to the directions. It is definately "white" which I chalked up to the lack of filtration the Belgians are famous for. The cloudy yellow-brown liquid did not look that much unlike the colour of my urine following my recent week-long bender in Las Vegas (what do expect from a desert city that sells $1.00 Michelobs???). I shed that disgusting memory and tipped the glass back. This is definately no Schneider Weiss. The beer was inoffensive enough, but has an odd citrus finish, like someone had squeezed a lemon into it. I am sure by now most people are aware that I don't much care for fruit in my beer, but this is more like a Corona with lime than some horrid concoction like Blackcurrant Rye Beer. Outside the slight lemon flavour, there was no discernable aftertaste at all which made the beer rather refreshing, but it is a shallow profile with little going on outside the lemony finish. I think this one could be good on a summer patio moreso than a late December evening. Still, I have to say I am still looking for that fabled Belgian beer that will blow me away. Next up: Leffe!