Review: Boréale Double Blanche du Lac Witbier

It was summer of 2006 when I first tried beer by Boréale while I was spending the summer in Quebec City. I really enjoyed their beers as they were incredibly approachable, crafty and affordable ($14 for a mixed pack of 12 beer?! Can't go wrong!) Since then I've wanted to see Boréale in Manitoba but honestly thought it would never make its way to Manitoba. Well, after a 14 year wait, you can finally get Boréale in Manitoba at the Quality Beer Store with Double Blanche du Lac, Pale Ale des Bois and Rousse. Today I'm revisiting their Double Blanche du Lac witbier, a beer I'm already quite familiar with but haven't actually ever reviewed.

Double Blanche du Lac is 6.1% ABV, 30 IBU and brewed with candied orange, fresh grains and has a floral finish.

Appearance: Pours as expected for a Witbier, so pretty much a cloudy orange-to-amber body depending on what angle you look at it at. The beer starts off with a thick amount of beige head to diminish pretty gradually, leaving behind a good layered lacing on the glass as well as a light yet dense head that doesn't diminish until the very end.

Aroma: Grain-forward Witbier with notes of cereal, wheat, a good amount of sweetness. The candied orange gives off a bit of a different sweetness than in most Witbiers, most of them have a very obnoxious orange presence to them but this one is quite sweet but not overpowering, it brings me back memories of Amsterdam Brewing's Oranje Weisse from way back when.

Taste: Sweet and a bit sugary Witbier thanks to the candied orange. This is a witbier where you shouldn't need a wedge of orange.. something I don't understand why pubs and restaurants always put on a glass when ordering a beer of this style. There's a bit of a caramel maltiness to it, as well as a hop presence that is giving off a leafy, hint of tea and slightly bitter presence to the beer, reminding me of an English IPA just a bit. Light amount of lemon.

Overall Thoughts: Solid Witbier. Belgian-style Witbiers used to be one of my favourite styles but most breweries go overkill on the orange zest and coriander, which makes me a bit nauseous.. This one didn't have any coriander that I noticed, while the candied orange gave it an interesting sugary sweetness to it. I hope to see more Boréale beers in Manitoba, and hopefully see IPA du Nord-Est make its way here, even in limited batches only at Quality Beer Store. Santé!