From starting out as a cheese factory that was converted into a brewery by the nearby Monks of St Sixtus to brew their Trappist beers under a licence which was revoked in 1992, the St Bernardus brewery has carved out a special place in the Belgian beer market.
While they are undoubtedly best known for making the St Bernardus ABT12 to the same recipe as the famous Westvleteren 12 (although the yeasts are now different, with St Bernardus using the Westvleteren yeast and Westvleteren using Westmalle yeast), there are many of the St Bernardus beers that feature in the ‘best of’ selections.
Their witbier is one such example, and while it isn’t my favourite Belgian Witbier – that spot is reserved for the mighty Blanche De Namur by Brasserie Du Bocq – it probably takes second place in my book for traditional Belgian wits.
Unfiltered, it pours a cloudy straw colour and throws off big notes of clove, coriander, orange peel and a grainy malt. All these aromas follow through in the flavour with a nice grainy malt backbone supporting a spicy, herbal character and just enough hop bitterness to keep the beer light and prickly on the tongue.
This beer was developed in collaboration with Pierre Celis, the man who originally brewed Hoegaarden and is considered the saviour of this Belgian beer style. No surprise then that the St Bernardus Wit is a decent example of this traditional Belgian style.
Witbier with grapefruit and orange zest, kaffir lime leaves and coriander
The 'Witteke' is a typical beer from the past; a cloudy unfiltered, aromatic witbier.
Great example of a Belgian Witbier, voted 'Worlds Best Wheat Only Wheat Beer' in 2009.
Brasserie Du Bocq's classic witbier with fresh raspberry juice added
by Brasserie de l'Abbaye des Rocs
An intriguingly moreish Double Witbier from Abbaye des Rocs
by Brouwerij Corsendonk (at Brasserie Du Bocq)
The Belgian witbier from Corsendonk
A powerful yeast creates a sweet and dry wheat beer, technically classed as a 'Double White'.
A new beer for Brasserie De La Senne is their take on a traditional Belgian wit
An interesting Belgian Witbier, adhering to the Gruit style of using herbs and spices instead of hops
by Brouwerij Hoegaarden (AB-InBev)
The classic Belgian witbier created in the 1960's by Pierre Celis
Four grains are used to produce this fantastic 'Double White' from KleinBrouwerij De Glazen Toren.
An imperial witbier, brewed with barley, wheat, oats and buckwheat, and the addition of coriander and curaçao
by Brasserie de Jandrain-Jandrenouille
A tasty Belgian style witbier, with a slightly heavier hopping for a lingering bitterness
A typical Belgian witbier with loads of orange and lemon citrus and a little coriander
A refreshing witbier 'hopped' with a healthy dose of jasmine
A tasty little Witbier from the province of Limburg in north-east Belgium
A witbier with orange peel, dry hopped with Mosaic hops
A biggish witbier, with the typical aroma and flavours of banana, citrus and coriander
A cross between a Belgian Witbier and a German Weisse Bier, with the addition of the juice from blood oranges
A Belgian witbier originally made in 2012 as a one-off special, revived in 2020
by Brouwerij Palm (Swinkels Family Brewers)
A classic Belgian witbier, brewed with a great mix common for all the Steenbrugge beers
by Brouwerij Palm (Swinkels Family Brewers)
A Belgian witbier made using 40% unsalted wheat, 60% barley, coriander, curaçao orange and a mix of spices
A take on a classic Belgian witbier with a native Sicillian touch
A witbier with barley, wheat and oats, with added real watermelon
A classic Belgian witbier from our anything-but-classic Dutch brewery
A traditional Witbier, from the 'Brewer's Town' of Watou; crisp, light and refreshing.
The showpiece quadrupel of the St Bernardus Brewery - as close to Westvleteren 12 as you can get without the real thing.
The most recent creation from St Bernardus, it is everything a dark Christmas ale should be.
The Pater 6 from St Bernardus is in the Belgian dubbel style
A premium dubbel style beer, packed full of deep rich flavours and aromas.
A Belgian witbier originally made in 2012 as a one-off special, revived in 2020
An Abbey Ale in the classic Trappist tripel style - a perfect balance between bitter and sweet.
The 'second' tripel from the St Bernardus brewery is less well known, but still delicious
