Inconspicuous Delight

Witkap Pater

On first inspection this bottle of beer looks like any other Abbey-style Dubbel brown beer. In fact, it's so inconspicuous, you may be forgiven for thinking you can see the bottle of beer that's sat behind it on the shelf (yes ok I buy online but I'm trying to paint a picture here, people). It looks cheap. Very cheap. But, what's that!? Is it a... No! It can't be. It's a monk on the label! Well blow me down. In fairness he looks a little Robin Hood-y and he's got a white hood on. He's not fat, bald or cheery so I suppose I'm being harsh.

Ok, you guessed it, I wasn't really expecting any great shakes from this beer. But, hey, you've got to give everything a chance. That's what I'm doing: sifting the wheat from the chaff. 

Pouring this beer presents no surprises; there's a fairly deep brown colour and a nice, tightly bubbled head which sticks around for a bit. The aroma is what takes you back; this beer must have been dry-hopped with some very citrussy hops. Think Sierra Nevada, think Little Creatures. Amarillo, Centennial hops and the type have been used. You wouldn't think it'd go in a Abbey-style Dubbel but it does, except that, in my opinion, it kind of stops it being an Abbey-style beer. Nonetheless, it's a hybrid of some kind that really works well.

It retains the thick, creamy texture you'd associate with Belgium. It's still got the sweetness which is just right, but in this beer's case, the hops give it that dry, refreshing sensation you'd associate with US brown ale. It really goes down easily!

Of course, there are sacrifices. You don't get the sweet banana aromas and certainly none of warm, malty goodness that you'd expect. But as an alternative it certainly shines as an experiment gone very well. Its also got its own idiosyncrasies; there's a very gentle, smoky, musty aroma to it as you go down the glass. The sort of smell that reminds you that it's handmade, with a kind of barnyard feel to it. More your Nan's cellar as opposed to funky goat's cheese.

This is an every day drinker that won't disappoint your taste buds or your thirsty mouth. The bottle certainly doesn't make it stand out from the pack but its well-put-together character means it should. Oh, yeah, the brewery's called Slaghmuylder (snigger).

Witkap Pater 8.5

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