I had never even heard of these guys when I saw this bottle on the shelf, so I figured I’d give it a go. I mean, it’s from Belgium. How bad could it be???? Right???
I couldn’t get the website, hoftendormaal.com, translated to English and I couldn’t find any other commercial description about the brew, so I guess we just need to drink it for ourselves and see how it is.
Into the glass it goes.
This beverage comes in a 12.7 oz. bottle and it has an ABV of 8.0%.
It poured a hazy, orange color with an off white cap that was greatly sized. The texture was soapy, rocky and kind of fizzy. The retention time was terrific as was the lacing. A lot of bubbles were seen rising to the top from the bottom of the glass. A very nice looking beer I thought.
The nose expressed hints of lemongrass and a little bit of fruity orange. A very light funkiness was discovered along with a solid dose of wheat as well as some spicy pepper and clove. It had a sturdy backbone of bready malts too. Deep within the aroma, and noticed somewhat after it warmed, I began to discover some sort of a soapy detergent type of fragrance. It didn’t stick around too long though. I’m wondering if that was from my glass. I, literally, had just hand washed it moments before I poured the beer. Oh well, it disappeared after only a few minutes. (I’ll remember to rinse it out better next time for sure).
The taste was much better. A substantial amount of peppery spice really gave it some bite as well as a solid dose of bitterness was had from savors of orange and lemon citrus. An easy going quantity of funk and light sourness started to blend well with the bready/yeasty malts as it warmed a touch. A sound amount of grassy hops were released too. Overall, it seemed to be altogether harmonious and balanced very well.
The mouthfell was medium bodied. Dry, spritzy, lively, refreshing and crisp. The carbonation was very vigorous as well. Just a smidgen of warmth was felt, however I couldn’t determine if that was from the generous supply of peppery spice or the alcohol. No matter. A nice bit of flavor was left covering the roof of the mouth, tongue and throat for a few moments after each sip.
Essentially, I thought this was a very good beer. Aside from the somewhat “off” smell that I received, which could have been from my own carelessness, I found it to be very nice. A great brew for the warmer weather of Summer. It did begin to get pretty spicy at the end, but that wouldn’t deter too much from the ease of drinkability in my opinion. I’d love to pick it up again sometime that’s for sure and I’d suggest that you guys do the same if you see it. So, give the Hof Ten Dormaal White Gold (Wit Goud) a try sometime. You may really enjoy it. I did.
Thanks for reading and commenting everyone. I really appreciate it.
Until next time. Cheers.
Score: 3.8 out of 5
Grade: B+
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