Troublette

Tucked quietly away in the picturesque Wallonian province of Namur, Brasserie Caracole produces a number of artisanal Belgian ales including Troublette. More subtle than other witbiers, Troublette’s aroma is an alluring mélange of tangy lemon zest, Tellicherry peppercorns, and cotton candy. Underneath, spicy Saaz hops peek through, lending complexity to the nose. Rick was knocked out by the bold coriander and sweet lemonade aromas and felt the herbaceous bitter orange peel notes helped soften the impact. The low wheat character, however, put him off as he found the nose to “lack the complexity of a classic wit.” Pete managed to tease out some sweet, cake-like malt as the sample warmed. Like Rick, though, he felt it was too low to tame the fruit and spice. A shimmering sunshine yellow glassful, Caracole flaunts the expected milky white haze and sports a generous, long-lasting meringue-like head. Brimming with notes of clove, white pepper, ripe papaya, and citric acidity, the flavor is more assertive than the nose suggests. The crisp, tart wheat and fluffy malt expected of the style are steamrolled by the intense fruitiness. Lee enjoyed the concentrated fruit and spice flavors, but he found the underlying lemon acidity yielded a finely balanced flavor, although low on malt. Tom agreed with Lee on the overall fruitiness, and opined the beer would benefit from a “little less of everything but wheat.” He also felt the sweet fruitiness left the body much too full for what is traditionally a lighter style. Troublette is a satisfying brew, ideally suited for afternoons in the countryside.