Back in 2012, Belgium brewer St. Bernardus had brewed a one-off expression to mark the opening of the first St. Bernardus themed cafe that was to be opened in Tokyo, Japan. The cafe, the Brasserie St. Bernardus, remains operational in Chiyoda, however that special edition brew had since become something of a lore! 

And so in 2020, St. Bernardus decided to bring back the commemorative brew, but with a new recipe, which has since been called the St. Bernardus Tokyo. It has an incredibly gorgeous artwork for a label (how could I resist?), which was designed by Belgian illustrator Jonas Devacht, featuring scenes of the Japanese nightlife along the streets of the Kanda District, where Brasserie St. Bernardus continues to reside.

This is an unfiltered ale, brewed with a large amount of wheat, and of course made with the St. Bernardus proprietary yeast. It's said to be something in between a white beer and a saison.

I was really surprised to see this special edition outside of Japan, and so I obviously had to give it a go!

St. Bernardus Tokyo Belgian Wit Ale (Witbier) - Review

Tasting Notes

Colour: Bright Gold

Aroma: Opens clean yet wheat-y, with all those wheat grains, along with a bright outline of citrus, and also a subtle side of medicinal herbaceousness between parsley and cough syrup. Overall bright and light, yet aromatic.

Taste: Richer and fuller here, with quite abit of carbonation. More wheat coming through, along with some of those cooked barley sweetness filling the body. It’s really crisp, with again some oranges outlining it - fruity yet not sweet. There’s a sort of base of isotonic carbonated water or an effervescent tablet. Also some sense of freshly chopped parsley that shows itself ever so briefly.

Finish: Alittle more sweetness here, clean and crisp, more of that effervescent tablet or seltzer, as well as those touches of citrus. Just a slight residual sweetness.

My Thoughts

This is exactly as advertised - it bears the classic St. Bernardus citrusy notes, along with a big wheat presence, taking the form of something reminiscent of a cross between a witbier and a saison. To that end, I found this to be really refreshing, bright yet with a good richness, a pretty vibrant body, and with that good bit of carbonation it always feels really energetic. It's also pretty balanced at that - not being too much of one flavour or the other, whilst keeping that estery quality rather forward.

What I liked most about this besides the balance, is also how crisp it was on the finish. All the richness of the body on the palate carried into the finish and yet somehow it was able to end on a really fresh, clean and crisp note without seeming abrupt. It's like a gymnast that stuck the landing perfectly, or an effervescent wave that broke on the shore just ever so seamlessly. That textural sensation was just absolutely lovely. But all things aside, a nice simple and straightforward refreshing, bright and fruity brew, perfect for a hot day!