De Glazen Toren Jan De Lichte (3/10)

Periodically, I find myself at odds with the reviewers on Beer Advocate over one brew or another.  There are probably a couple of reasons for that. One is that I don't care much for hoppier beer styles like India Pale Ales (IPAs) or American Pale Ales.  I respect that plenty of people enjoy them, but I am not one of those people. Another is that sometimes a brewer tweaks a particular style of beer in a way that he or she finds pleasant, but which simply doesn't work for me.  In the case of KleinBrouwerij De Glazen Toren's Jan De Lichte witbier, it's probably the second case.

Jan De Lichte pours a cloudy yellow with an enormous, thick white head.  The aroma is a very enticing citrus, and makes me want to start gulping it down.

The flavor is where Jan De Lichte falls down for me, which is puzzling.  It has a mix of elements I usually like:  Curacao oranges, lemon peel, wheat malt, and coriander.  It's also not particularly hoppy.  But it doesn't need to be.  The Curacao oranges and lemon peel bring with them enough bitterness to more than offset the wheat.  It's an acidic bitterness, and for my tastebuds a very unpleasant one.

I appear to be in the minority with this opinion, however.  The reviewers on Beer Advocate and some other sites rate this an exceptional beer.  Maybe I'm missing something, or maybe it's just not a good beer for me.  Either way, I don't plan on ordering it again.

I tried this beer at The Winking Lizard Tavern on Bethel Road.  I've not seen it available for purchase at local retailers.

ABV: 7%
IBU: unknown
My rating: 3/10