Judge's Review: 91 Rating - Éphémère Strawberry & Rhubarb by Unibroue

Éphémère Strawberry & Rhubarb by Unibroue is an offering with quite intense fruit character, though the base Belgian beer character, particularly the fermentation flavor, is somewhat subtle. Considering that the base beer is a Wit, this is a bit more acceptable. This beer is being evaluated as a Category 29A Fruit Beer as per the 2015 BJCP Style Guidelines with the base beer being a Wit.

An intense fresh strawberry aroma hits you upon popping the bottle, along with a background of a grainy wheat note, as expected for the style. Any rhubarb character is overwhelmed by the fresh strawberry nose. There is very little fermentation character noted in the aroma. The beer is a hazy golden color with a solid white small bubble head with lacing that lingers throughout the drink, again as is typical for the wit style.

The flavor carries through a moderate fresh strawberry flavor with a grainy wheat background.  The strawberry remains the dominant character throughout the drink. No bitterness is noted. The finish is rather sweet, though moderately refreshing, as if you were drinking a fresh fruit juice. The fermentation is very clean with subtle Belgian notes. The body is a light medium, and the carbonation is moderate.  

Overall, the extremely fresh fruit character is the dominant quality of this beer. Strawberry lovers will rejoice with this offering. Though the character of the strawberry seems a bit under-fermented and the overall complexity is rather lacking, this beer still delivers a refreshing summer treat. Cheers and enjoy!