Updated and bettered 2010 Imperial White recipe of glutinous golden-browned ‘wheat ale brewed with spices’ takes unlikely stylistic route, forgoing rudiment banana-clove-coriander expectancy for boozy malt-driven tropical-fruited 10% alcohol elixir. Bright hop-spiced, peach-brandied, nectarine-pineapple tang picks up bittersweet cherry-pureed bruised orange viscosity and minty tingle as whiskey-tinted caramel creaminess thickens.
Sunny yellow haze suits tart lemony consistency. Frisky hop fizz tickles tongue and herbal mint-sage adjuncts soften citric-currant bitterness succinctly.
Pale-hazed fluffy-headed Belgian-styled white ale features creamy malt frontage, fruity banana-grapefruit tartness, and tertiary mint-nutmeg tingle. Yeast residue and grain sediment at bottle bottom battles back spicy rose hips/ hibiscus contingent. Not peculiar enough and inessential.
Sunny yellow fruitiness, ripe peach sweetness, and lemon-lime bottom give slightly turbid white ale an unusual Citron vodka smoothness. Bright hops perk up orange rind succor and alcoholic finish for truly unique summer digestif.
Better version of preceding White Ale offers juicy citrus frontage, tangy ripe orange assertion, and sharp hop assurance for sunny-hazed Belgian-styled seasonal. Recurring grapefruit-lemon tartness buttressed by dry wheat bed and herbaceous-floral fling.
Effervescent light-bodied golden-hazed Belgian-styled witbier with noticeable tender yeast sinew, ‘traditional spices,’ and sharp carbolic excess proves to be crisp, clean lawnmower fodder. Coriander and clove permeate sour lemon candied burst, honeyed orange linger, white-peppered green tea illusions, and lemongrass snip. Beneath, dried banana speckles mild eucalyptus oiling.
Weak pale-clouded sunshine-hued off-dry Belgian-style derivative picks up early bubblegum scent and tart grapefruit-orange peel souring. But as tangy lemon bitterness fades, unripe banana invades blunt perfumed hop thrust, sweet clove lag and bread-crusted edge, becoming thin, watery, then metallic. 2011 re-tasting: carbolic Seltzer watering precludes candi-sugared lemony spritz, orange-dried coriander-ginger spicing and herbal tinge.
Iconic moderate-bodied white ale with hazy golden viscosity, cumulous pearly head, and daisy-like floral aroma receives earthen wood-toned herbal spicing. Clove, coriander, ginger, nutmeg and allspice bedeck rosebud-dandelion-lavender bouquet to wheat-flaked mandarin orange finish. Mild banana flourish seeps into tertiary lemon zesting.
Fabulous straw-hazed meringue-headed witbier embeds soured grapefruit, lemon rind and orange peel tang with lively white-peppered coriander-clove pep to candied malt finish. Oncoming apricot-grape-quince tartness and floral hop scamper noted on third passing. Well balanced, thickly viscous, crisply watered summertime perfection. On tap at brewpub, serene hazy golden moderation spreads fruity phenol waft across candi-sugared banana taffy sweetness battling back dry fizz-hopped lemony orange souring and slight clove-spiced herbal minting. Biscuit-y wheat bottom secures soft effervescence
White wine presence overrides herbal-spiced banana-clove-coriander passivity and muted vanilla subtlety to buttery wheat base of cloudy pale-toned bottle-conditioned Belgian moderation. After initial carbolic ticklishness subsides, honeyed orange souring softens silken dry-hopped sequence to lean, flat, citric-squelched finish, retaining understated complexity. Refreshing as a soft drink and perfect as a crossover for light-hearted American golden and pale ale drinkers.
Peculiar turbid yellow belly aligns fruit-spiced malted hops in offbeat manner. Tangy orange peel luster, zesty grapefruit-lemon pith tartness, and black-peppered coriander-clove seasoning embittered by hop-spritzed grain persistence. Grassy hay-leather component found on milder second passing. Better choice than Celis White Ale as toned down carbonation, mountain water briskness, and softening citric finish illuminate better. Perfect with spicy foods or barbecued meat.
While pouring former Blanche des Honnelles, heavy carbolic fizz overflows sour yeast eminence. In fine tradition of grape-vinous white-wined Belgian ales, cloudy rust-hued full body submits aromatic citrus tang to spicy floral hops and herbal mint tinge.