Ale Street News Online

“The jail must be open again,” cracked the owner. Seated at a front row table to this carnival of life was the ASN tasting panel, drinking it all in along with an array of refreshing Wit beers.

There were no big upsets at this tasting, but all of the beers were in great shape and scored pretty closely. The perennial favorite and benchmark for the style, Hoegaarden won first place of the tasting, closely followed in second place by the only other Belgian offering, Steenbruge Wit (happened to be on tap at the bar). Two Jokers Double Wit from Boulevard Brewing received third place. 

Hoegaarden Original White Ale, 4.9%, Hoegaarden, Belgium: First place of the tasting. Very pale hazy straw color, with good lacing. Grainy nose, with undertones of coriander, mint, cucumber, and corn silk. “Fluffy malt — really nice. Then citrus, lingering. Spritziness balances malt. First one with creamy malt and balanced spice.” “Flavors of lemon, banana, and pine nuts. Light, refreshing, very good.” 4.5 stars Steenbruge Wit, 4.8%, Brouwerij Palm NV, Belgium. Second place of the tasting. Pale golden hue with light haze, and low head retention. A mixed bag of spicy aromas like pepper, lemon, clove, ginger, verbena, and toasted grains. “Sweetness comes through first, followed quickly by pepper and coriander, then citrus. Very complex, unfolds slowly to reveal changing flavors.” “Sweet/dry, well balanced with long finish and good carbonation.” 4.5 stars 

Two Jokers Double Wit, 8%, Boulevard Brewing, Kansas City, MI: Third place of the tasting. Golden/yellow color, slight haze. Spicy, alcohol nose with coriander, grains of paradise, ginger, malt and nutmeg. “Initial taste is a jumble of sweet, tart and spicy. Dried apricot, fresh peach, wine-like tartness. Spices linger in the finish.” “Spicy ginger up front, Alcohol prominent, flavor all over the place.” 4 stars Witte, 5.1%, Brewery Ommegang, Cooperstown, NY: Pale straw appearance, poured with good head that quickly dissipated. Fine, light aromas of grainy sweetness, citrus, and pepper. “Spritzy, light bodied, clean, dry finish. Spiciness lingers a bit too long for the light body.” “Pleasant beer, balanced. Maybe could use a bit more body and alcohol.” 4 stars 

Orchard White, 5.7%, The Bruery, Placentia, CA: Fairly clear golden color, poured with a large fluffy head that lasted well. Aromas of orange, clove, lavender, chamomile, cucumber, apples, and grains of paradise. “Not much spice bitterness in flavor, but I do get cinnamon and a light phenol. Really unusual beer, well made.” “Almost gruit like. Experimental wit? Would be good with food.” 3.5 stars 

Black Orchard, 5.7%, The Bruery, Placentia, CA: A dark wit beer. Surprising dark brown/black appearance (cognitive dissonance), poured with a big creamy, off-white head. Malty, toasty nose with apples, chocolate, pepper, mint, and caramel. “Very pleasant, chocolate malt roastiness up front, then fruitiness kicks in. Citrus finish, clean.” “Very unusual and flavorful. I think they pulled it off.” 3.5 stars 

Allagash White, 5.0%, Allagash Brewing Co., Portland, ME. Hazy golden lemon color, poured with a rocky head that fell quickly. Light lemon peel nose with undertones of ginger, malt, coriander, and flowers. “Mouthwatering tropical fruit flavor, ginger, little sweetness. Slightly bitter short finish.” “Malt sweetness up front, good mouthfeel. Touch of hop bitterness with spice in dry finish. Slight astringency.” 3.5 stars 

Michelob Shock Top Belgian White, 5.2%, Anheuser-Busch, St. Louis, MO: Golden straw color, very cloudy with tight head that doesn’t last. Sweet nose with acetic tang and undertones of honey, lemongrass, orange, black pepper, and herbal and floral spices. “Starts with coriander and orange but no middle. Heavy carbonation. Orange is nice, but doesn’t gel.” “Very citrusy, too much. Could use more malt.” 3 stars 

Double Wit, 8.1%, Great Divide Brewing Co., Denver, CO: Nice pop from the cap, poured a hazy orangish golden hue with a solid head. Grainy biscuity malt aroma with burnt sugar, sulphur, spicy and floral notes. “Malt sweetness right up front, then spice kicks in to mellow it. Still, sweetness dominates without tartness to balance.” “Creamy malt flavor, bit of soap. Nice beer, hides alcohol well. A bit spicy.” 3 stars 

Mothership Wit, 4.8%, New Belgium Brewing Co., Fort Collins, CO: Very pale straw appearance with slight haze, and low head retention. Coriander, perfumey, lemon/citrus floral aroma with ginger and banana leaf undertones. “Body somewhat thin, not supporting the tartness. Hint of lactic acid. Mellow spices.” “Spicy, yeasty creamy mouthfeel. Light, spritzy. Drinkable and refreshing.” 3 stars 

Winter White, 7.2%, Long Trail Brewing Co., Bridgewater’s Corners, VT. Pale lemon color, fairly clear, no head to speak of. Spicy nose of coriander, grains of paradise, pepper, ginger, nutmeg, with slight floral and citrus notes. “Pickled ginger, lemon, pepper, and apple. Odd spicing.” “Interesting combination of spicy aroma with a very floral flavor, but ultimately not very balanced.” 3 stars 

Zon, 4.4%, Boulevard Brewing, Kansas City, MI: Turbid, very pale straw appearance, very little head. White pepper, ginger, citrus, coriander nose with light clove and possibly grains of paradise. “Flavors of lemon rind, lemongrass, bay leaf, anise, and under ripe pineapple. Dry, clean, and refreshing.” “Spritzy, even though there isn’t much head. Carbonation leads into not much middle. C02 burn lingers — could be grains of paradise?” 3 stars 

Alaskan White, 5.3%, Alaskan Brewing Co., Juneau, AK. Golden straw color, hazy, with a light head that quickly disappeared. Coriander, floral slightly carbonic aroma with orange blossom and coconut underneath. “Banana bread/cake flavor, pleasant enough. A little watery, but drinkable.” “Flavor doesn’t deliver. A bit flat, expected more spiciness from the nose, but clean, drinkable.” 2.5 stars 

Regrettably two beers were overlooked in the cold room and did not make it into the panel. I did, however, sample them after the fact:

My Garden Wit, Gaslight Brewing Co., South Orange, NJ: Very clear light straw color, good carbonation, rocky head. Very light aroma of spices. Spritzy flavor, a bit bland. Very dry finish, and very clean overall. Good lawnmower beer.

Witface, Bastone, Royal Oak, MI: Pale blonde, moderately hazy, big pillowy head that stuck around. Classic wit nose w/ Curacao orange peel and coriander. Tart orange in flavor also, lingers thru to finish, soft malt body is very inviting, dragonfruit flavor at end also. Nice beer!