"Blue Moon Brewing Company" a/k/a Coors Brewing Company - Blue Moon Belgian White

Brewed In: Boulder, CO
Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a plastic cup

Blue Moon is an entry by Coors Brewing into the "craft beer" market. It's got nothing to do with craft beer except for the fact that the idea behind it is to try to win customers over who might otherwise go for a craft beer. Either way, it is a welcomed departure from the other macro adjunct lagers produced by Coors and its counterparts.

The beer pours a hazy, almost milky, orange with yeast flakes that float freely in the unfiltered body. The off-white head is fairly small with a creamy consistency. The retention is moderate and leaves small rings of lace. The nose is mildly spicy with a huge orange component. A slightly medicinal sweetness tops the thinnish wheat malt.

The body of the beer is very light with a high carbonation that approaches lagery crispness. Malt flavor is mild with a moderate sweetness. The beer's graininess turns a bit sour on the mid-palate, but is tamped down by the impact of mighty orange flavoring. On the finish the beer is dry with a slight astringency.

Final Verdict: C

Mercury Brewing Company - Clown Shoes - Clementine White Ale

Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a plastic cup

Clementine by Clown Shoes, brewed by Mercury (which also brews Ipswich), pours a light glowing orange body with steadily rising carbonation. The beer appears very cloudy, approaching opaque. The head is a thin white airy light foam with moderate retention. The head does not leave much lace behind. The dry nose is vaguely cellary with a minor sour-like funk. Orangy citrus on the nose sweetens the aroma and lends a light astringency.

Up front a grassy freshness meets light flavorful malts. Orange favor accents light citrusy hops. Mild coriander and white pepper notes mix with an almost ginger-like spiciness. The bold sweetness and spice culminate with a dry finish and a mild tartness. A lasting sweetness and spice profile persist on the slowly fading aftertaste.

Final Verdict: B+

Flying Dog Brewery - Woody Creek White

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a mug

Woody Creek White, from Maryland-based Flying Dog, is an American take on the classic Belgian witbier style. The beer pours a cloudy mild yellow with tons of floating sediment that turns the color flat and opaque. The small wispy white head musters commendable retention and modest lacing. The nose has a mild sweetness with a clear spiciness. Big coriander with a hint of clove is buttressed by a lemony citrus aroma. A mild astringency sneaks in around the edges.

The beer is somewhat herbal with a clear refreshing edge of clean wheat malts. Mild lemon flavoring plays well with a distinct grassiness. The beer seems slightly medicinal on the mid-palate, but wears it well. The fresh grainy finish is sweet, but subdued. A mild spice note lasts nicely on the aftertaste.

Final Verdict: B

Samuel Adams - Imperial White (Imperial Series)

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a mug

Samuel Adams' Imperial White pours a diffuse amber body with lots of free floating yeast. The beer is significantly darker than I was expecting. The thick foam head is lightly creamy with a yeast-speckled complexion on a yellowy tan base. The head retention is moderate, as is the lacing. Massive orange notes dominate the nose. There's a mild astringency to the citrus, which seems like it could be artificial. The wheat malts are sweet and there's a slight spiciness underpinning the aroma.

Sweet up front, the beer has a clear and dominating alcohol character. At 10.5% ABV it's not surprising, but it isn't tempered as one might hope. The orange comes through with an oily extract edge. Moderate coriander spice attempts to round the beer, but seems to call a bit short. Full-bodied wheat malts add some depth and define the sweetness of the beer. The finish is very warm and quite boozy. For the strength of the beer, the alcoholic edge isn't unwarranted, but there's a lack of balance.

Final Verdict: C+

Southampton Publick House - Double White

Southampton Publick House - Double White

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits

Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a mug

The yeast sediment turns Southampton’s take on a witbier from a medium straw to a radiant hazy yellow, with an orangey glow. The medium, creamy white head has great retention and lacing. The nose carries a bready wheat, huge coriander, big citrus, and a mild astringency. Southampton mentions the use of additional unmalted wheat in their brew process. The bready nose was especially noticeable, but I haven’t had enough opportunity to realize all of the differences that this process may add to a beer.

The malts and wheat is big, but sticky citrus seems to go right for the tongue with a biting dry touch. It isn’t surprising that the citrus factor here is significant, given the addition of both orange and lemon rind to the brew process. Alcohol comes rushing in in the middle and adds a considerable sweetness.

The big coriander from the nose seems to get a bit lost in the mix as far as taste goes. The finish is grainy and comes with some heat in the chest. Southampton’s stated mission with the Double White was to make a ‘big’ witbier. It certainly seems that they doubled up on wheat, citrus, and alcohol.

The Double Wheat goes for big, hits it, but doesn’t own it.

Final Verdict: B-

Wolaver’s - Ben Gleason’s White Ale

Wolaver’s - Ben Gleason’s White Ale

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits

Serving Type: 12 oz. twist-off bottle, poured into a mug

This White Ale is certified organic and comes from Vermont. The wheat used is organic and grown near the brewery by a small farmer, Ben Gleason, who has his name immortalized in the title of this brew. In addition to the wheat malts come organic rolled oats, which provide pleasant smoothness, and organic two-row barley malts. All together, this is a great beer, produced with care, from the Green Mountain State.

The body is a hazy light straw with wispy floating yeast. The head is a medium size with a creamy white complexion. The retention is good and the head holds up nicely against the solid active carbonation. The lacing is nice, but somewhat light.

The aroma is a typical white ale scent with spices, orange citrus, and sweet wheat malts. The wheat is very bready and reminds me of a good sandwich on fresh crusty bread. The flavor is defined primarily by the spices. Coriander for days. The wheat malts are sweet and the beer is very crisp. There’s a slightly sour component, like that of a fresh apple. Very pleasing. The finish is great and very tight. The aftertaste is long-lasting and carries a mildly astringent component.

Final Verdict: B+

Samuel Adams - White Ale

Samuel Adams - White Ale

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits

Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a mug

Samuel Adams White Ale is the Boston Beer Company’s take on a traditional Belgian witbier. It pours the requisite light yellow body, but comes with plenty of orange tones and a moderate haze. This one doesn’t cloud quite as well as Hoegaarden or Allagash White. The medium head is slightly creamy and carries a medium retention. The slightly astringent malt nose also packs an orangey citrus aroma and mild hops, clove and white pepper.

Unlike some other Belgian-style ales, the foam doesn’t impart a ton of flavor here. Wheat malts are vibrant and very citrusy. The sweetness is pleasant and clean. Unfortunately, the mouthfeel and the finish are both a tad too watery for my taste. The spices come through in the end, to the rescue of this beer. The salvation is a bit short-lived as the spices meet a blandish aftertaste.

Final Verdict: B-

Allagash - White

Allagash - White

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits

Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a mug

Allagash White is an excellent example of a Belgian White Ale, except that it is from Maine! One quick note, make sure to give this beer a proper pour for full effect and flavor. Pour about four fifths into the glass then give the last fifth a vigorous swirl in the bottle and top off your glass. This adds to the appearance considerably and rounds off the taste nicely.

The body is extremely yellow, nearly florescent, but with a silky and milky complexion. There’s plenty of frothy white foam head with solid retention. Not a whole lot in the way of lacing here, but still a pleasant looking beer. The nose is spicy and malty. It’s at once refreshing and complex.

The wheat malt is sweet and mildy tart. Before topping off the beer with the last bit of yeast and sediment the tartness is much more pronounced. Not off-putting, but not as nicely mellowed. There are citrus fruit notes to be picked up as well. The spices, which seem to include coriander, clove, and pepper make up a considerable amount of the flavor here and complete this beer very well. 

Final Verdict: A-

Hoegaarden

Hoegaarden

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits

Serving Type: 11.2 oz. curved bottle, poured into mug

Hoegaarden is a classic example of a Belgian witbier, or white beer, and perhaps the most well known. It’s got a serious nostalgia factor for me, and it has potential for non-beer-drinkers as well. It isn’t a perfect beer, but for someone who’s used to American lagers, this could be beer in a way they’ve never known.

The body is a very light yellow, cloudy with high carbonation. The moderate white foam head is slightly audible, has decent retention, but produces no lacing. The nose is spice heavy. Tons of coriander coming through. There’s also a mild yeasty must to the floral aroma.

This beer is extremely crisp and refreshing. The light wheat malts add a delicious sweetness and balance very well with coriander and other spices. Notes of citrusy lemon zest also accent the flavor. The finish is clean with a slight dryness, but the mouthfeel goes south at the last second. What is initially perceived as high carbonation seems to vanish and leaves a watery finish.

Final Verdict: B+