White Beers

Lately I've wanted to find out which of the whites I really love, so I'm gonna drink as many as I can find over the next couple months. Here's some thoughts on the first batch.

Delirium Tremens -- this beer is just out of control. There's almost too much going on. Unfortunately I'm not good with specific flavor descriptors in beer, but this has a lot of them. So spicy and busy. Unfortunately, it gives me a HORRIBLE hangover. Even just one glass. So it's disqualified.

Allagash -- my current vote for #1. There is something in this beer that I adore. It's nutty, and I think I taste celery salt. The nose is the most savory I've ever been exposed to.

Hoegaarden -- this beer is always in our house. I don't think it can be beat for drinkability, and the cloves on the palate are great. It's my #2, only because I don't like the slightly sweet undertone.

Duvel -- sometimes I love this beer, sometimes less so. It's a bit creamy for me, and a bit sweet. I prefer the more savory / lighter side.

Next batch is going to be Chimay Cinq Cent and whatever else I can find. Any suggestions or comments greatly appreciated.

Great idea! Not much to add myself at the moment, but it seems like a promising idea for a thread...

A decent white beer, not quite up to Allagash, but surprisingly good, considering the source:

http://www.pointbeer.com/white_biere.php

Luckily, I've not had that problem with Delirium Tremens as it is at or near the top of my list as well.

Not the best, but quite enjoyable, and available in a six-pack format, is Wittekerke. Haven't had it for a while, but I remember it having a decided orange flavor. It is sold in cans, too, which can be very handy on some occasions.

I'm a big fan of Unibroue's Blanche de Chambly. Available retail in a four-pack or in a single larger bottle. Also at a number of bars and restaurants.

Not to be too much of a beer geek, but is Delirium Tremens considered a white beer? I always thought of it as part of the nebulous "Belgian strong ale" category or even as a triple. I'm not sure there's even wheat in a DT, and if so I don't think it's a big part of the malt bill. Also, it's very high alcohol, around 9% ABV I think (I think of most white, or Belgian-style wheat, beers as hugging around 5% ABV). I mention all this because it might explain the hangover issues and why you had such a different experience with DT than the other white beer sampling.

Edited to add: Just saw Duvel on your list also. I don't think that's a white beer either, more in the same category as Delirium Tremens actually. Obviously these categories are not sacred and of limited value, but might help if you're trying to find similar-styled beers.

Cool. Thanks for the info. Time to do some research so I can compare apples to apples.

JamPhil wrote:I'm a big fan of Unibroue's Blanche de Chambly.

Agreed.

JamPhil wrote:Not to be too much of a beer geek

What's wrong with that?

JamPhil wrote:but is Delirium Tremens considered a white beer?

Not really, I don't think. I agree with pretty much everything you say, though I understand the "nebulous Belgian strong ale" category would throw someone off. For some reason, I think the floral notes and the graceful way it carries its alcohol content, I understand the inclination to let DT drift towards with "witbier" category. (I don't feel the same way about Duvel.) Still, it certainly is a different beast, set apart by the high alcohol, more noticeable at the end of the glass than at the beginning--good point on the hangover issue.

As JamPhil notes, the list contains beers of very different types. D.T. is in spirit (and strength and flavour) more like the style represented by Lucifer, Judas, Sloeber and various other jocularly or daemonically named beers, which all follow the lead of Duvel ('devil', accent on first syllable: it AIN'T French). Hoegaarden and Wittekerke, Blanche de Bruges etc. are to my mind a completely different style of beer. They are certainly regarded as being quite different in Belgium.

Antonius de Brabander

I tried a Japanese beer called Hitachino Nest beer. IT has a owl on the label. Thay have a white beer that is resembles Hoegarden. I was at a beer tasting in November and the Hitachino was one of the hits of the party. I bought it at Binny's but they also carry it at Sam's. Good luck, please update on others you have found.

Ratebeer.com is a pretty good source for categories of beer. Take the ratings however you like, but you can find some data and impressions on a plethora of beers here. This is a link to their top 25 rated Belgian Whites (witbier). I would say that a number of the beers referenced above were definitely not witbiers.

http://www.ratebeer.com/Ratings/TopBeer ... StyleID=48

Also, here is their defnition of a Belgian White. As evidenced in the aroma and appearance of the typical witbier you definitely could not fairly compare them to a Duvel or Delerium Tremens as they brewing ingredients and character are so extremely different. Beer is an exciting journey, hope you enjoy your belgian adventures!

Belgian White (Witbier)

Belgian style wheat beers, are very pale, opaque, with the crisp character of wheat, plus the citric refreshment of orange peel and coriander. Ingredients sometimes also include oats for smoothness, and other spices such as grains of paradise. Serve with light cheeses or mussels.

If you are looking for good witbiers, a few I would recommend are Great Lakes Holy Moses, Jolly Pumpkin Calabaza Blanca and Lakefront White.

Another great source of info on beer styles and good examples of those styles is Beer Advocate.

Happy drinking.[/url]

Just to add a little pedantry to the discussion (but then, I'm an Official Pedant, so it's ok, right? : ) on witbier: the original method for making these beers was to produce malted wheat, but not roast it--which makes the color--to end the germination. Rather, the live germinating wheat was spread on screens in folks' attics and allowed to dry/die in the warm darkness. Hence, the end product was indeed malted--that is, it had the enzymes necessary to crack the starch down to sugar--but it also had no added color.

I did the whole process one time, drying the germinating wheat in a *very* terry-ish terry towel, rolled up loosly. The resulting beer was in the right league, but not in the ballpark, if you know what I mean. From then on, I let the pros make my witbier!

We have a microbrewery here in Montreal that makes a very nice Blanche, which you might keep your eye out for.

Geo

http://www.boreale.qc.ca/eng/index.html

If you want to try a local example, Goose Island Clybourn currently has a wit beer on tap. Its called HALF WIT and was made from the second runnings of an upcoming Wheat Wine (WHeat Miser).

Even though its a "small beer" it still comes in at 5% ABV and was very wit-y and lightly sweet (the wit taste is from an added Belgian/Wit yeast, and surprisingly not from added spicing like coriander that you might expect).

Goose Island Clybourn Brew Pub
1800 North Clybourn, Chicago.
http://www.gooseisland.com/pubs/clybourn.asp

uosullivan wrote:I tried a Japanese beer called Hitachino Nest beer. IT has a owl on the label.

Yum! Hitachino White Nest is fabulous! It has a little bit of an orange and clove taste to it. They sell it at Sam's and it is on the beer list at Piece and Rodan.

I tried the Wieckse Witte and Wittekirk drafts when I was overseas. Both were really light and refreshing, but I think I'd still pick a Hoegaarden or White Nest when given the options. I like a little bit of sass in my whites.

KSeecs wrote:Ratebeer.com is a pretty good source for categories of beer. Take the ratings however you like, but you can find some data and impressions on a plethora of beers here...

KSeecs, this is a great resource! Thank you for posting it.

Has anyone tried Dogfish Head Red and White? Ratebeer currently has them as their no.1 Belgian White (Witbier).

~GS

Greasy Spoon wrote:

KSeecs wrote:Ratebeer.com is a pretty good source for categories of beer. Take the ratings however you like, but you can find some data and impressions on a plethora of beers here...

KSeecs, this is a great resource! Thank you for posting it.

Has anyone tried Dogfish Head Red and White? Ratebeer currently has them as their no.1 Belgian White (Witbier).

~GS

My pleasure, glad you find it useful. I'm a big fan of ratebeer. Have not tried the DFH Witbeer.

Greasy Spoon wrote:

KSeecs wrote:Ratebeer.com is a pretty good source for categories of beer. Take the ratings however you like, but you can find some data and impressions on a plethora of beers here...

KSeecs, this is a great resource! Thank you for posting it.

Has anyone tried Dogfish Head Red and White? Ratebeer currently has them as their no.1 Belgian White (Witbier).

~GS

The other great resource for beer is Beer Advocate. I like to look at both lists. I used to be a bigger fan of Beer Advocate, but now I always use Rate Beer, because they don't require you to log in.

Has anyone tried/seen Celis White since it has been brewed in MI? (I think it is the Michigan Brewing Company.) It used to be one of my favorites back in the early 90's. (before Miller bought them out)

Dabney's wrote:Has anyone tried/seen Celis White since it has been brewed in MI? (I think it is the Michigan Brewing Company.) It used to be one of my favorites back in the early 90's. (before Miller bought them out)

Interesting to hear that the Celis name is with another brewery now.

The old Celis was really very good until Miller got them; the namesake founder was, if I recall correctly, the masterbrewer at the Hoegaarden brewery in Belgium before moving to Texas and starting up on his own.

Antonius

I understsand that Michigan Brewing bought up most of the Celis equipment and trucked it up from Austin to Webberville (outside of Lansing) with Pierre Celis' approval and help.

Apparently, Celis is now working with Texas' Real Ale Brewing Co., producing "Brussels White" and "Brussels Grand Cru."

Obviously, none of these are distributed in Illinois (thanks Mr. Wirtz, and others of that ilk), but if anyone's traveling to Lansing or Austin and wants to bring some back to share ...

http://www.austin360.com/restaurants/co ... 0beer.html

This weekend I tried a very interesting Belgian wit bier from Brasserie Caracole called "Troublette". I am not usually a big fan of beers containing wheat, but this one was fairly good. It had that shimmering "white" appearance, high carbonation and a light crisp body. The aroma was distinctly lemony and floral, while the flavor tasted of apples and was a little sour (but not like a sour ale). The finish had just a touch of hops bitterness and a bit of that yeasty funk. The beer was fairly low in alcohol (5% abv). All in all, a very refreshing and inoffensive brew. I think it would pair very well with fruit and cheese on a warm summer day. You will not remember Troublette as one of the most remarkable Belgians you have tasted, but it is a good example of this genre, and a good choice for a light and refreshing "lunchtime" beer. It is like the Chardonnay of Belgian ales. The label is very cool also.

Speaking of Pierre Celis, yesterday I tried a Grotten Flemish Ale that was brewed by St Bernadus under the direction of M. Celis. It was quite complex and interesting. I will write about it in another thread, since it is not a "white" beer.

d4v3 wrote:Speaking of Pierre Celis, yesterday I tried a Grotten Flemish Ale that was brewed by St Bernadus under the direction of M. Celis. It was quite complex and interesting. I will write about it in another thread, since it is not a "white" beer.

The bartender at Brasserie Jo told me that the last bit of this in the city is on tap there now, supplies having been exhausted at the Hop Leaf and the Map Room. I noticed it as I was leaving, and plan to return in about a half hour to try it, should anyone be interested. But I can't find your "other thread" .

Turns out it was the Grotten Brown, which was good, but not the sour ale I was hoping for.

Aaron Deacon wrote:Turns out it was the Grotten Brown, which was good, but not the sour ale I was hoping for.

Darn, too bad, I was getting excited. Still not too shabby. The Flemish ale I had was in bottles from Artisinal Imports in Austin. As I recall, it was not sour, but a bit malty and herbal with a long and complex flavor cycle. Now I wish I had finished that post. I actually started it, but then my ADD switched the channel (I think I was planning to photograph the bottle, but never got around to it). I have been searching for the notes I took. I am pretty sure I bought it at Binny's in Niles. I still see the Grotten Brown around, but the Flemish Ale has vanished. I wonder if Artisinal still has it in stock?