Avery White Rascal

[ratman03]

This is a traditional 'white' style wheat beer, first brewed in Belgium. Avery Brewing is located in Boulder, CO.

Appearance:
Glowing, opaque yellow. Lots of gooey yeast covering the bottom of the bottle.

Tasting Notes:
Delicious, effervescent wit brew with proper character and mouthfeel. Beautifully tangy citrus nose with prominent citrus and corriander taste. Light body with plenty of yeast that makes the beer nice and cloudy.

Conclusion:
Hands down the best Belgian white I've had since the original Celis White from Austin, TX back in the day. Tastes like Hoegaarden, only fresher, and with more depth.

Note: Very important to get this stuff as fresh as possible. I find that this style of beer goes off rather quickly as it ages. Well worth seeking out if you like the style and can find it fresh.

[ClockworkOrange]

I totally agree. White Rascal is my favorite wit followed by Allagash White.

[steveh]

Does Ommegang get out to S. Cal (it must get to Penn)? Their Witte is outstanding, I'd love to hear a comparison.

S.

[ClockworkOrange]

Oh yeah, forgot about Ommegang. You are right Steve, it is also an excellent "Witte". It would be interesting to do a side by side by side of the three of them. Parallel perhaps?

[ratman03]

Originally posted by steveh
Does Ommegang get out to S. Cal (it must get to Penn)? Their Witte is outstanding, I'd love to hear a comparison.

S.

I'm from the East Coast originally so I'm familiar with Ommegang (On a side note, I actually attempted to visit the brewery on a cross-country drive but was unable to find it). But yes, it does get out here. I think Ommegang has pretty good distribution in major cities.

I have tasted their witte once, but do not remember it well enough to compare. A tasting with the 3 aforementioned beers would be a worthwhile endeavor indeed. I read somewhere recently that wheat beer as a style is showing strong sales growth.

[steveh]

Originally posted by ratman03
I read somewhere recently that wheat beer as a style is showing strong sales growth.

American style wheat (Widmer et al), and Weizen have always had a good following. Stands to reason that Wit would follow in line. Maybe Blue Moon is making people recognize the style?

I've always enjoyed Hoegarten when Cellis was brewing it, and there's another Wit from Belgium I loved...have to look it up, think there's a review.

S.

[steveh]

Originally posted by ClockworkOrange
It would be interesting to do a side by side by side of the three of them. Parallel perhaps?

Definitely. A win-win situation!

S.

[steveh]

It's called Ertvelds, and guess who developed the recipe (I keep forgetting that fact - I have to find some more!):

"Ertveld’s Wit

"Taste the latest creation from Pierre Celis, a classic Belgian white.

"'From a man who is a big part of brewing folklore comes this newest version of his true specialty, the classic Belgian white. Brewed from equal proportions of raw wheat and Pilsner malt, with the addition of ground coriander, dried Caracas orange peels, and Saas hops. Spritzy, spicy, and lemony, with a dense head and spicy dryness, this is a real refresher!' From RareBeer.com"

About the best Wit I've ever tasted.

S.