Feb 23, 2010

The Bruery Orchard White

The Bruery is one of those relatively new companies that’s been making a huge name for themselves, specializing in Belgian ales. They are also a smaller brewery whose products I didn’t really expect to see in stores around here.

On a recent trip to Total Wine in Manassas, however, I was surprised to see a couple of offerings from the company and I quickly snagged a bottle of each the store had. First up is The Bruery’s Orchard White, a classic take on a Belgian witbier.

Appearance

Orchard White pours a slightly hazy, golden yellow in color with a massive, pillowy white head. A column of bubbles rises from the bottom of the glass.

Aroma

It took a couple of sniffs to fully digest all the aromas wafting from the glass, but it certainly smells good. There’s a light lavender that mixes well with apple, pear and decent helping of wheat/oats. There’s a bit of a funkiness in there as well that compliments the lighter tones of the other elements within the nose.

Taste

For as lightly fruity as the beer is, it’s the wheat, bisquity malt and yeast funkiness that really make this one a tasty brew for me. There’s a bit more of a citrus (lemon) hop presence that blends well with the subtle lavender that builds in presence as the beer warms. The finish is quite dry and adds a slight bitterness to the beer.

Overall

Witbier isn’t a style of beer that I actively seek out, but I can see a slightly chilled bottle of this sitting half empty on the deck table on a warm spring afternoon. It’s herbal notes and wheat character really come together nicely making this more than just your standard witbier.

Rating: 3.5/5

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