Jun 14, 2012

Long Trail Ales Belgian White

I don’t believe I’ve met a beer from Long Trail Ales that I haven’t really, really liked. One search on this site will reveal a variety of beer styles from the company, all of which are pretty darn tasty. This 4.7% ABV Witbier is another from the Vermont brewery that will certainly appear in my beer fridge at some future point during the Summer.

It’s a beer that is light, flavorful and refreshing — perfect for relaxing in the sun.

Appearance

The beer pours a slightly cloudy, pale straw in color with a short-lived white head that dropped noisily.

Aroma

Lemony citrus, wheat, mild yeasty esters and a subtle spice/herbal character combine for a decent nose.

Taste

The first thing you notice, which is different for a witbier is the sharp carbonation. It’s a bit prickly, but helps to accentuate the a lemony tartness that arrive first. The wheat and spices are in the mix, but take a back seat to the sharp tartness that I actually found I was in the mood far. The bite doesn’t last long as the beer transitions quickly to an herbal finish that carries a faint bit of lingering hop bitterness.

Overall

This is one of the more unique witbiers I’ve had. It’s sharp, lemony character probably won’t sit well with most folks, but if in the mood for something with like this, Long Trail has the brew for you. I’m not sure that the spice/herbal notes go all that well with the lemony citrus that dominates the beer, but they are rather subtle and can be overlooked for the most part. All in all, it’s a refreshing beer that, at the lower alcohol content, is just about sessionable.

Rating:3.25/5

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