142. The Bruery Orchard White

Our second beer from the Bruery; our last one was the Saison Rue. Orchard White pours a clear pale straw with an effervescent white head; the nose is fruity, with pear and citrus aromas, and some light spicy yeast notes. The front begins with sweet malt and fruit—besides the apple and floral flavors, there is a general fruitiness to it, most likely produced by the yeast. From there, Orchard White moves in candy sweetness in the middle, and finishes dry, lightly cidery, and very clean—almost like a brut champagne—with a slight sourness too. The mouthfeel is light and dry, with a bright, bubbly carbonation that is clean and fresh on the palate. A clean, bright beer overall; Orchard White is very reminiscent of a French cider or even a California sparkling white wine—it is that dry. There is a more complex fruit nose and flavor profile, but in terms of mouthfeel, it’s pretty close to a dead match. Very light body and malt profile, although this increases slightly as the beer warms, along with the spiciness evident in the beer—the coriander and other spice flavors pick up as the beer warms.

From the Bruery website: “Orchard White is an unfiltered, bottle conditioned Belgian-style witbier. This hazy, straw yellow beer is spiced with coriander, citrus peel and lavender added to the boil and whirlpool. A spicy, fruity yeast strain is used to add complexity, and rolled oats are added for a silky texture.”

ABV: 5.7%
IBU: 15

(11/19/2009)