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Sun, 24 Jun 2007
Ommegang Witte - wheat Ale (09:12)
At a recent tour of the Ommegang Brewery I had a chance to sample most of their current brews.
I have to say that while the woman dispensing the brews was very competent, she was not
provided with any means to keep each brew at optimal serving
temperature, so I was not 100% sure I would like this in the 12oz
bottle as well as I did her sample. Not to worry, this was my favorite
of all the samples, and it is delicious at any temperature!About the brewing process
This is a wheat ale, rather than a wheat beer. Some brewers use a lager yeast, bottom ferment, clarify the product with Irish Moss or similar and filtration as well, and wind up with something that looks like Budweiser® but has a totally different flavor, since Bud is made with rice. Ommegang uses an ale yeast, top fermenting, and that tends to make the resulting brew slightly cloudy. Because ale yeasts can be fermented at a higher temperature than beer yeasts (note "can be" not "must be"), the fermentation time is shorter, which is good for production, and the yeast often adds flavor, which can be anything from a fruit or citrus tang to the taste of moldy socks. Other brewers do use ale yeast in brewing Hefeweizen, a traditional European style.
On the pour
Great, cloudy but not murky, like pulp in orange juice you like it or you don't. Nice head, and a light "beer" aroma, hinting malt and hops, and perhaps a bit of fruity overtone. The head is nice, enough but not too much, and it lasts as long as the brew, which is often not long.
If you think Hefeweizen when you think of wheat beer, this isn't it. The flavors are different, and the use of spices is subtle but noticeable. I particularly like the way the flavor evolves in your mouth from the initial taste of the ale on the tongue to an aftertaste back farther in the mouth and throat. This 5.1% ABV, you will taste it, but it doesn't dominate the overall impression.
Overall
I like this a lot. I have another wheat ale in the queue, and summer is a great time to test how well a brew fares in fighting the heat. This is my personal favorite of the excellent Ommegang brews.