[twocol_one] [dropcap]W[/dropcap]itbier (“white beer”) is a lightly colored wheat beer style that is often flavored with citrus and spices. Hoegaarden is perhaps one of the better know beers of this style, as the legendary brewer Pierre Celis brought back this 400 year old style form extinction in that beer.  A perfect summer beer, the best have light but flavorful delights for the drinker. A lesser known, and soon disappearing blend is The Bruery Orchard White.

Orchard White is brewed in the Belgian witbier style with “spices and orange” lavender and some oats in the grain mix of mostly unmalted grains. On pouring we got a big dense head and were hit with scents of coriander. The pale yellow color was slightly cloudy, this being unfiltered.

Holy shitballs! The pallid color belies what a flavor-bomb this thing is. Big hits of spice (think Great Lakes Christmas Ale) and orange, just a hint of hops, with a velvety mouthfeel and the subtle hint of lavender. Lots of carbonation, which fits the style.  The finish is crisp and refreshing, leaving you wanting more.

2011 may be the last year for this great witbier from the Bruery, so seek this bottle out if you can find it. If you can’t, check out other great examples of the style:

• Great Lakes Brewing Co.’s Holy Moses
• I Wit 2.0 (amazing imperial witbier from western Australia)
• Hitachino Nest White Ale
• Saranac White Ale
• Smuttynose Belgian Style White Ale
• Unibroue Blance De Chambly

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