White Aphro - Empire Brewing Company

TheBrewo

Michigan

3.98/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer was served from the tap at Tap and Mallet in Rochester, NY. It arrived in an Anchor pint glass glowing a pale wheaty yellow coloring. It held a half finger head of creamy white bubbles, showing lower retention. Sheets of wet and dripping lacing were left once the head was gone. There was a thick haze to it, with no sediment, and active carbonation. The aroma gave fresh lemon, eucalyptus, wheaty malts, pale toasty malts, light piney and grassy hops, dirty yeastiness, mineral, and stony grit. Our first impression was that there was surprising freshness, with a big lemony cleanse to the palate. As we sipped, bittering wheaty bite, eucalyptus freshness, and resiny hops from the nose hit first, with a quick following wash of sweeter lemon flesh and gritty honey sugars. The peak came with the smoothness and saltiness of cashews, more honey sweetness, and the bite and dryness of an herbal tea. We finished with more cleansing lemon, chalky wheat, and the green prickle of fresh plant sap. The aftertaste breathed of lemon, plastic phenols, big spice of pepper, dirty and pale wheatiness, and black tea tannins. The body was light to medium with a creamy feel, while carbonation was lighter and foamy. There was a wet coating to the mouth, with dripping cleanliness and coolness. There was no real coating, or much dryness. The abv was appropriate, and the beer drank easily.

Overall, what we liked best about this beer was the uniqueness throughout. There was big plant quality of eucalyptus through the nose and flavoring. This afforded both a cleansing and inviting air from the start. This also mixed well with the lemon and wheat inherent to the style, giving a clean and classic, yet interesting, twang.

Serving type: on-tap

12-06-2012 23:30:41 | More by TheBrewo

nmann08

Maryland

3.75/5  rDev +0.5%

03-28-2013 18:42:39 | More by nmann08

JohnQVD

New York

4/5  rDev +7.2%

03-17-2013 20:02:23 | More by JohnQVD

nyrblue2

New York

4.25/5  rDev +13.9%

03-14-2013 18:28:07 | More by nyrblue2

sirsteve42

New York

3.5/5  rDev -6.2%

03-03-2013 06:08:06 | More by sirsteve42

StJamesGate

New York

3.89/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Growler from Beer Universe, Saugerties, NY.

Hazy champagne with bone white head.
Banana Belgian nose.
Tart yellow apple, coriander bite, preserved lemon peel and grassy hops finish.
Crisp, light, slight chew.

Good, bright, easy if not complicated wit. Spicing is well judged and the yeast doesn't overwhelm, though I don't get ginger or lavender (or the ABV, which some report as 6.3%) Way summery.

How have I missed this brewery before now?

Serving type: growler

02-28-2013 02:02:09 | More by StJamesGate

gshackles

New York

4.25/5  rDev +13.9%

02-03-2013 02:13:43 | More by gshackles

merc7186

New York

3.93/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Mr Goodbar in Buffalo NY, poured into a pint glass.

A: Hazy Golden Straw Hue, Passes Some Light, White Head Ring, Great Lacing

S: Oranges, Pineapples, Corriander, Thyme

T: Corriander, Oranges, Thyme

M: Average Carbonation, Light to Medium Bodied, Mildly Sweet, Mildly Spicy

Overall, not a bad white ale froma brewery I have had previous bad beers from.

Serving type: on-tap

12-27-2012 02:22:42 | More by merc7186

derekdenim

New York

4.5/5  rDev +20.6%

12-24-2012 13:07:45 | More by derekdenim

pknyc

New York

2.5/5  rDev -33%

12-08-2012 23:30:13 | More by pknyc

C-Dog

4.25/5  rDev +13.9%

11-27-2012 06:08:03 | More by C-Dog

gshoes3

South Carolina

3/5  rDev -19.6%

11-17-2012 16:26:43 | More by gshoes3

sneaks2210

New York

2/5  rDev -46.4%

11-15-2012 03:05:00 | More by sneaks2210

Chugs13

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +7.2%

11-10-2012 21:48:51 | More by Chugs13

mdfb79

New York

3.68/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

From 10/06/12 notes.

a - Pours a yellow-golden color with one inch of white head and moderate carbonation evident.

s - Smells of a of spices, coriander, citrus, lemon, honey, Belgian style yeast, wheat, pepper, fruity malts, earthy notes, and some floral hops. Very nice nose with a ton going on.

t - Tastes of spice, pepper, coriander, citrus, biscuit and bready malts, floral notes, earthy malts. Spice is even heavier here and more pepper than the nose; a step down for me.

m - Light body and light to moderate carbonation. Easy to drink.

o - Overall a pretty nice witbier that is heavy on the spices. Nose is really nice and complex with a lot of different smells coming through, though that gets a bit muddled in the taste. Easy to drink, could be a good summer beer; worth checking out.

Serving type: on-tap

10-19-2012 18:36:39 | More by mdfb79

boxofhate

New York

4/5  rDev +7.2%

09-09-2012 16:44:51 | More by boxofhate

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Had a couple pints at DBA in Brooklyn. The hazy, pale yellow beer was crisp and very drinkable on the hot summer. The wheat was soft and subtle, like a good wit, but the spicing was bigger and crisp, giving the beer an American edge. So yeah, it's a departure from a Hoegaarden or Allagash White, but it's a tasty beer worth checking out.

Serving type: on-tap

09-08-2012 21:11:47 | More by tempest

andrewborstein

Rhode Island

4.5/5  rDev +20.6%

09-08-2012 05:30:24 | More by andrewborstein

CHickman

New York

2.43/5  rDev -34.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Beer review from 8/17/2012: on tap at Old Field Inn - pours hazy piss yellow color with a creamy 1 finger white head, fading slowly and leaving good spotty lacing.

Smells of clove, ginger, yeast, lemon, wheat, grass, hay and spices and herbs; the clove and ginger dominate the aroma, which smells like a cross between a hefe and a Belgian. Very odd nose that's too strong with those 2 smells.

Tastes like it smells, with clove, ginger, yeast, lemon, wheat, floral hops, grass, hay, spices like pepper and herbs like tea leaf or potpourri; not too good taste-wise, and almost borders on too herbal.

Mouthfeel is creamy and smooth, with very light carbonation, a light body and a tart aftertaste that has way too much of the clove and ginger. Great picture on the tap handle, but that was the best part of this beer.

Serving type: on-tap

08-31-2012 03:25:33 | More by CHickman

jurbanik

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +7.2%

08-30-2012 23:46:54 | More by jurbanik

hoppymcgee

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +7.2%

07-27-2012 13:30:00 | More by hoppymcgee

SFC21

New York

4/5  rDev +7.2%

07-22-2012 20:03:36 | More by SFC21

KTCamm

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +7.2%

07-08-2012 19:22:34 | More by KTCamm

ThePorterSorter

New York

3.85/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

This beer is a great summer wheat beer. I remember going to Empire more excited about the beer than the food, so my expectations were high. I wanted my beer to pair well and be light and refreshing after a hard day working.

I believe the 3 additions to this wheat beer were ginger, honey, and lavender. The honey and lavender are what really seemed to stand out when I was deeply inhaling aromatic particles for my olfactory nerves to indulge upon. There is just something so interesting and floral about this beer, a last glimpse of summer contained in a wheaty-herbal complex. The beer went well with my seafood-rice-blue cornbread dish.

Unfortunately I prefer my witbiers to have a bit more of a protein haze, so it is definitely going to lose some points on appearance. Otherwise I was quite fond of this beer and will order it again next summer when it becomes available.

Serving type: on-tap

08-24-2010 02:13:45 | More by ThePorterSorter

thekevlarkid

Maryland

3.83/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Off tap at the brewery this beer was a hazy, ripe-corn gold color. The retention was as a thin layer that left decent lacing. The aroma was downright sexy, like a woman you've always wanted to go to sleep with. Lordy! Lavender, floral hops and hints of citrus peel. Tell me more, sweet thang! The flavors were not as impressive but still enjoyable. I tasted citrus peel, Belgian yeast, ginger and hints of lavender. The mouthfeel was good, the body medium and the carbonation a bit foamy.

Serving type: on-tap

06-29-2010 15:53:51 | More by thekevlarkid