White Ale - Williamsburg AleWerks

obywan59

Virginia

3.9/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Pours a translucent golden yellow with a finger and a half. off white head that recedes to basically just a ring aroung the glass. No lacing to speak of.

Spicy coriander and citrus on the nose with a bit of sweet, nutty malt.

Tangy wheat, prominent spiciness from the coriander and the Styrian Goldings hops, and a bit of citrusy orange peel, with a light hoppy bitterness rounding it out in the end.

Crisp and peppery with carbonation. Medium to medium light bodied with light syrup.

This is a great summer brew. light and satisfying. Sessionable.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 02:09:19 | More by obywan59

Dave1999

Virginia

3.81/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

Pours cloudy yellow with a small white head. Looks like apple juice once the head disappears.

The smell is spicy, pepper and coriander.

The taste is similar to the smell, very spicy with a milky wheat flavour.

The mouthfeel is smooth and quite creamy with low to medium carbonation.

I enjoyed this, easy drinking with good flavour. Low enough abv to have a nice session.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 00:39:52 | More by Dave1999

mralphabet

Virginia

3.63/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Filled the Growler on the way through Williamsburg VA.. Nice people please stop in and see them !!

Poured into a pint glass...

A: Nice light golden color, nice and cloudy with a good 2 fingers worth of head that settle to a nice layer with lots of lacing from start to finish. Nice looking beer.

S: Very good smelling too.... I'm getting the wheat right up front with a nice mix of coriander, orange peel, a little sweet honey and a light peppery hops.

T: Great mix here, everything you want in a Wit. Very well balanced with the sweetness of the wheat, coriander, orange and honey and the peppery (slightly grassy) hops. Finish is clean with little aftertaste.

M: Light to mid bodied with a lively carbonation, very crisp.

D: Very easy to drink and with a great ABV... Session all night. Worth looking for.

Serving type: growler

08-19-2012 01:54:48 | More by mralphabet

siege06nd

Virginia

3.33/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A. Pours a very cloudy, pale straw color. Crisp two finger head with great lacing. Retention is excellent.

S. Coriander, orange zest, bread crust, and a lot of dry yeast. Slightly crackery smell. Fairly forward on the coriander, would like to see better balance with the orange peel.

T. Kind of a yeast and coriander bomb. Malt presence is light and citrus sweetness is a little lacking. Still, it's refreshing. Just a touch watery.

M. Light bodied and moderately carbed. Just a little thin and could use better balance betweeen its components.

O. A decent witbier, but needs a little more depth and flavor. I think Great Lakes Holy Moses it's a much better option.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2012 16:29:43 | More by siege06nd

ckollias

Maryland

3.53/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Enjoyed this 12oz bottle out of a stout glass.

A: Pours a very hazy orange hue with thick, foamy, 4-finger head that slowly dissipates leaving a nice trail down the glass and ending in a frothy lace.

S: Sweet citrus aroma, mostly orange, with some coriander and mild hop scents.

T: More sweet than bitter with a dominant orange citrus flavor.

M: Medium body and medium carbonation.

O: Decent Witbier. Nice refreshing beer on a hot day.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2012 01:42:10 | More by ckollias

billab914

Virginia

3.63/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle poured into my Devil's Backbone glass. It poured a hazy and light golden in color. A frothy, sticky, bright white head covered the top of the beer.

The aroma shows off the citrusy, coriander and orange peel flavors I expect in the style. There is a sweeter, wheat malt presence to it, as well as a little bit of the Belgian yeast spice.

The taste has a little more of the sweeter wheat malts coming through. The citrusy orange peel and coriander flavors come out more towards the finish. The earthy yeast spice is pretty evident in the finish as well.

The mouthfeel is on the lighter side, with carbonation being moderate. Overall it was a pretty good beer. It was flavorful and very easy drinking on this hot day. Pretty good for the style overall, although maybe a little light compared to the top of the style.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2012 23:54:42 | More by billab914

mactrail

California

3.38/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

These Wits seem to make a tighter pattern than most categories of beers. This one is exactly in the standard vein. Modest foam but fizzy carbonation in the mouth. Hints of chamomile in the nose.

Pleasing light beer with a tart spicy taste. Tastes a lot of club soda. Lemony, like lemon verbena tea. Grassy and herbal. Not so much of the citrus peel. Crisp, clean, and also thin and sharp. Quite drinkable but equally forgettable. Kind of a soda pop or fizzy herbal tea.

From the 12 oz bottle.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2012 03:41:26 | More by mactrail

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

First had: on tap at TJ's, Paoli, PA

Served in a nonic, a hazy, pale yellow color with about a finger's breadth of foamy white head; moderate retention, minimal lacing. Standard wheat profile on the nose, notes of citrus and spice. More of the same on the tongue, pale wheat malts, citrus zest, coriander...pretty typical of the style. Crisp, clean mouthfeel, light-medium body, moderate carbonation. Pretty basic, pretty nice.

Serving type: on-tap

05-24-2012 14:05:21 | More by Rifugium

TappaKeggaBrew

Ohio

3.63/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pale golden yellow, a little hazy, with 2 fingers of creamy white, meringue-like head with nice lacing.

S: A pleasant mix of citrus, spice, and a touch of wheat.

T: Not much malt at all. It goes straight to bitter (not too strong), which fades into a slight fruitiness, but more spice (pepper & coriander)

M: Very moist, with a medium carbonation, yielding to a dry (borderline astringent) finish.

O: Certainly drinkable, but not exceptional at all. I won't put it at the top of my list for future purchases.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2012 21:46:00 | More by TappaKeggaBrew

Boto

Connecticut

3.4/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Draught @ Stephanos in Williamsburg: This one pours a hazy golden color. There was almost no head on mine, yet it left a little lacing. Lighter aroma. Wheat, some citrus and a very light spice. The taste is OK. Wheat, corriander, spices, faint citrus. A half decent white, but just a little lacking.

Serving type: on-tap

09-10-2011 20:01:38 | More by Boto

Eriktheipaman

Virginia

4.05/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured a slightly murky gold with great white head.

The smell was very spicy but with a good balance of malt. All the usual spices come through for the additions and yeast (coriander etc.)

The taste is what to be expected out of a wheat beer but done very well. The spices are there but not over powering by any means. You also pick up a good amount of bready malt and a slight lemony zest.

Overall I really enjoyed this beer and always love to try new ones in the style. Sit back and have two...or six.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2011 13:30:20 | More by Eriktheipaman

ksurkin

Virginia

3.73/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

First rating! Growler from the brewery on 8/25/09. Pours a beautiful, slightly hazy, yellow with a touch of orange and a half inch, pure white head. Aroma is pure springtime with fresh notes of lemon zest, orange pith, rose petal, coriander, light, biscuity malts, and hints of straw and grass. Flavor is very nice as well with dry, grassy, and very floral hops, lemon and navel orange citrus, and a touch of spice up front backed by nutty malts, belgian yeast, and hint of sweet vanilla. Palate is light bodied, crisp, and very refreshing with solid carbonation and a lingering, dry, citrus finish. Overall, an excellent warm weather brew and another solid new offering from AleWerks.

Serving type: growler

08-25-2011 18:49:29 | More by ksurkin

Metalmonk

North Carolina

3.65/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Seems witbiers are the new IPA, in terms of the sheer amount of American brewers picking up the style and running with it. Here's another, from Virginia's own Williamsburg AleWerks.

Beautiful beer. Fluffy and everlasting head of thick white sea foam, on top of an unfiltered peach/pear juice color. Gobs of lace left as the liquid lessens.

Aroma leans on the fruity side, rather than the yeasty vibe you often get (and want) in a wit. Juicy tropical fruit abounds, with something chalky/mineral lurking in the background. A grassy, almost white wine character too, but really, that fruity element dominates the nose.

Definitely plenty of orange peel on the tongue, and a hint of the coriander too. Herbal, grassy and fruity, never over-sweet, and kind of tart, like Orangina, if you've ever had that. Also think of Orangina because of the tingly, soda-like feel, which could have impressed if it were smoother and less bubbly, but it's no huge pitfall. Tartness and orange remain on the tongue in the semi-dry finish. Overall probably too tart, and lacking some depth, although this is never the most complex beer style.

Refreshing as hell, even if it's not the perfect witbier. A solid entry in a crowded field, from a brewer that usually does right by the letters b, e, and r.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2011 22:32:55 | More by Metalmonk

rdub

Pennsylvania

3.38/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from the brewery fresh bottle into my new Williamsburg AleWerks pint glass. Side note: I tried all the brews from the Alewerks and they all shared a common taste, even between styles. Must be the water. Light spritzy color with quickly subsiding foamy head. Still looked refreshing. Smell was all American Wit. Some coriander and spice and some citrus. Taste was pretty standard. Mouthfeel was light and easily drinkable. Nice and basic. Would try again.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2011 03:16:14 | More by rdub

ebby82

Virginia

4.33/5  rDev +19%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Cloudy and pale, with a fluffy majestic white head, which lingers.

Aromas of Belgian yeast, spiciness, fruit; perhaps orange.

Tastes a wee bit spicy, coriander and orange peel are evident, as are various fruity flavors imparted by the Belgian yeast.

Very light on the palate, imminently quaffable, a really tasty example of the style, and perfect for today's inferno like heat.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2011 19:54:50 | More by ebby82

BeerBeatnik

North Carolina

3.05/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass. Pours a cloudy and hazy, golden yellow with a thin, lightly frothy head. Nose is too heavy on the orange peel, yeast, spice, coriander, light sweetness. Flavor is standard wit, oranges, yeast, spices, bread dough, lemonade, perfumy. Finish is medium bodied and lightly chalky. Overall, I probably wouldn't have again.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2011 20:42:46 | More by BeerBeatnik

cosmicevan

New York

3.98/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

thanks to breweryaprntc13 for tossing this one my way in a trade a while ago. hope it held up (sorry for the dleay).

a - opened the bottle and fileld my portsmouth tulipy snifter. bottle bomb. beer pretty much everywhere (probably an anomaly, but none-the-less worth mentioning. pretty hazy straw yellow. HUGE head (remember, it was a bottle bomb). sticky lacing.

s - vanilla, clove, pepper, coriander and orange peel are HUGE in the smell. touch of banana and bubblegum, but mostly tangerine peels.

t - in a word, orange.

m - medium to light bodied. quenching. juice-like but feels like a beer, has the carbonation of a beer.

o - solid offering in the wit category. kind of reminds me of blue moon before the recipe changed.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2011 05:16:14 | More by cosmicevan

wahhmaster

Virginia

4.03/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a Samuel Adams Boston Lager glass.

Appearance: Pours a hazy, very pale yellow color. Has a thin, fizzy head that dissipates quickly and leaves little lacing.

Smell: Smells wheaty with strong spicy notes (probably coriander since that's what the label says).

Taste: Moderately bitter up front with strong orange-peel flavors. Develops a wheaty, spicy flavor at the back with some of the coriander detected in the smell.

Mouthfeel: Light, crisp, and refreshing. A great beer for summer.

Overall: This is a superb witbier from an underrated brewery. It's definitely better than Hoegaarden and Blue Moon and might be the best American witbier I've had. Williamsburg Alewerks continues to impress me. It's a shame that they aren't better-known because they continually make solid and flavorful beers where a love of the craft is evident in the beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2011 00:48:45 | More by wahhmaster

avalon07

South Carolina

3.78/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had a pale yellow color and a cloudy texture. There was an inch of bright white, foamy, fairly long-lasting head. OK lacing.

S: A good aroma of malt, coriander and a little citrus.

T: Tasted of spices (coriander, cloves), malt and a touch of lemon. A bit on the thin side, without the vibrancy you normally get in some witbiers. Not a terrible taste, but certainly subdued.

M: A good amount of carbonation with a somewhat slick finish. Light-bodied.

O: While this beer does have some problems, it does remain drinkable. A decent brew.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2011 12:08:24 | More by avalon07

nickthegun12

Alabama

3.7/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

this beer has a delightful color...with a fading white head....and splotchy lacing....

the smell is wonderful!....smells of spiciness....great clove aromas coming out...what a great smelling beer....

i sure wish the taste could have lived up to the smell....taste cheap....full of adjuncts...with a little bit of a belgian yeast coming through....

the mouth feel is ok....packed with a lot of carbonation....and a semi dry feel...

well this would be an ok beer, if it were 5 buck a sixer, on a warm summers day...but i would not recommend buying a six pack of it...at 8.99 a pack

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2011 23:40:29 | More by nickthegun12

MayLattimore

North Carolina

2.2/5  rDev -39.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Okay, I think I got a stale bottle on this one. Or something was severely wrong with it. It poured like a white ale should. It looked right. No lacing though. But, it went south from there. I don't know if it supposed to taste like this or they aren't paying attention to the beers that out on the market. I will try again another time with this beer. Hopefully, it was just a bad bottle that I got.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2011 20:45:41 | More by MayLattimore

BrewCrew2010

New York

3.78/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A: Funny thing- poured 2 of these. The one that warmed up for about 30 minutes was very clear with little to no head, and the one right out of the fridge was hazy with about 1 finger head that lasted throughout the drink. Both bodies were a golden straw color with a white creamy head with decent lacing.

S: A balanced smell of corriander, lemon & orange zest, clove, wheat, and hints of yeast. Smells exactly how a Witbier should smell.

T: A light and crisp flavor of sweet malts, tingling spices like pepper, bitter wheat, Belgian yeast, clove, and pronounced orange zest.

M: A thin texture beer that makes it quite enjoyable with a light body and moderate carbonation.

D: One of the better Witbier I've had. Very good and extrememly easy to drink. Since I don't live near Alewerks, I don't see myself drinking this again. To those who are near or visiting the brewery or surrounding area, you should give it a try.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2010 00:24:28 | More by BrewCrew2010

dirtylou

Washington

3.65/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz single, received via a VA local, blackie

appearance: served in a ND pint glass - very light off-golden body, creamy beige foam...color is a little depressing for the style

smell: corriander, orange zest, lemon, yeast

taste: This is a nice wit - corriander, orange zest, lemon, crisp yeast, lots of residual sweetness. This drinks fine but it does not doing anything to distinguish

mouthfeel: light and floral, bigger sweet finish

drinkability: good

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2010 00:34:47 | More by dirtylou

afordney

Tennessee

3.75/5  rDev +3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A very light color with a thick head, a little cloudy with some very pretty bubbles running up the center of the glass

A rich spicy and citrus aroma. Orange peel and lemon zest with other spice.

A light flavor with the lemon zest and orange peel

excellent balance, with good carbonation and not too watery.

A great representation. Good for kicking back on a hot day.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2010 23:00:04 | More by afordney

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.7/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served in a Dogfish Head shaped pint glass.

Ah, a nice, happy sun... This brew pours a mostly clear yellow topped by a finger or so of quick-dying white micro-foam. The nose comprises coriander, powdered sugar, wheat, ginger, vanilla, and a healthy amount of relatively light citrus. The taste is very citrus peel-forward, lending not only some fruitiness but plenty of bitterness as well. Also in there are coriander, grass, flowers, and a pinch of pepper. The body is light, with an active carbonation and a somewhat dry finish. Overall, a decently solid wit; not all that special, but a nice relax-at-the-end-of-a-long-summer-day kind of brew.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2010 13:38:09 | More by TMoney2591