White Bark Ale - Driftwood Brewery

kjyost

Manitoba (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

660 mL bottle acquired at Luxe Lune in Winnipeg. Poured into a fluted glass cold.

A: Hazy yellow with a with head that last and laces very nicely.
S: Loads of coriander, clove and citrus with anoint of wheat underneath it all.
T: Very similar to the nose, the body has a great citrus flavour to it with a bunch of spices. Some might think this is now nearly subtle enough for a wit, but it is right up my alley of big flavours...
M: Viscous, strongly carbonated.
O: This is how I like my wits and it rends me why I fell in love with them when I first started venturing into craft brews...

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2012 04:38:33 | More by kjyost

Derek

British Columbia (Canada)

4.45/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A: Quite white, moreso than many new world version. This isn't just a malt brew with some wheat thrown in. It's the real deal.

S: Light spicing & rind with a little citrus & fruit.

T: Lemony-citrus & rind with a very mild spicing. Healthy yeast character, hints of vanilla, modest bitterness with slight hint of tartness giving it a crisp finish.

M: Light to moderate body is quite smooth & quaffable.

D: Great stuff.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2009 20:53:27 | More by Derek

gmcnally

British Columbia (Canada)

4.43/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured a nice fluffy head with good lacing left on the glass too.

Really nice smell and taste. Citrus, and coriander are obviously very forward in the taste. Not overpowering like in some witbier. The carbonation was strong enough to hold up to the sweetness.
Nice bit of yeast In there too which I really liked.
Like to see a great tasting 5% abv too.
Definite patio beer!

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2010 03:55:55 | More by gmcnally

astout

British Columbia (Canada)

4.3/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Definitely a great belgian style wit, profound not really, but delicious definitely

Pours a cloudy light orange, light foamy head
Aromas of orange, coriander and spice, light and fruity.
Similar orange and coriander profile in flavours with a great light and soft mouthfeel, very drinkable.
Could easily see myself drinking a couple of these on a hot summer day, not going to change your life but a very very good beer from a cool local brewery.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2009 20:03:16 | More by astout

Grunewald

British Columbia (Canada)

4.3/5  rDev +8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - poured from a 650ml bottle into a tulip glass. It's cloudy tinted yellow with a white head. The head leaves spatters of lacing settles to a ring around the glass.

S - lots of flower/ester, light citrus and light spice

T - citrus hits right away, once settled a dry malty wheat flavor presents itself, then yeast flavors and a light hop finish with citrus details

M - high carbonation, medium-thin body and semi dry finish

D - refreshing

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2009 05:28:10 | More by Grunewald

canucklehead

British Columbia (Canada)

4.28/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a cloudy yellow colour with a very citrus like nose. This is a very fruity wit with lots of citrus on the finish and a light bubbly feel to the mouthfeel. I like the way this tastes like warm weather in a bottle. No lack of flavour here as this Wit ups the fruit notes.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2009 00:43:13 | More by canucklehead

scott451

Ontario (Canada)

4.22/5  rDev +6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Swirl poured a bomber into a glass stein. Two finger fine white head on a hazy dirty lemon yellow. Lots of suspended yeast grains. The head soon diminished to a weak ring. Good lacing. Lots of bread smells up front. Strong citrusy edge. Wow. Big taste. Nice round citrusy coriander with a spicy edge. King of lemony. Light in body. Not too carbonated. Very drinkable. I could drink these all day. A lack of overt flaws makes this an excellent summer session beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2010 03:32:13 | More by scott451

brewymcgee

British Columbia (Canada)

4.22/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Pale cloudy yellow with a foamy white head that sticks around.

Aroma: Yeast and wheat with some sour lemon, pepper and honey. Can seem a bit funky at the first whiff when poured from a bottle but this quickly passes.

Taste: Sweet wheat malt with a citrus tang cutting through nicely, with a citrus and light yeast finish. Clove and cinnamon flavours are present as well. Very nicely balanced.

Mouthfeel: Smooth and light with just the right tingle of carbonation.

Drinkability: Quite good actually, very thirst quenching yet worth savouring. Could be the best BC wheat I've had.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2011 03:16:55 | More by brewymcgee

DaftCaskBC

British Columbia (Canada)

4.22/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: 1/2" of white head with fine bubbles which receded quickly over cloudy honey coloured liquid.

S: Yeast, pine, and honey. A smell very typical of German Witbiers.

T: Somewhat bitter up front with the taste of orange peel which transitions into a taste reminiscent of a whole wheat kaiser bun with a nice clean finish.

M: Medium thickness and a medium level of fine carbonation.

O: A good Witbier that is better tasting than many of the German representatives of the style I have had in the past.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2011 23:33:06 | More by DaftCaskBC

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

4.18/5  rDev +5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

650ml bottle poured into pint glass 24/1/12

A cloudy pale yellow with just a few bubbles feeding a short lived thumbs width of foam that leaves some random lace

S zesty lemon and orange rind with some cereal and yeasty spice, bang on for style

T everything I smell is still there but with even more citrus, still very nice but not quite the blend of everything I smell

M quite light and very refreshing, a mild spicy, citric finish and pin prick carbonation

O went down about as fast as possible, even in the winter season this ones a winner

Would be my go to brew in the Summer if I could only get it in Calgary. Pretty stoked to see 5$ bombers of Driftwood on the BC side of the border

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2012 03:05:04 | More by wordemupg

ritzkiss

Ontario (Canada)

4.15/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22oz bomber pours a light, white wheat, crystal clear at top, cloudy on the bottom. A finger or two oh white, foamy head that dissipates, leaving no lacing. Lots of little bubbles.

Smell is fresh. Orange, spices, grains. Definitely light.

Smell is nice, same orange notes, coriander, wheat. Sparkly carbonation gives it a lively feel.

Nice light fare, goes easily with a meal or by itself, and yet different and quality enough to make you take note. A nice offering from a quality new brewery.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2009 03:31:42 | More by ritzkiss

bobsy

Ontario (Canada)

4.15/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A vacation gift from a friend - people should always buy me beer when they go on a trip! This is the second time I've had this one.

Pours a very light and cloudy yellow, with a frothy bone white head. A few spots of lace are left on the side of the glass. It has the classic Belgian wit aroma, with strong citrus tones (in this case lemongrass and orange peel), reinforced by coriander notes. The flavour is much the same. I find that more than any other beers, wits taste almost exactly as they smell, and in this case its no bad thing. Lots of lemongrass and coriander, with a slightly sour, but crisp, wheat background. Soft pillowy mouthfeel with active, yet not aggressive, carbonation. The drinkabilty is high, and it makes for a good summer quaff. Driftwood know their stuff, and I'd be happy to recommend anything from them on name alone.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2009 15:31:02 | More by bobsy

BashOnABike

Alberta (Canada)

4.15/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

4oz taster @ The Island Beer Festival, Club 919

A: Light and clouded, like pulpless grapefruit juice or lemonade, nice clean lacing with little head

S: Saison, more spice than phenol or fruit, reminiscent of a weak Tripel/Golden Ale, slight phenol and orange flavour

T: Much like the smell, but with a bit of fruit and malt in the back. Interesting yeast phenols

M: Creamy and full, but not unbearably heavy, with a med-high carbonation.

O: Nice summer-style Belgian, a little watery though

Serving type: on-tap

02-27-2012 04:58:15 | More by BashOnABike

CanuckRover

Ontario (Canada)

4.13/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a very pale straw-gold and not quite as cloudy as I would like. Nice big white head though that takes some time to settle. Bit of sediment floating around.

Nice burst of citrus right on the nose accentuated with some obvious coriander. About what you'd expect.

Something a bit different out of the gate, a bit of tartness. Classic citrus takes over pretty quickly, that familiar lemon-organe, and, true to aroma, nicely blended with refreshing coriander. A dose of yeast spices thing up a tad. Nice cookie dough malt to finish, one of my favourite tastes in the world of beer.

A little thinner than I like by wits, enjoy a bit of body to go with that creamy look.

Very drinkable. A nice witbier, with a bit of sourness that you might not get elsewhere. Citrus and coriander are evident, providing plenty of flavour.

Another winner from Driftwood.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2010 22:51:29 | More by CanuckRover

LiquidAmber

Washington

4/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours a cloudy pale yellow. One finger fine white head with good retention and lacing. Aroma of wheat, light lemon and a pilsner like bready malt. Taste follows with light bready malt, coriander, wheat, light hops. Finishes smooth and a bit dry. Medium bodied with nice carbonation. An interesting pleasant grassy component. This is a nicely made witbier.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2012 04:31:35 | More by LiquidAmber

andrenaline

Ontario (Canada)

3.98/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The last of my tasting notes from my BC trip.

A - Pours a hazy straw colour, thumb of head with decent retention, and no real lacing.

S - Very wheaty with some sour lemon. The coriander also comes through, which was nice.

T - Quite a nice wit, with the orange noticeable off the top. The sweet spices linger after the finish, with nutmeg, coriander, cinnamon and cloves all having a presence. The orange could be a little stronger, and the finish is a little tart, but still quite tasty.

M - Nice light bodied ale, goes down smooth and has the perfect level of carbonation.

D - Overall a very tasty offering and worthy to any wit fan. Not my favourite of the Driftwood beers, but still a very well crafted Wit.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2010 19:56:03 | More by andrenaline

LazyL

British Columbia (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Nice lacing on the glass and a great straw colour. This is an unfiltered wheat beer so there is a level of cloudiness but the beer is still bright.
The smell is where this beer steps up. There is a nice level of spice with star anise, pepper and clove coming to the fore front.
This is a light bodied beer that is quite dry and has a nice creamy, herbally finish.
Not my favorite style of ale but if your into Belgian wit its definitely worth a go.
On a side note, the new labeling that Driftwood has gone to is a big improvement.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2011 04:04:25 | More by LazyL

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.93/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A bomber brought back from Kelowna, BC, earlier this summer.

This beer pours a very, very pale yellow colour, with two fingers of creamy, foamy, bone-white head, which leaves some broad pillars of lace around the glass after it falls away. It smells of light white pepper, mild citrus, and a bit of yeast. The taste is sweet white malt, mild pepper, a trace of coriander, some edgy wheat, and some indistinct citrus. The carbonation is moderate, the body on the low side of medium, and a fair bit prickly. It finishes with a spicy coriander/pepper/orange zest fragrance over a mild sweet wheat malt.

A very impressive witbier, a bit dry, but I suppose that's what so encourages me to finish the bottle! My girl brought home a Blanche de Chambly just now - we are going to proceed to do a taste comparison of East vs. West. The winner, I imagine, will be us...

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2010 00:12:22 | More by biboergosum

FondueVoodoo

British Columbia (Canada)

3.88/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pale hazy gold, with a finger of white head reducing down to a barely noticeable row of bubbles around the glass.

S: Great scent of cloves and wheat malt, with a good part fresh Brioche. Wet grain scent, smells like wet wheat fields.

T: Consistent of the scent, this beer tastes like yeasty sweet dough, cloves and grains. The maltiness and the hops are combined in a perfect balanced, making this beer easy to drink

M While there isn't any carbonation in the glass, each sip encourages surprise pin pricks of carbonation on the tongue. I find this White Bark light and refreshing - although there seems to be some that disagree - try it for yourself.

O:The maltiness and the hops are combined in a perfect balance to create a refreshing smooth drinking beer. Consider drinking this a little cooler for maximum refreshment. I wouldn't dare add a lemon slice - this beer is really a stunner on it's own without any help. Pair it with whole wheat bread and creamy rich cheeses, I went with a whole wheat pizza that seemed to springboard the wheatiness. Anything like vinaigrette dress salads or tomato based dishes will over power.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2012 02:29:56 | More by FondueVoodoo

chickenm

British Columbia (Canada)

3.85/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Pours a very pale cloudy golden color with a thin white head. Smells nice, aroma is of fresh citrus, spices, and wheat. Similar flavor with lots of lemon and coriander. Body is a bit thin, dry finish. Pretty good, this is very drinkable and refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2011 01:54:46 | More by chickenm

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

3.85/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance. Pours a light straw with some light haze and a thin white bubbly head.

Smell. Belgian spices and white pepper, bready yeast, some dry toasted wheat and dried orange peel.

Taste. Oranges and Belgian spices, some toasty wheat, bready yeast and saltine crackers. Tastes better than expected from the look and smell.

Mouthfeel. Light+ body with medium+, fairly lively, slightly prickly carbonation. Works well.

O verall. Very easy drinking and fairly refreshing. The flavours were better than the smell led on.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2012 03:16:26 | More by Rutager

EspressoGuy

British Columbia (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4

A: opaque pale "creamy" yellow
S:intense clove, pineapple, pepper, yeasty dough, mandarin peel. very nice.
T: full, complete and long lasting with a nice dry finish. Complex. fruit cocktail. Blood orange. But the flavour is fleeting... after 5-10 minutes there wasn't much there but dryness.
M: crisp, dry. Medium carbonation.
O: This would be a delicious summer beer! I think it would be perfect with Indian food ...

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2013 00:10:44 | More by EspressoGuy

joemcgrath27

Alberta (Canada)

3.73/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

from notes
A - slightly hazy straw golden, very bubbly with a solid head that retained well
S - fresh cut grass, grainy with cloves and orange peel
T - bready wheaty malt, clove and coriander spice, grassy hops are there but lighter than the nose, subtle orange zest finish, pleasant but a little busy
M - refreshingly carbonated with a very bready feel up front, but finishes a little thin
D - generally refreshing and easy drinking, a wit beer with a twist that works

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2011 03:14:53 | More by joemcgrath27

Viggo

Ontario (Canada)

3.58/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

On tap at St. Augustines in Vancouver.

Pours a light hazed straw yellow, very light in colour, thick white head forms and settles down to a thin ring around the glass but drops a real nice lace sheet on its way down.

Smell is alright, quite lemony, some pepper and coriander, wheat, a bit yeasty, orange peel, biscuit and a bit of toast, oats, bready, some honey, decently malty but a bit sweet.

Taste is similar, quite dry up front, some wheat and yeast, toasty, a bit of lemon and orange peel, coriander, honey, bitter orange, very dry in the finish.

Mouthfeel is light bodied with medium carbonation. Comes through a bit too thin and dry for my liking but a solid wit.

Serving type: on-tap

08-09-2010 20:37:34 | More by Viggo

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.45/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bottle shared with Craig at Bar Volo. Fairly regular witbeer. Yes refreshing citrus, but also on the slightly tin side. A little bitter and sour. Pours hazy white, with a Caesar head. High carbonation.Some sugary sweetness. Drinkability OK, it was a palate cleanser.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2009 00:37:25 | More by northyorksammy