Blitzen Double White Ale
Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery

Beer Geek Stats
From:
Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery
 
United States
Style:
Herb and Spice Beer
ABV:
6.04%
Score:
Needs more ratings
Avg:
3.91 | pDev: 8.95%
Reviews:
2
Ratings:
3
Status:
Active
Rated:
Oct 15, 2014
Added:
Dec 06, 2006
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
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Recent ratings and reviews.
 
Rated: 3.5 by KAF from Iowa

Oct 15, 2014
Photo of DesMoinesMike
Reviewed by DesMoinesMike from Iowa

3.88/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
When I think of Christmas and beverages that go with the season I normally don't go the direction of orange, but this brew made me open my heart to new ways of thinking.

It was definitely orange, and cloudy, with a moderate amount of a light-colored head. I was expecting the aroma to match but it only had a hint of citrus. The flavor had a bit of citrus, a bit of wheat, and little hops. It went down fairly smooth, with a slight twinge to the aftertaste.

This was a nice change the RB's seasonal wheat lineup. A bit of sunshine in the dark of winter.
Nov 21, 2008
Photo of BuckeyeNation
Reviewed by BuckeyeNation from Iowa

4.35/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Bright, sparking tawny with much more orange than brown. The pale honey colored crown was on the small side, as is typical for a bar pour, but this one lasted quite a long time and left fairly extensive shredded sheets of lace down the sides of the mug.

Everyone knows that Rudolph has a bright red nose. Who knew that Blitzen has a bright orange one? Actually, the orange peel wasn't all that noticeable, although it was fairly easy to identify beneath all the spices. The spice bill consists of cinnamon and clove, with the former much more prominent than the latter. It was too weak overall though and didn't keep pace with the rest of the beer's attributes.

I could have classified Blitzen as a wheat beer since it uses about 35-40% red wheat, but herbed/spiced seemed much more appropriate given the flavor. Edit: it looks like I'm unable to add it under the correct style since herbed/spiced beers are no longer accepted, but have to add it under the entirely inappropriate American Pale Wheat Ale. Trust me, this is not an APWA.

Other ingredients include honey malt, orange peel (50% Curacao and 50% sweet orange), as well as the aforementioned cinnamon and clove. If that sounds like a great combination, believe me, it is.

The best part about the beer was the perfect combination of sweet and spicy; with bitter and fruity taking a backseat while still shouting out directions. Beneath all the accessory flavors was a 'toasted wheat bread spread with orange marmalade' vibe. Cinnamon was probably the dominant flavor, so it's a good thing that it was added in a just right amount. Clove was only noticed on the finish; and then only barely.

Hops weren't a huge part of the flavor profile, although I did appreciate the tea-like flavor of English Challenger (the citrusiness of the Centennial hops was noted only during burps). It wouldn't have mattered a bit if I had no knowledge of the ingredients, this was a fascinating, delicious, incredibly well-crafted beer.

I keep bouncing between two scores for the mouthfeel and haven't yet made up my mind. It was medium in heft with a silky smoothness and a finishing light stickiness that lasted for the life of the pint. The bubbles started out perfect as well and were still kicking during the final ounce. It looks like my remembrances have chosen the appropriate score for me.

Blitzen is both original and good; I don't know that I've ever had a beer quite like it. I think it's fair to say that it's one of my three favorite non-hoppy beers from my local Rock Bottom. Forget about Rudolph. Blitzen is the greatest reinbeer of them all.
Dec 06, 2006
Blitzen Double White Ale from Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery
Beer rating: 3.91 out of 5 with 3 ratings