Wolaver's Ben Gleason's White Ale
Otter Creek Brewing

 

 

 

 

This is beer was bottled on March 18 2010, so it's about a year old...picked it up for a discounted price at a local gas station, let's see how it tastes a year later...

Pours out a hazy yellow-golden color, lots of sediment floating around, white whispy, frothy head formed and quickly dissipated. Not much lacing going on with this one.

Smell consists of some wheat, bit of earthy-musty yeast, and some light fruits.

Surprisingly, this tastes pretty damn good. Lots of citrusy flavors mingle around with a fairly bready and biscuity malt backbone, bit of spice throughout. Light sweetness seems to go good with the orange peel, slight grainy aftertaste with a touch of bitterness towards the end.

Mouthfeel is refreshing and light, with a moderate body and matching carbonation.

Overall, this beer seems to have held up just fine a year past its bottled-by date. Very refreshing beer, a nice change of pace. I'd buy it again.

On tap poured into a tulip.

Pours a very hazy wheat golden color with a nice white finger white head. Nose is wheat, citrus and fruity.

Mouthfeel is very thick and creamy with a sharp bite and a very clean finish. It's quite easy drinking, one of the better wits.

Pours a cloudy sunny yellow color (yes, I swirled), with a creamy head that, while thin, sticks around a very long time and leaves a lot of lace splattered on the glass.

Aroma is mild. Very mild. What's there is obvious in a way that you don't need the label to know it: orange peel, coriander, wheat, and a faint trace of yeast. Par for the course/style, neither impressive nor offensive, just there.

Taste brings a nice earthy, grainy component, staying soft in feel and flavor the whole time. There's a hint of sweetness here that reminds of a Belgian pale ale, or some kind of honey-like ale...also soft and subtle. The orange peel is more present than the coriander. Fairly dry, and while no insane bonk over the head of beer greatness, it's quite enjoyable.

Feels soft and silky in the mouth, and the ample carbonation only adds depths and does not detract from the smoothness of texture.

I know it's organic, but it really does drink about as earthy as any witbier I've had, feeling, smelling, looking and tasting completely unadulterated; solid and worthy of any witbier fan's time and money.

Maybe something went wrong with my sample. In addition to some smell of coriander and citrus peels I get a hint of that unmistakable smell after a woman gets her hair permed. And that's not really the same smell as skunking, it was something else about it.

It poured a 1" head. Light yellow color. Taste to me wasn't bad but it also wasn't much better than a Bud Light or any of dozens of comparable beers.

Pours a one finger white head that fades quickly leaving traces of lace. Cloudy amber color, with some yeast left in bottle. Good carbonation and medium bodied. Lemon, pepper nose. Flavor is lemon, pepper and yeast. $1.60 for a 12oz bottle from Beverage Warehouse Winooski, VT.

Received a deep gold brew with a foamy white head. Some light lacing. Light haze.

Some spice and lemon combined with yeast and wheat. It works, although the lemon has a bitter/herbal element to it.

A decent wit, you get clean refreshing sweet wheat, with some bitter lemon and some light white pepper spice. Not overdone and well balanced. A touch on the mild side, but the light body and carbonation are right. Quite drinkable and refreshing, even though it is a little bit on the weak side.

Poured into a nonic.

Pours a hazy pale orange brew with a white fluffy head that disappears fairly quickly and leaves minimal lacing.

Smells of wheat, yeasts, orange peel and spices.

This brew has a nice wheat flavor and good spiciness. The bitterness from the orange peel and the peppery coriander makes a nice spiced flavor.

The mouthfeel is medium/light with good active carbonation.

A nice Witbier that suits the style nicely. Would easily recommend for gatherings.

Poured into a Hoegaarden glass.

Pours a cloudy yellow/light orange color. Has a wispy lace layer head that leaves a slight lace behind as you drink. Looks like a standard witbier.

Brew smells of wheat, yeasts, orange and coriander. Nice smell.

Brew is crisp and slightly spicy initially, nice carbonation. Then the brew finishes smooth and you can really taste the wheat and the orange as well as the yeast and spice. Very good tasting brew. Almost has the complexity of a good hefe. Finishes and drinks very refreshing. Nice balance.

This is one of the standout Witbier's I have had. A very drinkable, very tasty brew.Very refreshing, could easily session this one all night.

This beer poured a hazy golden straw yellow. The finger thick white head that first appeared, disappeared into thin a lacing. Nothing residual was left behind to cling to the sides of the glass.

It smelled upfront of clove and coriander, pleasant and not over powering.

This was a enjoyable, easy drinking beer. The body was nice, and the carbonation I feel enhanced the taste of clove and coriander. Being my first organic beer I would easily drink this again.

I really love this beer. It kind of reminds me of Duvel, but not so spicy. The apprearance is really clear which isnt usual for a white ale, but it is nice. The smell is awesome, sweet and spicy. The taste is AWESOME in my HHO. Taste is really similar to a Duvel. Mouthfeel left a bit to be desired. I would have like a bit more finish in this beer.

Overall a really spot on beer. MUST HAVE!!

Flax gold with lemon juice accents and multiple streams of upwardly rushing bubbles. The cream colored cap looks pretty good too and is starting to produce a few squiggles of sea foam lace.

The nose is exactly what a witbier nose should be. There's plenty of orange zestiness and an ideal amount of spicy coriander. The Belgian yeast is responsible for a few additional esters that are more than welcome additions to the party.

Ben Gleason's White Ale is proud to be organic beer. From where I sit, the only thing that matters is whether or not it's good beer. It definitely is. The most remarkable thing is that this bottle is almost 11 months old. Mouthfeel is the only characteristic that seems to have taken a hit.

The malt backbone is on the skimpy side, but then that isn't unexpected for the style. The beer has a crackery pale maltiness and plenty of citrus and spice. A little more sweetness would be nice, rather than the 'tonic water added' bitterness that is partly due to overly aggressive carbonation. From a flavor standpoint, WBGWA is right on the money.

The mouthfeel is thinnish and overbubbled, although neither one is a deal-breaker. It was almost certainly better last summer and fall, so that has to be taken into account. Besides, both improve in the bottom half of the bottle.

Ben Gleason is an organic wheat farmer who lives about 10 miles from the brewery and supplies the wheat used in this offering. The beer named in his honor is a wonderful wit that I would be happy to drink again.

This pale-gold beer is hazy, with a head that fades away very quickly, but leaves a bit of lacing.Very good wit aroma, though: a large surfeit of coriander makes for a very perfumy nose, together with a nice citrus zest. Top notch wit flavor as well. If you like a coriander-filled wit, this is for you. Good notes of wheat, bitter orange, and yeasty clove. Bitterness is high for the style, but fits in well, drying out the finish. Nice, spritzy mouthfeel.

Very yummy beer from Wolaver/Otter Creek--probably the best of their line-up I've had.

It's a hazy yet, bright colored yellow-golden color, a rather hefty all-white head starts out with a bang and then dissipates pretty quick but it's right on style-wise.

A very nice and hearty aroma, plenty of dry and musty wheat, not tooo much corriander and spices, just enough it seems. No need to over do it with the added goodies and this one seems just about right. The yeast provides more hearty aroma's and some gentle sourness with a hint of lemmony-zest.

The flavor is a thrist-qeunching hearty wheat and yeast, gentle complexity with spices that fit right in. Gentle citric zest does not overwhelm and a simple, light wheat malt with a hearty and rather complex yeast. (for an American version of this) Sure this is light and refreshing for summer, but it fits in well with the harvest season too! The feel is light and buzzy, just right.

Not that satisfied with this beer. I think I expected more. It has a nice boquet out of the bottle but the mouth feel and finish are short lived. Look elsewhere, organic or not.

A - Burnt orange hue.
S - Boquet of bananas, ripe orange and coriander.
T - Navel orange with an undertone of wet wheat.
M - Light and uninspiring.
D - One beer and your moving on to something else.

White head that settles quickly. Leaves web-like lace. Greenish tinge to the otherwise straw-yellow liquid. Crystal clear, surprisingly

Semi-sweet malted wheat aroma.

Spritzy carbonation, thin liquor. This beer is all wheat. The aftertaste is short lived. Easy beer to drink, good on a hot day.

Pours a lightly hazey hay color. All beneath a quick receding head after the initial pour to a bone white film of foam. An ok, and lonely, plume of bubbling rises to the top. The aroma has some faint herbal hay at first,then maybe sme sweet wheat. But the overall aoma is very faint and vague. The taste starts earthy and full of hay with a dry palate. The middle moistens and sweetens up a bit. The finish is super yeasty fruit with some nice coriander, and maybe a bubblegum note. Great summer beer that runs the gammet from dry to wet from start to finish and just urges you to take another sip... or another bottle.

Bottle from my ABF mixed pack. Horay? Smudged bottled date: ?/12/09 Pils glass pour.

A stiff caking of dusty white head fills the glass. Body is a crisp & clear, yellow gold. A little swirl near the end turns the brew a cloudy pineapple.

Smell is a very assertive mix of coriander, powdered sugar, vanilla & wildflowers.

Taste has a lavender thing going on. Sweet/bready malt upfront, bitter/soapy middle mass of clove & yeast, a touch tart & gummy, with some refreshing OJ at the end.

Brew starts off feeling chalky, but is highly carbonated & flushes itself right out.

The best stuff I've ever had from these guys.

Pours very light hazed yellow with a thin white head that stays, leaving lacing.

The smell is of bubblegum, wheat tang, orange peel and a hint of coriander. It has a pleasant aroma.

The taste is sweet - bubblgumish - becoming backed by tart orange with a dry, mildly peppery finish.

Light-bodied, it is creamy yet crisp. Very refreshing.

This is a very easy-drinking thirst-quencher, truly refreshing brew. It's a mild interpretation of the style, and a nice one at that!

Pours a hazy light yellow color with about a half finger of white head that lasts a good while and leaves light lacing.

Aroma is very citrusy with some faint spices in the background. Some wheat is also cleanly evident.

Taste hits with lemon and spice along with hints of wheat and orange. Not at all complex but still very refreshing.

A light bodied beer with light to medium carbonation. Overall very crisp and refreshing and a great interpretation of the style. Never heard of this one before trying it so didn't know what to expect but was pleasantly surprised. This is actually a pretty solid wit at a great price.

A: Poured a hazy brass-blonde with a bright white fizzy head that quickly collapsed. Visible carbonation started out fairly strong before quickly quieting down. No visible lacing was observed. The coloring was nice as well the haziness, only the flimsy head was a weak point here.

S: The aroma delivered tart orange peels and and a good wheaty aspect. The oranges comes through dominant on the finish. Decent for a white, though lacks a good spiciness ive come to expect per style.

T: The flavor surprised me with the spicy nature of the drink coming through balanced with tart oranges. A good wheaty character is tasted giving this a good start. Mild lemons with a light floral hopping along with semi-dry wheat notes goes well here. The yeast delivers a good variety of fruity notes upon warming with tart apples and pears being the most noticeable. Hints of bananas and a bite of lemon peels rounds things out. There is only faint traces of pepper on the finish and fade, very subtle, yet noticeable and appreciable as well.

M: A good carbonation bite brings the mouthful to life. Light bodied with a wheaty edge and texture.

D: A good summer thirst quencher. Spicy with a semi-dry tart finish will make you come back for more. Easy to drink, six pack worthy and one of their better beers.

The beer pours a hazy pale gold color with a thin white head that fades to lacing. The aroma is great. It has a light pilsner and wheat malt scent along with a perfect balance of orange peel and coriander. The taste is good. It has a crisp and refreshing wheat malt and witbier yeast taste. It's light and easy drinking with a wonderful spice combo. The mouthfeel is fine. It is a low bodied beer with good carbonation. This is a solid witbier. It's a perfect summer brew.

12 ounce bottle, w/ bottling date info. etched onto the bottle. Pours cloudy white peach, white long lasting head, sticking in sheets all around the glass. Better then average, fine stringy lace. the little nose I'm getting is of just a hint of orange, and flowery hints. Typical wit notes of more orange, wheat and light yeast. Not a bad wit at all. Light, slightly zesty and moderatly refreshing. Decent warm weather beer, bring on the summer salads, bread, cheese, add some of this wit and enjoy...

12oz brown glass twist-top. Date is smudged off, but I know this is from an early batch.

Appearance: Rough pour pulls up 1 finger of really sudsy bone-white head. Cloudy yellow straw color.

Nose: Lots of lemon and orange peel, a little yeast and some dry, dusty earth.

Palate: Immediately crisp with lemon juice, orange juice, toasty yeast, hay, corn stalk. Finish is quick but not clean.

Notes: Decent brew, esp. for being organic, but not really something I'll revisit. Falls under the category of "good but not great" beers from Wolaver's. Need's tweeking.

I only had a small sampling of this beer, so it will warrant a more thoughtful, comprehensive, and contemplative review at a later point. The beer is quite pale and hazy in color has a pure white thin foamy head and a nose that is Belgiany yeast, spices, and coriander.

The taste was a typical Belgian wit although I think the beer lacks some of the complex sweet flavors that should have emerged behind the yeast. I just didn't get the complexity and instead the beer seemed a bit more bone dry than warranted. The beer was also a bit more sharp than I prefer Witbiers to be. I will re-review at a later time.

I spoke to the brewer at Beer Wars the other night and he indicated that this was a slight variation on their standard witbier.

Nice golden color, lasting white head and citrus aroma.

This is going to make a nice summer session ale. The citrus and spice was just enough to keep this from being too plain jane. The wheat did seem to show through well.

All in all another solid offering from Wolavers.

Picked this up at the brewery in a growler.

Pours a cloudy whitish-orange color with a one-finger head into my fluted tulip.

Aroma is smooth with a strong hint of coriander and orange peel in the nose. Seems right for the style.

Taste is full of orange peel and coriander upfront. Very light and easy. Citrusy. The yeast adds to it.

Mouthfeel is full of lingering orange peel and coriander. Decent hint of wheat too.

Very nice and drinkable. Definitely a fuller recipe in comparison to the other witbier they made. Guy at the counter claims they're the same recipe but I digress. This has more flavor.