Nakhon Lemongrass White
Pacific Kingdom Trading

On-tap at Bootlegger's,

A: Pours an unfiltered yellow, light head, pretty good look.

S: Lemongrass, corinander, lemon, nice nose.

T: Upfront tastes like a standard witbier. The lemongrass is relatively light and doesn't come out until the end.

M: Light-bodied, spritzy, very easy on the palate.

D: A pretty good witbier, especially for the summertime, give me some Chinese food and this will match up as well as a Gewurztraminer for sure.

It smells like a pale ale with some wheat sweetness.
Pours a clear golden color into glass with a slight head.

Rather striking almost-artificial seeming sweetness upon sipping. Dull wheat character is present, as well as a bit of hoppiness. Spices can be tasted including lemon-grass, but definitely not enough of it to live up to it's title as a "lemongrass white ale". At 5.8%, some alcohol astringency in the first few sips, but seems to ease off halfway though a glass. Almost cloying, a sucrose-sweetness follows each sip.

I can see this working well paired with some forms of asian cuisine (perhaps lemongrass-heavy Thai or Vietnamese food).

Overall a fairly mediocre brew.

A: The pour is a hazy light golden color with a small white head on top.

S: Certainly an interesting aroma to this beer. The lemongrass really comes through to give it sort of woody/grassy aroma and at the same time a nice hit of citrus (not surprising). There is also wheat, a bit of spice, and some floral notes. A lot going on, some might say too much.

T: The flavor is definitely full of citrus (lemon and orange) and is very noticeable on the front end. The wheat comes through in the middle, with the usual spice and yeast of a witbier coming out at the finish.

M: A nice medium bodied beer with lively carbonation.

D: Bootlegger's is really doing a lot of "different" stuff and I commend them for it. This is a beer that I found to be nice to try, but I don't know if I'd drink bottle after bottle of it.

Growler from Bootlegger's Brewer. Pours pale white yellow and exceptionally cloudy, lending to a coloration actual whiteness in a white ale. The head is moderate and white, which fizzles down but leaves a small coating of white bubbles on top of the beer.

Nose has plenty of wheat, some banana and esters. The lemongrass adds a top note that is very subtle, and maybe a hint of the coriander is present. Supposedly this contains cumin, but it is not evident.

Tastes significantly wheaty with a simple malt sweetness that balances a a bitter citrus note that has to be the lemongrass. This does add a little twist to the beer, but compared to typical white beers it is also a touch bitter, however a different kind of bitterness than is typical. The finish has a bit of unpleasant for me, a touch phenolic where it should not be. Overall this is a lot wheatier and heavier than your typical wit, but it packs a decent punch at 5.8%. The mouthfeel is a strong point. It is satisfying thick with a moderate creamy carbonation. A fairly good witbier.

How many new beers is Bootlegger's making these days? I heard that this may be contract brewed for someone else, as its inital logo differentiates from other Bootlegger's designs. Feel free to correct me though. On to the beer:

Lemonade yellow...errr..."witbier yellow" color with a cloudy body. The head on top good moderately good retention and leaves several splatches of lace to the glass. Out comes the lemongrass, some tart lemon, and a dash of vague spice in the nose. The beer tastes less spiced than other wits and more focused on the malt and oats. Okay, I don't know if they used oats in this beer, but I'm getting a big note of that. The lemongrass provides a very distinguishable lemon flavor as it first hits you, then the malt/oat combo swoops in and becomes first in line. There's some creaminess in this beer's feel, and that oat flavor lingers on in the aftertaste. Dangerously drinkable....goes down very easy, and if you need proof, I'm just finishing my second glass and may need a third.

Funny....I didn't think that highly of this beer when I tasted it at the brewery yesterday. I don't know if it was because I had one too many Chocolate Mint Porter samples, or the jambalaya I ate with this beer as I reviewed it. It's refreshing, and goes off in a different direction from other witbiers. A good alternative to Orange County's more famous Orchard White.