White Ale
OEC Brewing (Ordinem Ecentrici Coctores)

very good but also very tame, especially for these guys, a more often than not yeast forward brewery. i expected some funk, some belgian esters, and a sort of saison rustic thing, but this is pretty clean as they go, summery and incredibly light overall, delicious and majorly well executed, but not as exotic as i think i thought it would be. a little clear than anticipated too, goldenrod colored a half step richer than some but still looks wheaty, high white head on it with weightless little bubbles, pretty. the aroma is tight for the style, some orange peel evident, but it doesnt seem as warm fermented and outwardly belgian as most, and not much sign of any coolship wildness, but that comes a little as it sits. it has nice biscuit grain character, is deeply earthy and almost granola-like, and has some lemon lime soda to it as well. i love the light white pepper thing in the flavor, a little hint of lemongrass, and the coriander is appreciable here. i do get some light saison type yeast to this, and maybe a hint of anise or something from the wit strain, but again, its really mellow, albeit interesting enough to keep my attention and definitely a little unconventional, it just doesnt drive the beer the way i expected it to. very nice carbonation, really effervescent and fluffy from the wheat, exactly what it should be, and its summery and fresh to me, well spiced without being overdone, and super dry at the end. neat little take on a wit here, subtle and crushable, i could drink this all day long, all summer long, whatever. huge fan of these guys, thankful to have some access. this would be great all bretted out too, but i also really like it as it is. great patio beer.

No can date
Pours a foamy bubbly 1/2 finger head with lower retention, no lacing, hazy light pale color

Nose very creamy doughy wheat, raw dough, mild fruity ester notes, bubblegum, hint of citrus, almost lemony

Taste brings more doughy creamy malt and wheat, raw bread dough and a little cereal, lemony cereal like, very little sweetness which would have helped balance a bit, fair fruity esters with a bit of bubblegum and hint lemony, mild peppery phenol notes, dry finish, a touch of bitterness, spicy phenols and lemon pepper lingering

Mouth is lighter bod, lower carb

Overall not bad, wish there was a bit more malty sweetness and more esters but otherwise decent beer

 

A: The beer is clear light yellow in color and has a slight amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a quarter finger high bright white head that left a patch of bubbles on the surface and a narrow collar around the edge of the glass.
S: Light aromas of orange peel are present in the nose along with hints of wheat.
T: The taste follows the smell, except that the flavors of orange peel are a bit stronger and there are some hints of coriander towards the finish.
M: It feels a bit more than light-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This witbier seems to have more in the way of orange peel compared to other beers in the style and is easy to drink.

Serving type: can

An underwhelming wit and overwhelming task of being the first to review it. (Yes, even Poo-Pahs can be intimidated by some circumstances.)

I bought a 4-pack at The Beer Temple. (Also there, I had on tap my only OEC 4 years earlier (a Wild that I didn't fully grasp.)
What makes my task difficult is OEC has a very successful wit (Albus) with 88 ratings averaging 4.21... quite high for a wit and 5th on BA's Top 50 list. What I don't understand is how that success and then, this White, also follows the traditional wit formula and White is a very "meh" wit. Nothing wrong with White, just not close to becoming a standout. Refreshing, yes. Spiced with coriander and orange, yes. Soft in the mouth from the wheat, yes. But just "meh". Not much foam or swirling protein to liven up the show.

But maybe I'm the problem. With only 104 ratings on UnTappd, their average is 3.82 (above mine.)
So..... Maybe I should try it again as a side-by-side with a classic and summer fare.

8/2/22 OK. I tried it again and probably will drink the rest of the 4-pack. (I often give away beers I don't like to my nephew who does work around the house... so White is higher than the threshold of an unwanted ale.) And having this with chips and guacamole mildly spiced, White works. It works with other appetizers. And OEC is kinda cool, too. So all said, I give their Overall rating some extra Hugs.