Ommegang Witte

Located where a hop farm once produced the annual harvest, Brewery Ommegang brews a very limited range of Belgian-style beers, preferring to focus on quality over quantity, traditional ingredients and brewing methods. Redolent of fresh ground coriander, sweet alfalfa, and piquant orange peel, Ommegang Witte’s aroma comes charging out of the glass. The almost candied orange notes pleasantly surprised Lee, who felt the coriander spiciness was a touch low. He pronounced the overall aroma “bright and true to character.” Tom was blown away by the complexity of the nose, picking up traces of Meyer lemon and “possibly a light touch of vanilla” over a warming peppery note. He found the overall effect “bright and enticing.” Bathing the glass in a pale yellow haze, this Ommegang radiates a suffused, white-streaked glow and is capped by a Mont Blanc of white foam. True to its Belgian antecedents, the beer nimbly blends competing notes of vanilla, juicy lemon, dried herbs, and spicy coriander, seamlessly integrated with the bold malt and wheat flavors. Rick complimented the balanced sweet coriander and thyme-like notes, but noted a slight “hammy” flavor he ascribed to the possible use of sweet orange peel instead of bitter. The keynote for Pete was the punchy aftertaste loaded with “tangy orange” and an apple note. He also enjoyed the almost creamy malt and the subtle herbaceous hop flavors intertwined with the other elements. Complex and luxurious, yet completely unassuming, Ommegang Witte is at home in a cookout or in a fine restaurant.