Grain Blonde Ash

Brewed by Grain
Style: Belgian White (Witbier)
Harleston, England

Serve in Tumbler, Weizen

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Bottle at the ChrisO Holiday Tasting, London - thanks to Fergus! Pours clear, yellow-gold with a light, white foam head. Orange citrus nose. Light sweet flavor, some hay, more citrus. Light bodied with fine to average carbonation. Moderately dry finish, more orange, light straw, some doughy pale malts. Tasty. Decent witbier from the Brits!

Bottle at ChrisO tasting, thanks to Fergus, 30/12/12. Lightly hazed pale golden with a thin white head that soon clears. Nose is pale malt, light sugar, spice, lemon. Taste comprises wheat, lemon, clove, spice, slightly tarte. Medium bodied with moderate carbonation leading to a sweet dry finish. Decnet enough drop.

Bottle at Chriso’s tasting 30/12/12. light golden colour and very clear. Lilt and orange peel aroma with a slight sharpness. Grainy orange peel coriander seed zesty and very fresh. moderately dry finish.

Bottle at Chriso New Year 2012/13. Gold wheaty saisony aroma. yep a decent saisony wheat beer.

Bottle at Chriso’s tasting in London, 121230. Clear golden beer with a very small head. Perfume aroma, yeasty notes, grapefruit, coriander, floral, grapefruit, citrus. Citrus flavor, grapefruit, perfume, floral notes, coriander, soap, pears, some wheat.

Cask in Kings Head Clapham Common. Nose is bold and fruity, with clove, banana fruity ester, yeasty. Taste is flat, banana, clove, no carbonation. Taste doesn’t live up to nose. Not sure these cask whitbiers really work. They are always a bit too flat and heavy bodied and lack the lightness of keg versions.

Cask-conditioned at the Bag O’Nails, Bristol 07/07/2012. Hazy gold with a slight white head. Aroma of orange peel and coriander with a touch of clove and yeast. Flavour was sweet, with some grainy malts, more herbs, spice and a slightly bitter finish. A good English interpretation of the style.

Jan 2009: Brown 500ml bottle containing an English Wheat Beer, a rare beast indeed. Drank 7 days before its BB Date, I think I should have opened it when it was younger because it disappointed me. It also may be that this isn’t a true Kristal and I should have rolled the bottle before opening, to allow everything in the bottle to come out. Poured into a Franzinkaner Weissbier glass it looked the part. Crystal clear (there was some sediment in the bottom of the bottle though) and Golden Yellow in colour. A thin white head soon became just a wisp and collar, even though bubbles were rising up through the beer, just like a normal German wheat beer. I love the vanilla and banana esters given off by most Weissbiers, this didn’t have those qualities. The only aroma I found was of cereal and grains, even those were weak. Refreshing enough, but it lacked a true bite and any character worth mentioning. I had high hopes for this beer, sadly it was thin impersonation and lacked body. As I said at the begining, maybe it is better younger or with the sediment in the glass.

Hazy golden, typical English small white head. Tastes of citrus, koriander and wheat. Proper wheat beer, some of the best British attempts at wheat beer I’ve had so far, but still plainly British ale (which in itself is not a bad thing)

Cask, The Salmon, Leicester. Golden with an off white firm foam. Aromas are caramel, mellow oranges and coriander with wheat. Ginger with floral notes and soft lemon. Apricot with hints of green apple. Flavours are sweet citrus fruits with peach and soft spices. Caramel with wheat and a lager malt like profile. Dry and spicy on the finish. There are more better UK wheat beers around now.