Michigan Brewing Celis White

Brewed by Michigan Brewing Company
Style: Belgian White (Witbier)
Webberville, Michigan USA

Pours golden with a slight haze. Well developed carbonation with a creamy white, tightly knit head. The nose suggests coriander, cloves, allspice and citrus. Light-to-medium body with a little spritz on the palate and forward spice notes that make me think of pumpkin pie without the pumpkin. Well developed, broad-stroke lace. Highly refreshing wheat beer. Well balanced. Excellent both as a sipping beer and as an accompaniment to food. I’d return to this.

12oz bottle.
Pours a thick-looking, very cloudy orange-amber. That’s some nifty-looking stuff. Not much head, but what little there is leaves some decent lacing here and there. Aroma is tart, lemony, yeasty and a little earthy. Flavor much the same with tart citrus leading the way. Light earthy grains and hops march in behind the citrus and a touch of banana soon follows. Body is light to medium with a thicker-than-usual palate for this style that grows more cloying with each sip.

I was heartbroken when I heard Celis sold out to Miller because I knew that would be the end of the Celis line of beers (apparently MBC was more interested in the equipment than the recipes). I will always have a soft spot for the original Celis White and Celis Raspberry for helping me turn my ex into a beer connoisseur. I’m sure she appreciates it too even if she no longer appreciates me, but that’s another story. When I heard MBC was reviving some Celis recipes, I was cautiously optimistic. My thanks to MBC for reviving these beers and recreating them, at least by my memory, pretty faithfully to the originals.

12oz bottle into a wheat glass. Great history, and a pretty good beer. It’s not the best thing in the world, but a solid wit.

I will have to agree with the masses. This is a pretty good witbier. The best of the bunch in this mixed case. It held true to all the characteristics that make a wit beer a witbier. Give this beer a try.

12 oz from Weiland’s Market in Columbus, OH. Pours clear yellow with a small white head. Nose is lemony citrus, sugar, wheat, grass, and Lemonheads. Flavor is similar with spice and a mellow sweetness. Medium bodied and very enjoyable.

12oz bottle courtesy of markwise. Pours a hazy lemon golden color with thin white head. Aroma is sweet and spicy with notes of caramel, honey, spice, coriander, white grapes, yeast, grain, some hints of banana and floral fruit. Flavor is sweet and malty with notes of caramel, honey, spice, wheat, grain, yeast, banana, and notes of floral fruit. Generally light body with a floral finish.

Thanks Floyd! A cloudy yellowish beer with a small white head that lasts a few minutes. A nose full of coriander and bread pudding. Flavor is similar to the aroma with citrus fruit. A nice zingy feel. Late in the glass a dry sour funky bitterness shows up. This is a nice clean and refreshing wit.

12oz bottle 7/13/09 (Siciliano’s Market-Grand Rapids)-Pours a slightly hazy yellowish golden with a big loose white head. Aroma of Belgian, coriander, yeast, wheat, and spices. Taste is of spices that last throughout then kick it up on the back end. In the middle the citrus, corinder, and yeast come through. This medium bodied brew is quite good. This is my all time favorite beer when it was brewed by Celis and Michigan does a pretty decent job of trying to keep it alive but it must have been the Austin water but it just isn’t the same.