Moylans White Christmas 2006 (Belgian Wit)

09-Mar-08 (22-oz bottle: Purchased 28-Nov-07 for $4.29 at Holiday Wine Cellar in Escondido, CA) This beer seems unusually malty for a Belgian Style Wit, and the 6.5% ABV is also out of the ordinary. So once that issue is out in the open and I’m not expecting a beer that is "to style," it’s time to just appreciate the beer for what it is. First off, the beer smells very buttery, bready and toasty, and in terms of the spicing, only cinnamon and perhaps orange peel have much presence in the nose. Taking a sip, the malt base is extremely toasty, and there is a lot of diacetyl, so it’s like eating buttered toast. But there is also a significant amount of spiciness, with the spicy pepper being the most prominent. Slight amounts of bitter orange peel and cinnamon are in the background, but coriander just doesn’t stand out for me. Body is medium as is carbonation. A bit more coriander might add more crispness to the finish and aid drinkability, but this beer certainly doesn’t seem stale, heavy or cloying on the palate. The beer is a hazy golden color and is topped by an inch of off-white head that gradually settles to a wide ring. Some stringy lacing remains on the glass. It’s also interesting to note that I also opened a 2006 bottle alongside the 2007, and the 2006 showed more pepper spiciness and no signs of diacetyl or that toasty

Hazy light gold pour with a foamy white head. Aroma of light citrus, a bit of spice and yeast. Sweet malty flavor, with the fruit and spice coming through just a bit. Doesn’t really taste like a standard Wit, but still not bad.

Pours semi-clear with a golden thick texture white head. Not much aroma; maybe rain water and wet bread. Mild citrusy notes with a sweet maltiness and some hop flower in the taste. Not very Wit-like but very good.

Bottle. Hazy yellow pour with some amber hue. Aroma is somewhat like a white beer with nice citrus, but a lot of coriander and other spices. Flavor is the same, too much spicing for me. Mouthfeel is a little vegetable like from all the spices.