belgian white beers

How true to style is Blue Moon?

What about Ommegang's Witte?

The reason I ask is because these are the only two belgian whites that I have ever had, and I find them to be radically different (Blue moon being the superior of the two in my opinion.)

The Ommegang seemed thin and tangy compared to Blue Moon.

-walker
edit: yes, I know this is a thread about belgian wits, but is posted under the American Beer & Wine forum, but that's because both Blue Moon and Ommegang are US breweries.

Having had Hoegaarden before any other wit, I compare them all to it. Perhaps that's unfair, but it's what I do. I think Blue Moon is acceptable, but it doesn't have much of the bitter orange taste. I think I sensed more of a spice (the coriander?). These flavors seemed unbalanced. Sam Adam's white is better than Blue Moon, but was still missing that citrus flavor. I also tried a Japanese Wit (the one with the owl on the label)...it was so unmemorable, I don't recall being impressed. I have yet to try Ommegang's.

So the orange taste in Blue Moon is a product of the brew process itself? I see a lot of guys squeeze an actual orange slice into it. Is that accepted/encouraged practice, or just a B-more thing, or what? (I've only tried the beer once, sans orange.)

a lot of beer snob folks turn thier nose up at squeezing an orange in a wheat beer, i tend to enjoy it as thats the way i started drinking them, but that is for a american wheat (and a lemon for a hefe). but a belgian white needs nothing else, it is brewed using bitter orange peel as a standard ingredient, however the amounts seem to vary, as i noticed when researching for my wit recipe. that orangy flavor comes from the peel, and i'm sure the yeast has some say in it also.

i wish i could tell you which of those is closest to style, but i've only had blue moon, and the last time i had that was years ago before i discovered coors ownership of the brand. i do remember it tasting like a typical white beer though, but i'm not sure if years-old opinions formuklated over one pint in a somky bar count. while growing up in austijn i drank quite abit of celis white, whjich i always thought was good. the brewery in austin shut down, but i think someone contract brews it now, i'm pretty sure you can still get it. the interesting thing is the recipe in beer captured (?) seems kinda nontraditional for the white beer, however i was sixteen the last time i had one of those. now when i want a wit i reach for averys white rascal, which is very good.

P funky said:

So the orange taste in Blue Moon is a product of the brew process itself?

Click to expand...

Yes. Most (if not all?) use bitter orange peel in the recipe. I did one once using them in secondary. Very nice.

I think I've mentioned Wiekse Witte in the past, and I'll mention it again. I've never had a Wit that could even slightly compare with WW.

The flavor was unlike any other beer I've had before. I ordered it in Amsterdam on a whim and just couldn't quit drinking it along the way.So dam good. Unlike Blue Moon, it wasn't as citrus and had more of the malt and hops flavors that one comes to appreciate from a beer.

Just like Hoegaarden, or its predecessor, Celis White, tasted differently. Blue moon is tasty stuff, but it's an americanized White, not a true Wit (or Witte). Which is to say, it's not Belgian.

Another is Wittekerk (sp?). It's really light......nice summer beer. I recently saw it in cans.

Cheese.....Peter Celis revived the style with Hoegaarden in Belgium, then moved to the US and started brewing Celis White. I'm pretty sure Celis features American hops, so I'd call it the "Americanized" version. Blue Moon is the BMC version, but it really isn't too bad.

Regards,

Cliff Clavin

What is the due riguer brewing process for these wheat beers? Ferment, secondary - stir a little while transfering to bottling vessel - add wort, lme, krausen or corn sugar and bottle?
how do I get my home brews to have that nice ceamy even carbonation - and glorious yeasty head topping from the bottom of the bottle???

basically bottle conditioning it with any method should give you good head. if you're into it though krauesening is the way to go.

I drank Waaaaay too much Wiekse Witte when I was in the Netherlands, outstanding stuff.

So I just picked up an issue of a new mag called "Imbibe" (it's pretty cool, I must say), and there's a short article about a beer called Sunrise Weissbier. Has anyone heard of that? Is it a white beer, as the name suggests? Is it good?

nice...

Really? This thread is 5 years old.

doing search and marking post?? it's easier to find them later that way

then all i have to do is go to my replies and there it is..

Click "thread tools" then "subscribe".