Always Good to Have a Rascal Nearby
Written: Oct 24 '09
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Product Rating:
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Pros: The taste sets this Belgian white apart from the competition.
Cons: Wheat is almost missing in the nose.
The Bottom Line: Avery Brewing Company has crafted a winner with their Belgian white offering of the White Rascal.
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| Bounty628's Full Review: Avery White Rascal |
Can the market ever become too saturated with a certain style of beer? Only macrobrews.
The Belgian white ale variety is certainly sweeping the beer market with a new found excitement and brilliance. People who have never ventured into the world of microbrews will give a new Belgian white they find a try because of the increased popularity and availability of the style to consumers. It might be the lighter nature that comes with a Belgian white or it might be the nice freshness in the taste that often times features a citrus nature. But no matter what the reason is, when quality breweries keep pumping out quality Belgian whites the world is being well served.
Avery Brewing Company is located in Boulder, Colorado and is home to a remarkable and truly impressive line of beers. Some of their bomber varietals like the Majaraja Imperial IPA are knock-your-socks off kind of good and their year round offerings are all of a very high quality. One of their year round offerings is their Belgian white offering known as the White Rascal.
Brewed at a very nice 5.6 ABV% the White Rascal is a refreshing and enjoyable Belgian white that would serve as a good session beer. The crisp and impressive nature of the White Rascal really allows the drinker to enjoy all the brilliance of the offering. The drinkability of the White Rascal is quite solid as there is not much missing in all of the elements needed in a quality brew with this offering.
The White Rascal is not as completely cloudy as a hefeweizen but it does have a somewhat clouded nature to it. The pour is light and pale and light can be seen through the pour without problem. There is a moderate amount of carbonation that dances along the glass after the pour which gives way to a rather thin and bright white head that dissipates quite quickly. There is virtually no lacing left along the pint glass during the enjoyment of the offering.
When poured the White Rascal gives off an immediate nose of citrus, predominantly lemon and orange, paired with a mild wheat note coming through. You probably pick up a bit more of the citrus and a tad of coriander-like spice in the smell of this beer than you do the wheat, but do not be deceived because the taste will bring the wheat back into the fold.
The previously mentioned refreshing nature of the beer has more to do with the actual mouthfeel than the taste. The White Rascal is a very nice and light offering free of any perceived or actual heaviness in the mouthfeel. All of the components of the beer help in allowing the beer to work its way across the palate in a smooth and easy way.
The taste of this beer is a real winner in terms of how it stacks up to some other Belgian whites that are on the market. There is a symbiotic balance at work within the taste as the Belgian wheat shines through far more in the taste than it did in the nose. The wheat is crisp and fresh and it is paired nicely with a good packing of citrus flavors that were in fact picked up in the nose. Avery details that the beer is brewed with coriander and Curacao orange peels and even if it was not explicitly advertised as such one could have clearly arrived at that conclusion on their own. The taste is a well thought out creation that serves this beer and the brand identity well and the White Rascal's taste alone sets it apart from a lot of other Belgian whites out there.
Many of Avery's offerings allow the brewery to be considered a really high quality brewing operation. While specialty offerings are always nice to have in your repertoire of brews, having flagship beers that are of such a high quality as the White Rascal certainly serves the brewery well. Avery Brewing Company has crafted a winner with their Belgian white offering of the White Rascal.
Recommended:
Yes
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