Weiss/Wit/Wheat Week--Rickard's White

One of the main reasons I started this blog was to learn more about beer.  There are so many distinct and interesting styles of beer, each with there own characteristics and attributes, that it sometimes seems a daunting task to delve any deeper than the peripheral understanding that I already possess.  But that's what I want to do.  To that end, I think it makes sense to occasionally choose a style of beer and focus on it for a series of reviews.

The style I have chosen for my inaugural theme week is wit/wheat/weiss beers.  It's a style that I do not know much about, beyond the fact that these brews are united by the generous presence of wheat as a base ingredient, that they tend to be cloudy and that they are often paired with citrus wedges.  For an example of the level of my ignorance, I know that there is a distinction between Belgian-style witbiers and Germanic weissbiers, but what that distinction is eludes me.  What I do know is these wheaty brews seem to be becoming increasingly popular and are a summertime patio staple.

I had a pint of Rickard's White on tap at a neighbourhood sports bar.  At halftime of the Monday Night Football game, I borrowed a pen and wrote my thoughts on a napkin.  First off, RW almost always comes served with an orange wedge.  It's true that the orange goes well with the brew, but just once, I'd like a server to ask me if I want the orange, since the presence of an outside element tends to distort the flavour and make reviewing a challenge.

The beer is a very cloudy orange colour.  There is a thin white head and a little lace.  The aroma was muddled by the orange slice, but I could discern notes of bready yeast and citrus.  The taste is a blend of citrus and sourdough.  The finish is really just a continuation of the flavour.

These suds are quite thin, but mild and refreshing.  Rickard's White is a pretty solid summertime beer--it definitely tastes better on a patio.  It's really a pretty good offering for a large-scale producer.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.