May is nearly upon us and summer is just around the corner.  Here at Hapa’s Brewing we were looking forward to cook outs, ballpark hot dogs, and sandy beaches when we were hit with the realization that we better do some sit ups in preparation for the warm weather.  With our minds already basking in the dog days of summer, we chose this week’s beer: Telegraph Brewing Company’s White Ale. 

This beer is categorized under the Belgian style ale known as witbier.  Brewed with amble amounts of wheat and generally flavored with orange peel and coriander, witbier is light and crisp; perfect for a hot summer day.  Unfortunately, like all women, Mother Nature is a mystery and we did not have the summer weather we were hoping for.  Nonetheless, beer in any weather is still a good thing so we forged ahead with the tasting.

Appearance
The beer poured a very light yellow with two and a half fingers of foamy head.  Very little lacing was left on the glass as the foam dissipated.  As expected from an unfiltered beer, there was a significant amount of haze; enough to make it difficult to see your fingers on the other side of the glass.  Sediment on the bottom of the bottle confirms Telegraph’s claim to bottle conditioning.

Smell
Strong yeast aromas drift up from the glass and are the first to hit the nose.  This is not fully unexpected coming from a bottle conditioned beer.  Moving past the yeast reveals unripened nectarine, lemon, and a slight earthiness.  Very little to no hop presence.

Taste
Lemon and lime are the first flavors that come to mind upon taking a sip.  A slight spiciness comes through in the middle followed by faint bitterness reminiscent of orange rind. 

Mouthfeel
Very light bodied and thin with a dry finish.  This White Ale is highly carbonated.  The women in the room continued to be a mystery as they were not impressed with the beer’s burp inducing qualities.

Drinkability
It is unfortunate that we could not enjoy this beer outside under the warmth of the sun.  A light and crisp beer like this needs such an environment to be fully appreciated.  We found the White Ale to be over-carbonated for our tastes with the yeast smells and tastes just a bit too strong.  Overall grade for Telegraph Brewing White Ale: C


Telegraph Brewing White Ale

Up next on Tuesday Tastings: Grand Teton’s Bitch Creek Extra Special Brown