This marks the first time I ever reviewed anything by Sidney, BC's Small Gods Brewing, and it's all thanks to Quality Inn Beer Store in Winnipeg! Today's sampling is Small Gods' The Lion of Flanders, a Fresh-hop Belgian White Ale.From the website: Our Belgian White is a vibrant and aromatic brew, featuring Maple Bay Hop Farm’s Triple Pearl Fresh Hops, which are added to the boil within 60 minutes of harvesting, ensuring maximum freshness and a burst of floral and citrus notes. Complementing this, a generous dry-hop addition of fresh hop pellets enhances the beer’s aroma with earthy, herbal undertones. Get ready for a balanced, refreshing taste with a crisp finish. 5.0% ABV
Appearance: The body is slightly cloudy with a golden straw hue to it... I was expecting it to be a much heavier, more opaque Belgian White in appearance - such as a Blanche de Chambly or
Aroma: The hops are the first thing I get from the beer with it giving off a rich herbal yet herby presence to it.. which smells like something I just can't describe quite well right now.. perhaps a bit cucumber like or a bit like celery? I just can't place my nose here. There's a hint of citrusy goodness to it. It's not over the top with spice like many Belgian Wheat Ales out there - the hops are doing it instead. It's also not trying to be overly sweet either.
Taste: Like the aroma, the hops are the star of this beer. It's herbal, earthy and gives off a hint of citrus but mostly some leafiness with a bit of vegetal notes, cucumber. There's a bit of clove and lemon citrus notes popping out once you get past the hops. Fairly dry for mouthfeel, aftertaste is a slight clove taste.
Overall Thoughts: An interesting Belgian Wit that's different than almost all the other Witbiers I've had in the past twenty-some years. I'm pretty sure I picked up another beer by Small Gods so I'll be looking forward to sampling that soon!
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