It's the blue eyes you have to watch out for.

Brewery: Avery Brewing Co.
Location: Boulder, CO
Name: White Rascal
Type: Belgian-Style White Ale
ABV: 5.6%
Purchased from: Total Wine & More, Va Beach, VA
Price: $1.99


It doesn't really have blue eyes. But it is a ginger so infer from that what you will. Aptly named, White Rascal is a through and through white ale of the unfiltered variety. This is my first time having this beer. As I've said in the past, I kind of got off white/wheat ales. And by "got off" I mean I never really got into them. I was always looking for something a little less acidic, a little more assertive. Well, turns out that white ales may not be an every day drinker for me, they are nice to experience every once in a while. Hazy like a foggy east coast morning, in a way that emulates the sun trying its damnedest to break through the fog, cloudy yellow straw. The head is a stark white pillowy cloud of foam. The bouquet puts it's spiciest foot (scent?) forward by putting off strong notes of coriander, clove, and black pepper. A nice layer of orange peel hides just underneath the strong spices. Lastly, the tang and tart twins toss their two cents into the nose giving the yeast a strong representation. White Rascal has a fairly zippy mouthfeel. The carbonation is prominent at the beginning but takes a right turns and melts into a smooth and creamy finish. Like the nose, this beer is spicy. The coriander used to brew this ale is showcased throughout, never really dying in flavor until the very end of your drink. Not at all lemony and only mildly orangey, I had braced for an acidic nightmare that would likely induce heartburn. Other flavors like wheat It seems my recollection of white ales has been woefully tarnished by some unknown source.

I'm not going to claim to be an expert on this style of beer. Hell, I'm not going to be an expert on any style of beer...Though I do have a slight understanding of what kind of beer goes into which type of glass. In any case, while I'm not an expert, I rather enjoyed this gingery devil. The creamy body and vivid, yet not at all acidic flavor profile was appealing to my malt-biased pallet. I don't see myself reaching for one of these over a massive double IPA or a chewy imperial stout, but I could definitely see myself enjoying a handful of these (I guess a handful is technically one) on a warm spring day or just whenever I feel like having a flavorful beer experience.

I really should add a "half mug" to help in instances like this.