Empyrean Better World Belgian-Style Wheat Ale

Had on draft at the brewery in Lincoln, NE. Did not expect much and frankly, got an average to above avg. wheat. The pour was cloudy with flavors of spice and some fruity citrus with traces of banana. Very clean and refreshing and easy to quaff, but not much in the way of Belgian yeast flavors that I so love in a white. If your in the neighborhood, and the Haymarket in Lincoln is a great place to hang out, then stop in, the place is more of a restaurant with decent beers than a brewpub.

Pours a hazy yellow with a white head. Smells of sweet oragnes, ginger, spicy, grassy. Tastes grassy and sweet with a nice tartness on the finish. Full bodied and enjoyable.

(on tap at Lazlo’s in downtown Lincoln). Pours a clear yellow color. Medium white head. Strong wheat aroma and flavor. Very light astringent finish. Long duration. Spare lacing. Thin texture. Fizzy carbonation, but not bad.

I poured it first without the yeast shot. A slightly hazy dark gold body with a thin white head. Strong banana and clove nose with some hints of oranges. The taste has oranges and some light banana peels. There is also some spice of clove in the finish. With the yeast shot, a much more hazy body. The aroma and flavor were both more fruity with the yeast. I am not sure this is a wit, more like a hefe with some orange notes. I did not get any coriander.

Empyrean’s latest bottled offering. A fantastic departure from their other brews, notable for it’s smoothness. Very little spice, which works well for me. Not a standout for the style, but certainly a fine beer for warm weekends.

Pours a pale golden color with very little head, but with heavy lacing. Aroma is very, very light...sweet orange aromas, and malty...but next to no spice for a wit. Flavor is similarly light and somewhat watery. A bit more flowery than the aroma and not as citrusy...and overall very sweet...I’m picking up a lot of the chamomile, and, well, I guess I’m not a huge fan. Although not bad, this is not a very good version of a witbier, though I think its cool they tried something new.

Bottle purchased at Beertopia in Omaha, NE. Pours a cloudy orange-straw with a small white head that diminishes quickly to a thin skin at the surface. The nose is sweet, fruity and floral with notes of orange peel, wheat malt and a spicy/floral note that must be the chamomile - an interesting choice versus the traditional coriander. Light-bodied soft and wheaty with a clean, dry finish. The flavor follows the nose more-or-less, but it swings more toward the chamomile and away from the orange peel. I think it would probably be better, however, if it leaned the other direction. I commend Empyrean for their variation on the theme, but I guess I’m of the mind that chamomile works better in black tea than in a witbier. It’s not a bad wit, but there are plenty of them out there that I’d choose over this one.

On Tap at Old Chicago. Cloudy yellow with deep orange hues. Off white head. Good lacing. Aroma was light;some citrus, wheat, a little yeast. Flavor was similar, a little bigger; sweet yeast, chamomile/bannana, a little citrus, light wheat throughout- less wheat and greater sweetness then I expected. Light body, light wheat finish. Enjoyable. Could have been bigger, and if so, would have been fantastic.