Empyrean Better World Belgian-Style Wheat Ale

Brewed by Empyrean Brewing Company
Style: Belgian White (Witbier)
Lincoln, Nebraska USA

Bottle-conditioned version with Celis-yeastclone Bit copper-shot yellow gold; smallish white rim. Spicy nose, faint citrus (lemon, grapefruit, Ugli). Dry grains taste, even cornflakes. Not more than a hint of citrus in the palate, no sourness taste-wise. A bit of dry-out effect, faint tart-like, and a faint retronasal flavour of pineapple (ester), and later bitterish green leaves. Dry-out as stated, long lingering main taste. Surprising original wit. They have one thing that I recognise: the grains taste as in the very first Celis Oud Hoegaards (pre - De Kluis). At the same time, relief-free of the obnoxious herb. Big thanks to MattD

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.

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.

On tap at the 2007 Nebraska Craft Brewer’s festival in Omaha. pours clear dark gold to light amber with a medium quickly dying white head. Has a mild coriander aroma. The flavor is unexpectedly cloying and leaves the mouth dry, but in just an understated way. Richard the brewer tells me that this has orange peel in it, but it does not taste of it. A big bolus of wheat flavor hits you at the finish. This is pleasant, but nothing special. UPDATE 5/2008: Empyrean is now bottling this beer and selling it as 12 oz sixers. The new name is "Better World Wheat" because green sells, don’t you now? This is a beautiful beer from the bottle- Empyrean’s first mass-marketed unfiltered beer, I think. Cloudy flaxen color with a giant white head that remains to the last foamy gulp in the bottom of the glass. The aroma seems to now have more of a banana scent than any coriander. The flavor is a horrendous disappointment. It truly has the palate and flavor of a slightly orange-tinged Alka-Seltzer. Too salty and fizzy. Just not the taste that the delicate aroma promises.

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.

Bottled. Pours cloudy yellow with a white head. Aroma is sweet citrus orange, some banana, and yeast. Flavor is a sweet yeast with orange notes. Light body with a smooth semi sweet finish.

(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.

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.