Ommegang Witte

Do you want to know how to make an expensive night of losing at the casino even more expensive? I have the answer. Around 10 years ago, the wife and I went from New York up to Foxwoods for a night of gambling. We played Roulette and Blackjack and a few other games for five or six hours and decided it was time to cut our losses and make the trip home. Now we didn't have the gambling problem or finances like some of these famous sports guys you read about, but it was a semi-painful night.

On the way home, we decided to stop for a bite to eat at Friendly's, somewhere in the middle of nowhere Connecticut. I decided we'd also get gas. But when I went to fill up the tank the damn pump nozzle wouldn't fit into the gas tank. I thought, "since these guys are in bumfuck and still using 1920's pumps, that must be the reason." So I forced a full tank into the car anyway. After eating, the car barely started after several tries. It was then that I realized that I had put diesel fuel into the car. What a bumpy, jumpy ride the rest of the way home was. I ended up paying around $200 for the auto body shop to empty the tank and fuel line, which made the night all the more painful. But the worst part was the 15 mechanics having a laugh and giving me shit for the ten minutes I was there explaining the problem. I loved the one "Didn't you notice that the pump didn't fit?" Ah, life's little learning experiences!

I'm having a beer today brewed by one of my favorite breweries. That would be the Brewery Ommegang Witte, a Belgian-style white ale. The label on my wine-sized bottle says "Worth the wheat". How clever! There's also a quote by Samuel Johnson... "He who has provoked the shaft of wit, cannot complain that he smarts from it." Now I am far from a literature and poet type buff, but is he referring to "wit" like being witty? If so, I guess I cannot complain about its shaft.

Anyway, Witte has a light floral and citrusy lemon aroma. The first thing that I notice drinking it are lots of wheat flavors in an extremely carbonated mouthful. There are some spicy flavors too, maybe cloves, and some citrus orange and lemon components as well. The bubbly carbonation action remains throughout. There is a drier finish and very little aftertaste. Just a clean palate. Crisp, refreshing yet it was nothing special. I did start to taste some of the bottle-advertised coriander as the beer warmed above its 40 degree suggested serving temperature. That added a little bit to the experience. Check it out. It was a good choice on this hot day in Florida.

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