New England Series: UFO White

The second Belgian witbier I encountered was the UFO White by Harpoon Brewery out of Boston, MA (they now have a second brewery in Vermont as well). Harpoon is one of the first micro breweries I was introduced to in my underage days, and I still go back to it every time I come home to the east coast. Their UFO (UnFiltered Offerings) series is a line of ales that are unfiltered and brewed with wheat which gives them more of a haze. Besides Boston Beer Company, which I believe has exceeded the label of "micro brewery," I would say Harpoon is arguably one of the most prominent and respected micro breweries in not only Massachusetts, but all of New England.

The UFO White is quite a bit different from the Allagash White that was highlighted in the previous New England Series post. The pour produced a light yellow ale with an orange tint that had a bit of haze, but not enough to give it that foggy white appearance that is usually found in the Belgian witbier style. The head was prevalent during the poor, but quickly dissipated and left little signs that it was ever there. The aromas were dominated by sweet oranges with a slight hint of spiciness.

britannica.com

Though the scent lead me to believe that I would be drinking something along the lines of carbonated orange juice, I was pleasantly surprised with the balance of flavors that my palate was fortunate enough to experience. Up front there was the sweet orange that I was expecting with some hints of coriander and some pepper-like spice. There was a very strong bready flavor that lasts into the finish that blends well with a lingering orange sweetness. The body is quite light, though bulked up a bit with the breadiness, and the carbonation adds a pleasant sharpness to give your mouth some excitement.

I would not refer to the UFO White as the most complex Belgian witbier out there, which is not a bad thing at all, but it definitely holds it own amongst the other micro beer options. It is surely a thirst quenching ale that can be sessioned on a hot day. This would be the perfect beer to take fishing or to the beach.