Another month, and Uiltje hoppy beer to try. Three malts, one hop and some more fantastic Uiltje label art. What else do you need? Are white IPA’s still a thing?
The white IPA is basically the merging of two beer styles – the Belgian Witbier and an IPA. A collaboration between two US brewers – Larry Sidor from Deschutes Brewing and Steven Pauwels from Boulevard brewing – is said to have been the birth of the white IPA. They decided to play to their respective strengths (IPA’s for Deschutes and wheat ales for Boulevard), decided on a recipe then both went away and brewed their version of the beer. And they were hits!
From the witbier side, there is a good dose of unmalted wheat in the mix along with pilsner malt and carapils. Mosaic is the only hop used for both bittering and aroma & flavour. There is a little fruit sweetness up front, with the unmalted wheat creating a thinner body that is light and crisp, with less sweetness than other malts.
That gentle fruit sweetness carries through and is offset by a building gentle bitterness and dry finish for a beautifully refreshing little beer.