Cathedral Square - Belgian Style White Ale

For the unitiated, a Belgian Style White Ale is basically the Belgian's version of a wheat beer (aka: "witbier"). Also, this beer comes from a new St. Louis brewery, Cathedral Square. I could only find two different styles that they make right now, both Belgian. As it was only $3.99 for a 22oz bottle, I figured I'd give it a shot. And yes, I'm very aware there is a picture of Toby Flenderson, HR-rep for Dunder-Mifflin Paper Company on my TV. He did not enjoy the beer, and I may let him write a guest tasting sometime in the future.

As for the other specs, there was no ABV listed on it, which I figured was probably hovering around 5%, give or take a touch. It was poured into my Ommegang Hennepin glass.

Pours a pretty muddy orangy-brownish color. Not as yellow/golden as I'm used to, and overall, somewhat darker than you'd see with say, a Hoegaarden. Decent fluffy white head, 1-2 fingers, doesn't last all that long. Decent bit of foam remaining, but nothing really to write about. This one though, is definitely unfiltered, and looks about as thick and chewy as a beer can be.

Smell is pretty typical, but maybe with a heavier dose of wheat malt than I'm used to in a Belgian Wit. Noticeable amount of citrus fruit and citrus peel, specifically orange. I didn't see on the bottle if it specifically talked about orange peels in the brewing process, but I wouldn't be surprised. I'm also getting a touch of bitterness, but I can't tell if it's hop bitterness or malt bitterness. Good smelling beer, but nothing really stands out, in the sense that makes this overly unique.

Initial impressions when drinking is that it's really smooth on the tongue, not all that much carbonation. First taste is a light, sweet wheat that combines with some of the citrusy-orange that you smell. Pretty delicate sweetness there, nothing overpowering (overly-sweet beers suck my ass). A nice touch of spiciness and bitterness in the finish that you'd see in a good witbier, once again, not overly spicy or bitter. Nothing really blows you away in the taste of this beer, but it's solid and pretty balanced throughout. To quote a line from those d-bags in the Bud-Light marketing department, it's very "drinkable". One last thing I would say is that as it warms up, there is certainly a higher level of wheat and the grassy/hay notes that come with the presence of the wheat. Nothing too crazy, though.

I can't write a ton about this brew as nothing stands out, but for their first go around, it's a solid take on a classic, slightly complex style. It's local, and it's cheaper, so I may use this as a go-to from time to time if I want a decent Belgian White. For any of my friends in St. Louis that may be reading this, it's worth a try for only $3.99.

Verdict: 6.5/10