The 2011 edition, apparently a ‘blanche double malt’, which I take to mean something like an Imperial White Ale. The attendant winterscape ski imagery, for a wheat beer, is indeed odd, but hardly out of season, right now at least.

This 750ml bottle pours a very cloudy golden white hue, with three fingers of thin foamy white head, which leaves a few leaping arches of lace around the glass as it duly subsides.  It smells of somewhat sweet, grainy wheat malt, a faint orange citrus character, some acerbic yeast, and very subtle savoury, somewhat peppery spice. The taste is more demi-sec wheat malt, a heightened peppy coriander twinge, some dry orange rind, and soft earthy yeast, with nothing beyond a simple, understated warming to indicate the 14 proof ABV.

The bubbles are fairly edgy, and just powerful enough to provide a complex structure, the body on the lee side of medium-light in terms of weight, and rather wholesomely smooth. It finishes off-dry, sure, but with a trend towards dryness, as the proclaimed double malt ebbs, and the spice, yeast, alcohol, and fruit essence ascend.

Forget Imperial this, and Double that – this is just a decent witbier, maybe a wee bit too tame with the fruit and spice adjuncts, but that doesn’t really detract from the easy inherent drinkability. The extra 2 points of booze don’t hurt in the least, especially as they are quite wraith-like, leaving us with a nice, hefty, and clean wheat beer (I don’t get to say that about this style all that much).