Summer Beer Round-Up #5: Jack's Abby Leisure Time Lager

As I sit here with the windows and doors open on this beautiful pre-summer New England day, I find myself sipping slowly on the newest beer in bottles from Jack’s Abby Brewing. Leisure Time Lager is named after the ice brand that the Hendler brothers’ (Jack, Eric and Sam) grandfather developed as part of the Saxony Ice Company.  While the ice company is no longer in the family, the idea of a family operated business was passed down and Jack’s Abby was born.

Leisure Time Lager is a Witbier...kinda.

Brewed with locally grown wheat and spiced in a similar manner, Leisure Time takes a few twists that plant it solely in the realm of “other.” Traditional Witbier are not normally lagered (cold-conditioned) for any length of time, rather allowing the ale yeast to develop fruity notes. This aspect is noticeably absent from Leisure Time in a crispness that holds firm through the finish. While the addition of coriander and orange peel is standard, the lemongrass and chamomile are not. The chamomile lends of lavender-like floral quality and the lemongrass enhances the citric quality already imparted by the orange peel and mild hops to refresh the palate with a trifecta of flavor.

This is not the first Jack’s Abby beer that I’ve raved about and it certainly won’t be my last. For a brewery that has only been in operations for about a year, Jack’s Abby has certainly found a place in my repertoire of superbly produced local beers and is almost never out of stock in my refrigerator.

NOT Hoegaarden

I had a pretty busy weekend so I didn’t get to post anything on Saturday and Sunday. I did, however, drink some terrific beer. Sunday is a day free from fasting during Lent, so I indulged in a couple beers that have been in my fridge for some time.

I picked up a couple of Belgian Witbier, and interestingly enough neither happened to be Hoegaarden. It’s been a while since I’ve done a side-by-side comparison, so I poured Blanche de Bruxelles and Wittekerke into a pair of balloon tulip glasses from their 11.2 ounce bottles.

Blanche de Bruxelles poured a hazy, grayish yellow with a lively off white head. Beautiful clinging lace lingered as the head fell down the sides of the glass. The Wittekerke was just a hint brighter in color without that sort of dull gray—wonderfully bright yellow with a craggy cap of foam. The head wasn’t as lively as the Blanche de Bruxelles and it fell faster into a thin layer of bubbles around the sides of the glass.

For beers of the same style, the aroma and flavor could not be further apart. While it is true that the brewers employ many of the same ingredients, it is the use of the traditional coriander and orange peel that sets these beers apart.

The Blanche de Bruxelles was quite perfumy with a big dose of coriander in the nose with hints of orange lingering. The Wittekerke was altogether more subtle in aroma, with just a whisper of spice. The citrusy nature of Wittekerke was also well incorporated with more of a hop presence in the aroma. I also detected a hint of honey (although none is used in brewing) and a lemony tartness in the aroma from Wittekerke.

Both beers were both quite far apart in flavor as well with the more robust spiciness of the Blanche de Bruxelles dancing around the palate and the more mildly assertive hoppiness of the Wittekerke playing through to the finish.

It’s great to compare these two beers side-by-side. It exhibits the range that Belgian beers can have even within the same style parameters. If I were to award a winner of the taste test it would have to be the Wittekerke with its subtle spicing, refreshing tartness and aromatic hoppiness. While I did not prefer the Blanche de Bruxelles, it certainly had plenty of character with an abundance of spice and citrus and lively effervescence. Both beers would prove to be wonderful refreshers on a warm summer day and a great companion to seafood and other light fare.

Breakfast Beer

I'm serious when I tell you this: Witbier might just be the perfect beer for breakfast.

Okay, this isn't about waking up on a Monday morning and slugging down a beer, this is about refreshment and effervescence and pairing with a fine weekend brunch, like a Bloody Mary or Mimosa.

I first experimented with beer and breakfast pairing a number of years ago on Mother's Day. Amanda and I planned a lovely breakfast for both our parents and I thought it would be fun to try pairing a light-bodied beer with the meal. I naturally thought of some kind of wheat beer, but couldn't decide between a German Hefeweizen of a Belgian Witbier. Both would provide the adequate refreshment factor and the spritzy effervescence that I was looking for, but the Witbier I had in mind had a lovely honeyish quality with notes of peppery spiciness. I chose the Witbier.

I have yet to find a more perfect beer for breakfast. The large portion of wheat that is used to brew a traditional Witbier lends a certain tartness to flavor and lightness to the body that makes it an ideal pairing. The spiciness of the Belgian yeast along with the traditional inclusion of coriander play well with peppery bacon or sausage and the hint of orange peel in the flavor of the beer is a natural substitute for the more temperate orange juice.

One of my favorite versions comes from the Brouwerji St. Bernardus in Watou, Belgium. Emblazoned with the name of the Godfather of Belgian Witbier, Pierre Celis, St. Bernardus Witbier is yeasty and bready with a gentle blend of spice, sweetness and citrus. Thirst-quenchingly drinkable with a palate-scrubbing effervescence, St. Bernardus Witbier would certainly be at the top of my breakfast beer list.