Na Zdravi !: Ovila White Ale

Wednesday, October 11, 2017

Ovila White Ale

"The monks at the Abbey of New Clairvaux hold themselves to a higher standard. So when they challenged us to create a beer that transcends all others, our brewers blended Old World tradition with modern-day mastery to deliver the perfect expression of Belgian witbier worthy of a goblet but comfortable in a pint."

Really wasn't looking for beer on my trip to the grocery store but when I was there I noticed they just got in some Ovila. And it was about $5.00 cheaper than the local BevMo! So I had too. right?
Being a wheat from Sierra Nevada I loved it before I even popped the cap and when I did I was greeted with a wonderful aroma of herbal maltiness.
True to the style it is brewed with wheat, orange peel, and coriander and it is all there. Delicious, crisp and refreshing.
It is everything I expected and more.

5.3ABV, 22 IBU
Hops: Magnum, Saphir, Spalter
Malt: Pilsner, Acidulated, Wheat
Yeast: Belgian Yeast
Orange Peel, Coriander

Na Zdravi!

A 10-second take.
Not really reviews, just my way to keep track of the beers I've tried.

My mother's family is Czech. They emigrated from Bohemia and settled in Nebraska in the mid-1800s.
They were from the region that included the town Pilzen (Pilsen) where a brewery called Měšťanský pivovar Plzeň, now Pilsner Urquell (Plzeňský Prazdroj in Czech), started brewing a uniquely Bohemian-style beer we now know as pilsner.
So, as I raise a glass in honor of my Bohemian roots ...

Na Zdravi! (to your health).

Hops?

A "hop" is the cone shaped resinous flower of the female hop plant. It is used in brewing to add bitterness, flavor, aroma, and stability depending on when it is added.

Hops are one of the 4 basic ingredients of beer although they are not esential in the brewing process. The are used simply to add flavor and complexity to the brew.
Double and even triple IPA's feature an extreme amount of hops, and an ABV to match.
Noble Hops - The traditional varieties of hops that were used to make early European beers. Medieval brewers used Hallertau, Saaz, Spalt, and/or Tettnang hops. All are from Germany except Saaz from the Czech Republic (Žatec in Czech). All are still used today.