Belgian witbier tasting notes

This weekend I've been tasting all of the bottled Belgian witbiers I can find. So far, that is:

• Hoegaarden witbier
  
• New Belgium Mothership Wit
• Blue Moon
• Samuel Adams white ale
• Henry Weinhard's Belgian style wheat

Not much new to say about the first three. It's the first time I've had the Hoegaarden in a bottle, and it's pretty close to the draft. I really like the New Belgium. Blue Moon is OK.

I was surprised by how much I liked the Sam Adams mainly because I have never had a single Sam Adams beer before this that I enjoyed much. I've had probably six or seven types, on draft and in bottles, most recently the Christmas seasonal pack. I don't know what they all have in common, but there is some flavor component that just does not do it for me. The white ale, however, is not bad at all. It is darker than the Hoegaarden and New Belgium, more subtle in its flavorings, and has a lot of particulates. It doesn't make me jump up and down like a little girl with a new Growing Up Skipper doll but it's very drinkable.

As for the Henry Weinhard's... holy squatting three-legged dog in my yard. It is an abomination. It smells like Orange Crush, is a perfectly clear orangey color, and tastes like a bitter old orange peel. The flavor really is close to an orange that has begun to go bad and has acquired that terrible combination of overripe sweetness and spoiled bitterness.

I wonder whether I can find Celis White at one of the specialty shops like Big Star (worst web site since 1994). Full Throttle Bottles doesn't have it, but does have a few others to try.

Update on the Sam Adams: I had it on draft recently and it was very nice. I'd still take a draft Hoegaarden if given the choice, but it was quite serviceable.