Millstream Brewing Company - John's Generations White Ale

White Ales, or "witbiers" as they're known in Belgium, get their name from the light-colored cloudiness contributed by the yeast left in the unfiltered beer. To properly enjoy this beer, you should pour the first 2/3rds into your glass, then swirl the bottle to stir up the sediment, and pour the last third into your glass roughly in order to mix the unsettled haze into your beer and get the true-to-style, brilliantly white, voluminous head to rise up to proper proportions. This white ale is a fine example, and is brewed with coriander and orange peel, as expected for the style. On the nose, expect prominent notes of cloves, orange, and wheat. Look for honeyish malts, grape skins, orange flesh, lemon peel and leafy, herbal coriander notes to greet the palate, with faint plantain notes emerging at full warmth. The beer fades on a tart, spicy note and leaves the palate refreshed, looking for another sip. Great with white fish heavily spritzed with lemon, or any variety of spicy dishes.

If ever there was a place long overdue for a new brewery, it was Amana, IA. Until the Millstream Brewing Company opened their doors in 1985, the area had not been graced by the presence of a brewery for over 100 years. Why it took that long to get a brewery going in Amana, we don't know. What we do know is that the Millstream Brewing Company, founded by brothers James & Dennis Roemig and Carroll F. Zuber, was born out of a love for the finest European ales & lagers and the will to brew great, handcrafted beers locally. Oh, another thing we know... 29 years after their beers hit the market, they just keep getting better!

In 2001 the brewery was sold to its current owners, Chris Priebe and Tom & Teresa Albert. Master brewer Chris trained at the world-famous Siebel Institute of Brewing Technology, so rest assured, his brewing skills make the cut on paper... But hey, paper doesn't taste all that great, so get to the tasting notes below and pour a couple Millstream beers for the real proof.

For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call (319) 622-3672 or check out their web site at www.millstreambrewing.com.