Sherwood Forest Brewers Ltd. - Friar's Belgian-Style White Ale

The good Friar needs a good swirling to whip up the hefty sediment at the bottom of the glass—but you want to add that sediment to your glass when pouring to get the stylistically-appropriate look and full flavor characteristics that the brewer intended for this beer. A hard pour yields a cloudy butterscotch-colored beer capped by a frothy white head. On the nose we get a traditional Belgian Wit aroma: heavy on the coriander and orange peel notes with a wheaty twang and subtle sourness. The wheat aroma is very big on this brew! Also look for some leafy hops and herbal notes. This beer fills the mouth with rich wheaty flavors, full of the ‘twang’ so characteristic of the style and largely responsible for the very quenching nature that this style is known for. Look for some minor banana notes and apple skins as well as some thin caramel and biscuit notes as the beer warms, with bitter orange peel notes mingling with coriander and herbal, bitter hops. This beer has all the normal witbier notes, but is well-loaded with hops, giving it a domestic twist. Overall, a full-on wheat bomb that will go well with Brick or Edam cheese squares, or a Spinach and Feta omelet.

"…Sherwood Forest has been considered an enchanted place, home to myths, legends and many a story of honor, tradition and loyalty." So reads the website for Sherwood Forest Brewers Ltd.—explaining the meaning behind their choice in name. Since their inception in 1997 and until fairly recently, they've brewed one beer and one beer alone: Archer's Ale. Taking a cue from Sherwood Forest's number one resident, Robin Hood, the philosophy behind this beer has been to deliver precision, accuracy (stylistically), and consistency (quality), while delivering us from the evils of the tyrannical noble class (macro-brewed swill).

And like Robin Hood, this particular archer has earned itself a place in lore: it was only the 3rd microbrewed beer in the country available in a can (Sherwood Forest was just the 2nd microbrewery in the U.S. to can).

"Microbrewed beer in a can?!?" you cry with disbelief. "Why would you do that?" Well, if you haven't already taken notice of this trend, it's happening all around the world as microbrewers realize that canning microbrewed beer is a cheaper, more portable, more protective way to package their products. For years, it's been a tough sell, as people reported that canned beers had a metallic flavor. But developments in canning technology have yielded a protective lining that prevents the beer from ever contacting the metal of the can.

If you live near a park or beach or river and wanted to bring along some craft brewed beer, you'll have noticed that most prohibit glass bottles—leaving few options for microbrewed beer lovers (or, think back to your last flight; any good canned beer there? Nope). Other benefits? Turns out canning equipment is actually cheaper than bottling lines, providing a break to start-up microbreweries. But probably the best reason to can is the fact that cans offer superior protection to beer—no oxidation (from air leakage around the bottle cap) and no skunking by light strike!

We tip our hats to these guys for having the guts to can when so few would dare, and for putting something worth drinking in them!