Whaleback White Beer

White Beer is form of wheat beer, referred to variously (depending upon the linguistic context as) Witbier, bière blanche, or Witte, is a barley/wheat, top-fermented beer native to Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany. The name comes from the hazy or white appearance produced by suspended yeast and wheat proteins. White beers go back to the Middle Ages , and are not brewed with hops, but are instead preserved by a blend of spices and herbs called gruut. The typical modern gruut is made using coriander, orange, and hops. White beer consequently features only a mild hoppish bitterness, and is a refreshing warm weather beverage.

Alcohol: 5.2 % Appearance: Pale golden, bottle-conditioned. Aroma: Light fruity aroma with citrus and coriander. Taste: Pale, tart and refreshing. A delicious full and robust body with smooth, slightly tart citrus flavors of lemon and orange artfully balanced among a delicate spice profile of coriander and curacao. A wonderfully dry, champagne finish. Serving Suggestions: Serve chilled, not cold. Enjoy with white meats, fish and shellfish, salads, fresh-cut vegetables, barbecue and spicy foods.

Two Ways of Preparing Absinthe

French method.

Bohemian method.

Disznókő Estate Tokaj

Vintus Wines of Pleasantville, New York, is importing Disznókő estate 2004 Tokajis in both the traditional late harvested sweet dessert wine form and in a dry white dinner wine form made from 100% Furmint. Sweet Tokaji is produced in several grades in which varying numbers (4, 5, or even 6) 55lb. wooden hods-full ( puttonyos) of hand-picked aszú grapes (shriveled on the vine and affected by noble rot) are added to 136 liter vats of wine blended from 60% Furmint, 30% Harslevelu and 10% Zeta grapes to produce the unique wine which once graced the Hapsburg Imperial table.

Disznókő spreads over 250 acres at the south-west entrance of the Tokaj region. Tokaj is thought to be the first vineyard region in the world to have adopted a classification system and, incredibly, the entire Disznókő estate was classified as a first growth property in 1772 at the time of the initial classification by royal decree. The estate’s vineyards today are still wholly classified as first growth.

The Disznókő estate is essentially a hill of volcanic clay soil with perlite pebbles: at the top of the hill is the boar-shaped rock from which the estate takes its name, and the vineyards are arranged down the southern slope, with the winery at the bottom of the slopes. The vineyard is protected by the cold northern winds by the Zemplén hills right behind it, and draws light and heat from its southerly exposure.

In 1992, shortly after the fall of communism in Hungary, the estate was acquired by new owners and a long series of improvements initiated: the vineyards were rehabilitated and replanted, old buildings were refurbished, and new winemaking facilities were constructed. The new winery pays homage to the nearby old winery, and inside the new winery it quickly becomes apparent how Disznókő has, above any other estate in the region, restored Tokaji’s reputation to the days it was considered “the wine of kings and king of wines” (Louis XIV).