Boulevard Summer Seasonal: ZON

I headed to my corner beer store last weekend hoping to try something I hadn't had before. I just learned about a microbrewery called Tallgrass, out of Manhattan, Kansas. I wanted to try their oatmeal stout, but alas! it was not to be. The store carried another brew from Tallgrass, but not the Buffalo Sweat.

But they did have the summer seasonal from Boulevard Brewing Company here in good old KC: ZON (pronounced "zone"). Despite this seasonal being brewed for at least the last 10 years, this was the first I'd seen it. It fit the bill for being something new to me, so I grabbed the store's last six pack.

ZON is a Belgian witbier ("white beer"), a style that is characterized by very light color, a banana and clove aroma, flavored with coriander and orange peel, and having a light to medium body. Belgian wits often appeal to non beer drinkers, since the hop bitterness and alcohol character are both low, and the beer is filled with flavors that are not characteristic of American ales.

I loved this beer from the moment I poured. The color is a pale straw blonde, and very cloudy - as with many Belgians, it's best to swirl the last inch or two in the bottle to pick the yeast sediment back up into suspension and pour all of it into the glass. After all, it's the yeast that gives the wit so much of its personality.

The aroma was fantastic - prominent notes of cloves, and not as much banana as I was expecting. Most wits are best served at around 50 degrees F (about 10-15 minutes out of the fridge), and it's at these warmer temps that you can pick up more of the complexity. The higher degree of carbonation gives the beer a nice head that sticks around. ZON's flavor has a very mild herbal spiciness from the coriander, and the orange peel - which is easier to pick out - balances it nicely.

ZON comes in at 4.4% alcohol by volume, but the fruity and spicy profile hides a lot of that alcohol character that we're used to in the US.

I know that Boulevard distributes widely across the country. If you're able to pick up a six pack locally, you wont' be disappointed. And if you are, I'll gladly finish the rest off for you.