The Rockmill Brewery Witbier is a Belgian style spiced Wheat Ale produced by a small brewery in Lancaster, Ohio (near Columbus, Ohio). One of the owners Matthew Barbee, converted the family farm into a brewery. He had the water tested to see which style of brewing matched its characteristics and found the Lancaster, Ohio water has very similar minerality to the water used for Belgium’s brewing, Rock Mill became a Belgium Ale inspired brewery. Belgium Witbier is always spiced and Rockmill uses orange peel, coriander and traditional Belgian spices. The alcohol content is 6% and the IBU scale (bitterness) is 20, which gives it a little kick, but is in the middle of the scale.
The color is cloudy olive oil yellow. The nose is lightly scented, crisp and spicy, orange peel dominates. This is a clean, crisp balanced Ale. It starts out tart, with a light touch of malt, then opens up to the hops and spice. There are layers of flavor that develop as the Ale unfolds. The flavor profile is refreshing, crisp, with excellent length, this is an Ale that you can describe in terms you use for wine. There is a lot going on in the glass, but no one element dominates, the Rockmill Witbier has outstanding balance. Rockmill Brewery Ales are not produced in large numbers and may not be easy to find, but the precision and craftsmanship that goes into the brewing make these Ales well worth the effort it takes to find them.
