Beer of the Weekend #131: John’s Generations White Ale

Ahh… Back in IC.

Tonight I chilled with some of the old crew. We ate at The Vine (the downtown location), watched the Cubs (truly a Midwestern religion), then walked across the little pathetic parking lot to The Hawkeye Hideaway. We sat comfortably in the iron patio furniture on the outside sitting area, rocking gently in our chairs as we enjoyed the night. Weather-wise, it was perfect to be outside and enjoying a couple brews…which I didn’t, because I was driving.

However, I’m making up for it now. I’m still on Pacific time, so this is about when I would start drinking anyway.

The beer of the weekend is John’s Generations White Ale, brewed by the Millstream Brewing Company of Amana, Iowa.


JGWA is made for John’s Grocery, “the largest and most famous beer and wine retailer in the state of Iowa.” I bought it on a pit stop during my DD duties.

Serving type: Six 12-ounce bottles. The left side of the label features a month list and is notched at the “A” for April. Does that mean it was bottled in April or expired in April?

Appearance: The initial three-fourths of the pour was a clear straw, but once I loosened the yeast and poured the rest the beer become a cloudy lemonade straw. Two fingers of fluffy white head developed and dissipated to a spotted lacing and ring around the edge. There’s a moderate amount of carbonation action throughout the pint.

Smell: Impressive. My first thought: very much like a hefe. It has that clove, banana, and yeast seduction. There are orange peels and some lemon citrus mixed in.

Taste: Equally impressive, and follows the aroma. Clove spice balances well with prominent banana, yeast, and lemon citrus. The mouthfeel is thin, but it goes down smooth. Very tasty and refreshing.

Drinkability: I always thought of witbier as hefeweizen’s short bus riding cousin, but this example has its own car and picks up its girlfriend in the morning. It ma-ma-ma-makes me happy.

Fun facts about JGWA:

-Style: Witbier.

-Price: $6.99/sixer at Dirty John’s. The “Age Comfirmed” date on my receipt is “10/10/1910.” I had my ID ready in case the cashier asked for it, but she didn’t.

-Serving temperature: 45-50ºF.

-Alcohol content: 5.2 percent ABV.

-I’m feeling super lazy tonight (and I should since I’m technically on vacation), so here are links with JGWA fun facts: http://www.millstreambrewing.com/johns.html, http://www.johnsgrocery.com/Departments/Beer/Products/wit/.


The Quiet Man’s grade: A-.

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