Hoegaarden Original White Ale
It's got a straw-coloured and cloudy appearance, with a decent head on it. It smells nice and hoppy on the nose, but that's about it. I dove right into the first sip. The Hoegaarden has a nice mouthfeel - bubbly, but not overly so, and not too heavy. I liken it to a heavy champagne feel. It was sweet on the swallow, and the aftertaste was the same until about a minute later when it turned bitter. I caught a distinct flavour of fruit, although it wasn't orange I have to admit. After the sip, the head dissipated to about 1/8 inch. Here's the kicker: the flavour didn't change after that first sip. I didn't find any improvement or backsliding, and even the head stayed about the same. I took about 20 minutes to drink this beer, and throughout the experience I didn't find any development. This would be fine if Hoegaarden was outstanding, but I don't think it is. I was slightly disappointed - I had hoped it would develop more through the session. This may be an issue of white beers and my own taste, but I finished the beer without being too impressed. I expected more out of it, to be honest. I can only rate it as average for its lack of outright flaws. It's fine if you're going to have a few with friends who don't like anything heavier or more flavourful, but it's nothing to get too excited over.