I initially tried the Whitsun Ale from Arcadia on tap at Craft Ale House a few weeks ago and recently spotted a bottle of it, so I picked it up for review. Arcadia is located in Battle Creek, Michigan and has been around in the microbrewery scene since 1996. The Whitsun Ale is the first, and only, beer I’ve tried from Arcadia so far.

The beer poured nicely and was just how I remembered it from the tap;  honey golden with a glaze of amber in the middle that faded outward. I got about one finger worth of head on this beer and that quickly dissipated, leaving spotty lacing around my trusty pint glass.

The smells are exactly what I would hope for in a Wheat beer. There are prominent aromas of sweet and citrusy fruits, orange peel, vanilla and a hint of coriander. There is some honey too that rounds out the concoction of flavors. Although heavier in the sweet profile, you can still make out some of the wheat that makes this a Wheat beer.

The taste was very sweet and fruity, following the nose. To me it was something special and more pleasant than your typical Wheat beer. The sweetness not only comes from the fruits and honey but the caramel malts, too. They shine through the fruit and wheat, and accent the beer really well. There was little hoppyness to the Whitsun with balanced but mild carbonation on a medium body.

Overall, this was a very enjoyable brew. It was a great Wheat beer and is one to enjoy by the pool in the summer. I would buy another Arcadia brew again and continue to check out their other offerings and definitely would recommend picking this one up if you have the opportunity.

Overall: 8.5/10