Yellowhammer Brewing Belgian White Ale

Along with tens of thousands of Alabama football fans, my wife often chants "Rammer Jammer, Yellowhammer, give them hell Alabama" when watching the Crimson Tide roll over their opponents.  Very recently, I learned that the Yellowhammer is the state bird of Alabama.  And even more recently, while having dinner one night at J. Clyde in Birmingham, I learned that there is a brewery called Yellowhammer Brewing, which is located in Huntsville, Alabama. 

Yellowhammer Brewing is a relatively new craft brewery in a state that is not widely known for its craft beer.  Yellowhammer prides itself on its "European tradition" while remaining "uniquely American."  From what I can find on the Internet, the brewer makes only a handful of beers, such as American IPA and Altbier.  On that night at J. Clyde, I had the opportunity to try Yellowhammer's Belgian White Ale.

As you can see from the picture, the beer has a pale gold color when poured.  Yellowhammer Brewing describes the beer as being produced with ginger and lime leaves.  The nose of the beer heavily emphasizes the ginger.  The ginger flavor is also very prominent in the taste of the beer, so much so that the flavors somewhat morph to take on characteristics of lemon or lemongrass.  Other flavors like grass, wheat and lime play supporting roles in the taste of the beer.  The beer is very crisp, dry and refreshing, with an ABV of 4.8%, that will not overwhelm the drinker.

I enjoyed this beer and would definitely recommend it to people who like wit beers and hefeweizens.  Now, I know about a Yellowhammer, both the bird and the beer.  If I can only learn what in the world is a "rammer jammer" and how it relates to a Yellowhammer.

ENJOY!