Ithaca Excelsior! White Gold clone?

[klug]

Do any of you have one? Their site gives a pretty clear description of whats going on but my SO wants this bad and I'd quite rather hit it on the mark haha.

I already have a few belgian recipes and a couple have high banana/bubble gum ester profiles that I might be able to tweek closer to Ithaca's but if someone has a clone I could please her sooner . Buying this is getting expensive!

Thanks!

 

[tagz]

Great beer. Haven't had it in a while but last time I had it I remember it tasting like a wit finished with Brett. So maybe 3944 for primary strain and Brett c after fermentation is complete.

From Ithaca...

A Belgo-American ale brewed with domestic barley and French wheat malts, the finest continental and US grown hops, and fermented with Belgian, English and Wild yeasts. Enjoy the glowing opaque appearance, fruity and herbal aromas, zesty mouthfeel and bone-dry finish.

ABV: 8.0 %
Malt: Pils, Wheat
Hops: Nelson Sauvin, Lublin
Other: Belgian yeast

 

[klug]

Thanks. Yeah ithaca is pretty candid on their site. I've never brewed with brett and I haven't done any research into the difference between strains. I guess it's time.

 

[tagz]

I haven't used Brett yet either, but there great info on the site. Here's a helpful post from michael tonsmeire...

Here is what I wrote about their flavor characteristics for the book I'm slowly working on:

WY5112 Brettanomyces bruxellensis – Provides the classic Brett character made famous by Orval. Descriptors range through farmyard, wet hay, horse blanket etc…

WY5526 Brettanomyces lambicus – Big cherry pie character when young, but it fades as the beer ages. It seems to produce more tartness than the other Brett strains.

WLP650 Brettanomyces bruxellensis –Similar to the WYeast Brett bruxellensis, but with even more aggressive farmyard funk aromatics.

WLP653 Brettanomyces lambicus – This strain has a much more aggressive and funky character than its WYeast equivalent, lacking the cherry pie character that is usually cited with this strain.

Brett C gives off a more funky pineapple flavor, which I get from Goose Island Sophie, if you want to investigate further. It's really been a while since I had white gold but I remember more fruit than barnyard. 3944 would bring a little tartness as well; one of my favorite strains.