In the Spring of 1992, my father, Pierre Celis, flew from Belgium to the United States to start a new brewery in the great state of Texas. No one suspected that he carried something very precious, concealed in his tube socks. It was the original yeast strain Pierre had been using to brew his world-famous Belgian-style Wit beer for the past 30 years. And there was no way he was going to brew without it.
The first Celis Brewery opened on July 11th in 1992. It was an immediate success. Turns out Texans really liked our beer! Before we “crazy Belgians” arrived, most Texans were drinking one of “the big three” brands on the market. The small craft breweries that we all know and love today simply did not exist. When Pierre Celis started brewing his beloved beer, he created a craft beer that changed everything.
Exactly 25 years to the day it first opened, the legendary beer is back, better than ever at Celis Brewery 2.0. Along the way in the Spring of 2011, we lost my Dad. But Pierre’s spirit and his commitment to quality lives on—along with his original yeast strain.
Welcome to the future, the legacy, the celebration, and the beer that started it all. Welcome to Celis Brewery.
Admin Note: After the original brewery in Austin closed the Celis brand was purchased by Michigan Brewing Company and brewed in Michigan for a decade. Then contract brewed at Two Roads.
Bottle. Very sweet Belgian strong ale, but the sweetness is held in check for the most part by a nice bitter/tart finish and a bite from the alcohol. Clear yellow body. Average size small white head that diminishes. The aroma is lightly bready with orange citrus, lemon and pineapple notes and hints of coriander and honey. The flavor is moderately to heavily sweet, lightly bitter and moderately acidic. Off-taste of pencil lead along with apple juice. Peppery, slightly alcohol finish. Comfortable warming. Medium body with a smooth texture and lively carbonation.
Bottle. At first, this seemed overspiced and a little too full in the body to present a crisp taste. But the more I drank, the more I enjoyed the beer. Hazy yellow body with a short white head. The aroma was spicy (coriander) with a light toasted grain note and some citrus. The flavor was lightly to moderately sweet and moderately acidic. Upfront taste of coriander and orange peel. Finish was dry and lightly bitter. Medium body with lively carbonation.
Pour is a hazy yellow with a white head. Aroma is weird. I get some wheat and yeast along with a smoky meatyness. Flavor is sweet and sour fruit with a bit of yeast. Not really a good sample of the style.
Pour is a cloudy/murky brown with a small white head. Aroma is where this one get the bad marks. Almost nothing with just a small whiff of sweet malts. Flavor is much better with coriander and spice with a molasses after taste. Very thick swallow and it gets better in all categories as it warms. An ok beer with its average qualities.
Pour is a clear bright golden with a average white head. Aroma is nice with lots of banana, citrus and yeast. Flavor is spicy with some corriander and a bit of cloves. A decent attempt at a Belgian, a little watery in some areas, but this is something to try.
1996 vintage courtesy of dpflanzer, thanks David. Pours gold with small sediment floaties and thin white head. Big fruity aroma of concentrated sweet raspberries and little else. Very nice inviting aroma and the age is apparent in how even and blunted it is. The taste is even and blended from age starting with semi sweet raspberries that grow toward tart fruitiness as the midpoint approaches. Into the finish it dries up and mellows out leaving a pleasing mildly tart yet sweet raspberry fruitiness behind in the after taste.
This beer pours a clear pinkish-orange color with a medium thin white head that diminishes steadily. Thin rings of lacing. Aroma of raspberries, yeast and corainder. Light, crisp body with a tart raspberry character. Light yeast, spice and bubblegum flavors as well. The finish is soft and fruity, and leaves a sweet spice aftertaste. Average all around.
Strange aroma - raspberry, but a bit medicinal. Hazy amber color with a white head. Thin to medium body with lightly fizzy carbonation. Flavor is sort of unbitter and unsweet. Raspberry, but sort of woody. Gets more acceptable as things progress, but it just tastes a bit strange (to me).
Typical Belgian ale aroma - spice and fruit. Good golden color with a decent, though ephemeral, white head. Full bodied with mild creamy carbonation. The flavor is a bit sticky candi, with exotic light fruit esters. Like pineapple and banana. The finish is sweet (not sticky) with fruit and spice, and some floral hop notes. It has some bitter to balance the sweet. It is really very well put together.