White Labs has announced its new Platinum Strain lineup for 2008.

The program involves opening up the White Labs yeastbank by offering three different strains every two months. These strains are not part of the regular lineup. In previous years, two strains were offered every two months.

If there is a * before a strain name, the yeast is new to the 2008 Platinum Strain program and/or new to White Labs.

January – February

WLP009 Australian Ale
Produces a clean, malty beer. Pleasant ester character, can be described as "bready." Can ferment successfully, and clean, at higher temperatures. This yeast combines good flocculation with good attenuation.
Attenuation: 70-75%
Flocculation: High
Ideal Fermentation Temperature Range: 65-70°F
Alcohol Tolerance: Medium

WLP022 Essex Ale
Flavorful British style yeast. Drier finish than many British ale yeast. Produces slightly fruity and bready character.    Good top fermenting yeast strain, is well suited for top cropping (collecting). This yeast is well suited for classic British milds, pale ales, bitters, and stouts. Does not flocculate as much as WLP002 and WLP005. Attenuation: 71-76%
Flocculation: Medium to High
Ideal Fermentation Temperature Range: 66-70°F
Alcohol Tolerance: Medium

WLP085 English Ale Blend
A blend of British ale yeast strains, designed to add complexity to your ale. Moderate fruitiness and mineral-like, with little to no sulfur.  Drier than WLP002 and WLP005, but with similar flocculation properties.  Good yeast blend for English Pale Ale, Bitter, Porter, Stout, and India Pale Ale.
Attenuation: 69-76%
Flocculation: Medium High
Optimum Fermentation Temperature: 68-72°F 

March – April

WLP039 Nottingham Ale
British style ale yeast with a very dry finish. Medium to low fruit and fusel alcohol production. Good top fermenting yeast strain, is well suited for top cropping (collecting). This yeast is well suited for pale ales, ambers, porters, and stouts. 
Attenuation: 73-82%
Flocculation: Medium to High
Optimum Fermentation Temperature: 66-70°F
Alcohol Tolerance: Medium

 WLP540 Abbey IV
An authentic Trappist style yeast. Use for Belgian style ales, dubbels, tripples, and specialty beers. Fruit character is medium, in between WLP500 (high) and WLP530 (low).
Attenuation: 74-82%
Flocculation: Medium
Optimum Fermentation Temperature: 66-72°F
Alcohol Tolerance: High

WLP940 Mexican Lager
From Mexico City, this yeast produces clean lager beer, with a crisp finish. Good for Mexican style light lagers, as well as dark lagers.
Attenuation: 70-78%
Flocculation: Medium
Optimum Fermentation Temperature: 50-55°F
Alcohol Tolerance: Medium

May –June

WLP003 German Ale II
Good for Kölsch, Alt, and German style Pale Ales. Strong sulfur component will reduce with aging. Clean, but with more ester production than WLP029.
Attenuation: 73-80%
Flocculation: Medium
Optimum Fermentation Temperature: 65-70°F
Does not ferment well less than 62°F
Alcohol Tolerance:  Medium

WLP036 Dusseldorf Alt
Traditional Alt yeast from Dusseldorf, Germany. Produces clean, slightly sweet alt beers. Does not accentuate hop flavor as WLP029 does. 
Attenuation: 65-72%
Flocculation: Medium
Optimum Fermentation Temperature: 65-69°F
Alcohol Tolerance: Medium

WLP410 Belgian Wit II
Less phenolic than WLP400, and more spicy. Will leave a bit more sweetness, and flocculation is higher than WLP400. Use to produce Belgian Wit, spiced Ales, wheat Ales, and specialty Beers. 
Attenuation: 70-75%
Flocculation: Low to Medium
Optimum Fermentation Temperature: 67-74°F
Alcohol Tolerance: Medium

July – August

WLP351 Bavarian Weizen
Former Yeast Lab W51 yeast strain, acquired from Dan McConnell. The description originally used by Yeast Lab still fits: "This strain produces a classic German-style wheat beer, with moderately high, spicy, phenolic overtones reminiscent of cloves." 
Attenuation: 73-77%
Flocculation: Low
Optimum Fermentation Temperature: 66-70°F
Alcohol Tolerance: Medium

WLP566 Saison II
Saison strain with more fruity ester production than with WLP565. Moderately phenolic, with a clove-like characteristic in finished beer flavor and aroma. Ferments faster than WLP565.
Attenuation: 78-85%
Flocculation: Medium
Optimum Fermentation Temperature: 68-78°F
Alcohol Tolerance: Medium

WLP700 Sherry
Description to come!

 September – October

 WLP515 Antwerp Ale
Clean, almost lager like Belgian type ale yeast. Good for Belgian type pales ales and amber ales, or with blends to combine with other Belgian type yeast strains. Biscuity, ale like aroma present. Hop flavors and bitterness are accentuated. Slight sulfur will be produced during fermentation, which can give the yeast a lager like flavor profile.
Attenuation: 73-80%
Flocculation: Medium
Optimum Fermentation Temperature: 67-70°F

WLP705 Sake
Description to come!

WLP885 Zurich Lager
Swiss style lager yeast. With proper care, this yeast can be used to produce lager beer over 11% ABV. Sulfur and diacetyl production is minimal. Original culture provided to White Labs by Marc Sedam.
Attenuation: 70-80%.
Flocculation: Medium
Optimum Fermentation Temperature: 50-55°F
Alcohol Tolerance: Very High

November – December

WLP006 Bedford British
Ferments dry and flocculates very well. Produces a distinctive ester profile. Good choice for most English style ales including bitter, pale ale, porter, and brown ale.
Attenuation: 72-80%
Flocculation: High
Optimum fermentation temperature: 65-70°F
Alcohol Tolerance:  Medium

WLP072 French Ale
Clean strain that complements malt flavor.  Low to moderate esters, when fermentation temperature is below 70F.  Moderate plus ester character over 70F.  Low diacetyl production.  Good yeast strain for Biere de Garde, blond, amber, brown ales, and specialty beers
Attenuation: 68-75%
Flocculation: Medium High
Optimum Fermentation Temperature: 63-73°F

WLP510 Belgian Bastogne
A high gravity, Trappist style ale yeast. Produces dry beer with slight acidic finish. More ‘clean’ fermentation character than WLP500 or WLP530. Not as spicy as WLP530 or WLP550. Excellent yeast for high gravity beers, Belgian ales, dubbels and trippels.
Attenuation: 74-80%
Flocculation: Medium 
Optimum Fermentation Temperature: 66-72°F
Alcohol Tolerance: High