2016 Encore 20th Anniversary re-release, sadly not the original. $13.90 from Beer Lime & Sunshine, Pittsburgh, PA. Solid orange/tan pour with large head that recedes. Some lace, decent surface head retention. A little malty oxidation in the nose, along with some muted orange. Tastes reflect the nose with a surprising drying finish and more alcohol than the aroma suggests. A little cardboard oxidation, at 5 years old this feels past its best. Drinks fine, dryness continues and alcohol helps...
Notes on beers in the style
Witbier
White Beer
12 oz single courtesy of Kevin - many thanks. The beer pours with a requisite, hazy lemon pour with a somewhat disappointing head. Retention and lace are lackluster to be honest. The beer does contain all of the character that should be in a Wit, but it seems watery, light and without depth or presence. Slight touches or coriander, and orange peel but it simply isn't enough. The beer does come through with a little bit of citrus acidity, but the whole package is too light by far. Too...
Swallow Wit
12 oz single from my brother-in-law - cheers Rob. Not sure about this from the get-go. Is this a filtered Wit? Seems odd to say the least. The beer is golden with a small head but almost has zero cloudiness in the glass. Makes me feel odd, a bit like the disconnect between the appearance and taste that one finds in the American-style India Black Ales. Smell offers some light lemon and that peculiar sinus clearing carbonation that can sometimes exist in a beer. Lemon notes are less prominent in...
Allagash 10th Anniversary Ale
750 mL bottle courtesy of finewinemike in my 2010 Secret Santa package - many thanks Mike. Obviously this beer is quite old, and probably at an age way beyond what the brewer originally intended so the review should be viewed in that context. Corked & Caged affair that opens with a pretty small pop and a touch of gun smoke. The pour is a fairly bright orange color, with a still body an a disappointing lack of carbonation/head/lace. I suppose that given the age of the beer that the carbonation...
Namaste
Many thanks go out to finewinemike for a chance to try this beer. Came as part of my Secret Santa for 2010. I guess that this is a somewhat atypical Dogfish Head beer in as much as it is somewhat typical for the style! Nothing really very outlandish here at all, all quite "normal". A honey body sits underneath a tight, fine, dense white head. Nice lace. The nose and tastes are very floral with the emphasis on the lemongrass rather than the orange peel or coriander. The body and mouthfeel are...
Steenbrugge Wit
750 mL, corked, caged and foil affair. Hop City, GA, USA. Nice pop on opening, a little gun smoke. Pour yields a standard, yellowish body with a wispy, light head. The head lacks some depth and the body seems a little on the thin side. I anticipated this a bit, and though that the second pour and/or agitation of some sediment might change things but alas, nothing. Very disappointing in terms of depth of body in the look, taste and mouthfeel. All of the classic ingredients for a good Wit are...
Imperial DunkelWit
So what's going on here? More craziness from Scandinavia? We'll see. Picked this one up at Green's on Ponce, Atlanta, GA, USA. 500 mL bottle approx. $8-9 for the chance to try this one. Poured into the Tucher, 0.5 L Weizen glass the beer is truly exceptional. An amazing color of reddish brown which is deep and garnet in its' color, but in certain light almost looks purple - VERY distinct! Surprisingly good head, lace and retention for a beer with this ABV. The nose gives up some alcohol and a...
Grey Lady
22 oz bottle courtesy of Tom (DrDogBeer) as part of Secret Santa 2009. Thanks. Pour is a miserable looking, pale, insipid off-yellow cloudy (almost beige) affair that looks worryingly weak in terms of body, head, retention and lace. The nose and tastes reflect the look, and frankly remind me of old dishwater. Both aspects of the beer are horribly washed out, almost as if one (or more) ingredients had been left out! The citrus and yeast elements seem as if they have been (literally) watered...
Witch’s Wit
Delighted to get to try this one, courtesy of DrDogBeer (Tom) - many thanks. 750 mL bottle, usual Lost Abbey, corked & caged presentation. The opening of the beer is disappointing. A worryingly, uninspired lack of pop - oh, oh, this is Lost Abbey after all - problems?? The beer pours with a bright orange, honey colored, murky body. Head is absent and as a result, as is lace and retention. Carbonation is the problem here. The beer is flat and this (I guess) is another Lost Abbey issue. Zero...
Witte Noire
750 mL , corked & caged bottle from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Pour is close to black with a nicely formed, solid looking head. Nose gives some significant fruit notes which are much deeper than a traditional Wit. Plenty of continued fruit in the nose and more than a touch of alcohol too. Nice bubble gum and spiced, sweet Belgian candy too. Esters present. Creamy mouthfeel (obviously from the wheat).
Blue Moon Grand Cru
$5.99 from Green's on Buford Highway, Atlanta, GA, USA. It appears as though people are paying a LOT more for this beer around the country. It had LITERALLY been just entered into the Green's system, so perhaps it will be adjusted upward in time. I certainly wouldn't want to pay more than I did, though. Poured into the Southampton Weizen glass, the beer gives a nice head initially but to be honest it fades rather quickly and delivers very little lace. Requisite clouded butterscotch color in...
Bell’s Winter White Ale
12 oz single from Hop Cty, Atlanta, GA, USA. Pour is a surprisingly ORANGE color which the requisite hazed body. Color definitely forms a distinct orange (rather than yellow color that is often the case in Wits). Head is surprisingly disappointing and poorly retained for the style. As a result lace is minimal. Normally one can expect a really decent, rocky, white cap on Wit's but this one does not deliver very well in that department. Fruity and lightly acidic nose and tastes rather than spice...
Orchard White
750 mL bottle, Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Having read some of the previous reviews I decided to open this over the sink and use the 500 mL Tucher Weizen glass as a precaution since I was half expecting a huge gusher and beer everywhere. As it happened, that was not necessary, however it did produce a large amount of annoying foam in the glass. "Well carbonated" I would say, but in some ways appropriate. Hazed, yellow body with great head but not fantastic retention or lace considering the...
Dark White
Extremly odd beer for me. Pour is a turbid brown with very good head, lace and retention. The head was really thick and pleasing almost like the "scum" that one gets on top of a fermentation tank. The color is less appealing, but that's just a function of the beer and my persoanl dislike of that muddy brown, Dubbel-like appearance. Nose and tastes are very bready at first with a yeasty, spice, citrusy note that sits very oddly when you are looking at the beer. It's a case where the tastes tend...
Satsuma Harvest Wit
12 oz stubbie for the usual Abita presentation. Fairly low expectations like all Abita beers. Weird yellow/green pour with a frothy but not dense head. Falls away quickly to leave no trace of lace or other sign that there was head present. Some haze. Nose is Wit like with yeast notes and a very mild touch of spice. Disappointingly no orange in the smell. Bready overtones too. Weak in the taste department. Very yeasty and bready but not in a good Belgian way. Again zero orange character which...
Special Edition – White Ale
12oz single from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Interesting as I found this beer more substantial than the Weyerbacher Blanche that I drank alongside it - I was expecting the opposite to be true. Mendocino has a habit of producing so fairly average (if solid) beers, followed by the occasional really good one. For me, the White Ale was one of the better efforts. Pour was a murky, slightly orange affair with a solid head with good retention and lace. The beer looked solid in the Southampton Weizen...
Blanche
12 oz single from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. In a nutshell, a simple brew that fits nicely in style from a reliable brewer. Pour is a very typical, light, lemom-yellow affair with a light head that is gone fairly quickly. Not much lace. Looks like a solid player in the Tucher Weizen, 500 mL glass. Very simple, mild citrus and a touch of spice (coriander ?) but not much else. Light tart finish. Very easy, light drinking but little to report here. Mouthfell is in line with the style and the...
Double Wit
22 oz gold foiled neck in the newish Great Divide packaging. Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Pour produces a very high, light head with very good retention and decent lace. The body is golden with a very slight haze. Light carbonation. Nose is a fruity, funky, light alcohol that is pretty astringent. It smells a little like an overripe banana. It's a little strong. Alcohol is very prominent in the taste, even to the point of being a touch solvent like. It drinks a lot easier than that but he taste...
Samuel Adams Blackberry Witbier
12 oz single from Tower on Buford. Pretty much exactly as expected. Pour is a clear, golden hue with a decent head and some lace. Carbonation levels are appropriate and good. The beer basically looks like, acts like and feels like a simple, well put together lager. There are simple crisp notes that make it very drinkable, and a hint of fruit in amongst the malt and hop balance. Drinks VERY easily and is tailor made for summer drinking in the south. It doesn't fel or drink much like a...
Samuel Adams Imperial White
12 oz bottle from Total Wine at Perimeter, Atlanta, GA, USA. A little pricey @ $2.99 methinks, but we'll see. Poured into the Southampton Weizen glass, the beer is much darker than I was expecting. Dark golden. Very fine carbonation, not much of it but it is consistent. Better than expected for a 9.00% beer. Dark gold, a touch of lace and some creamy, small head. HUGE, HUGE bubble-gum nose. Not sure if I like it, because the alcohol that's in there starts to take on a very astringent, solvent...
Gruut
As a single from either Total Wine or Tower in Atlanta, GA, USA. Wit's are an intriguing style for me because a really well made one is a beer that I enjoy, but at the same time I feel that they have the potential to be a bit of a let down. Their success largely hinges upon their mouthfeel for me, and the biggest crime that one can encounter is a Wit which is watery and lacking in body. Unfortunately this was one of those. The pour led to the standard appearance but it lacked much life. This...
Blanche Des Honnelles [Brasserie Des Rocs Blanche Double]
$7.00 via mail from Brusin' Ale, Asheville, NC, USA. 750 mL black foiled and capped. Blue and silver notes accent the usual ABdR label. Presentation is nice. Minor gusher. Note: This is marked "Best Before end of 2008", so may be a touch past its prime. Nothing to really worry about, but to be honest the beer did seem a little tired. Pour is a little more orange than I was anticipating and the head, although good initially, has a touch less retention and lace than I've become accustomed to...
Mothership Wit (Organic Wheat Beer)
22 oz bomber, $3.99 from Riverside in Chattanooga, TN, USA. Best before 6th March 2009. Love a good Wit, but the style walks a fine line for me. There are some things that must be avoided, and other points that it must hit. I like a really spicy note, and I love a heavy yeast presence, but perhaps most importantly it must avoid a watery mouthfeel. The mouthfeel is perhaps the most crucial thing since it can make or break the deal for me. The beer pours a typical, lemon based cloudy color but...
Double White Ale
Recent entry into the ATL market. 12oz single from Macs Midtown, Atlanta, GA, USA. Part of the $8.99 mixed sixer. I've had this beer several times before but not reviewed it until now. Previously I have always drunk it from the 22oz bomber so the smaller serving is a new departure for me as well. High, bright white head with good density, retention and lace. Body is typically clouded, golden yellow. Very big citrus, herbal, spice nose with the emphasis on citrus. Whilst the beer has plenty of...
Point Belgian White
12oz single from Tower on Buford, Atlanta, GA, USA. A Wit??? A TERRIBLE example of the style with a TOTAL lack of depth, flavor and no presence. Dreadful. This is tragic. It's a poor macro lager and a dreadful Wit - in fact it has no orange peel or coriander characteristics that I can pick up at ALL. A slightly clouded, macro lager like pour with no head and no lace. Looks weak and pissy. The really disappointing thing here is this; I don't care if this is disappointing to me, but if non-craft...
Not Just Another Wit
750 mL bottle, (plastic) corked and caged with black foil on the neck. Cork is devilishly difficult to remove. Green's on Buford, Atlanta, GA, USA. This one goes into the Duvel tulip with a HUGE, rocky head with wonderful retention and lace. Honey oranged cloudy body with some floaties complete the picture. Light floral hops in the nose; nothing overpowering. Carbonation seems low on the pour, but it has a little prickly nature in the mouth. This beer is definitely almost crossing over into...
Allagash Fluxus 2008
Mac's midtown, Atlanta, GA, USA. Until recently I didn't realize that Fluxus was going to be a different beer from year to year; I assume that it is, since this is obviously a major departure from the same beer from last year. 750 mL corked & caged with a nice pop on opening and plenty of gunsmoke. Into the Sam Adams "speciality" glass. 8.6% on the label, 8.7% in the BA database? Honey orange body, slightly hazed and a small but decent head. Lace is light, but dense. Nose and tastes match well...
Amadeus Biere Blanche
$8.99 corked & caged 750 mL bottle from Smyrna World of Beverage, Atlanta, GA, USA. Disappointing lack of gunsmoke and pop on opening - worrying. Poured into the Tucher Weizen glass it looks better than I was expecting after the opening. I shouldn't have worried. Beautiful clouded, old-fashioned lemonade pour with a high, pitted head. Lace is good. Nice. Yeasty, mild citrus spice in the nose with the emphasis on the citrus. This gets reflected in the taste. Very light orange bitterness mixed...
Wheat Ale
12 oz bottle from Penney after a trip to Bloomington, IN, USA - many thanks. Pour is a very pale yellow wth some cloudy character. Lacks presence in terms of head and lace. Sweet and slightly acidic. Even a little insipid. Medicinal nose. Cuts across the palate quite sharply and it quite abrasive. Lacks any significant body and is really quite watery and weak. If I'm drinking a Wit I want a significant herbal character and some chewy depth in the mouthfeel - this lacks them both. One and done...
Half-E-Weizen
Recently arrived in GA (along with Dad's Little Helper) as an addition to the Rogue line-up. I was a little concerned about this beer because I thought that a Rogue Witbier would just be another style that they would add too many hops to, and in the process take the thing out of style and screw it up. There WAS a touch of extra and unnecessary hop bite in the finish, AND the aftertaste was way too soap like for my taste, but overall it was better than I expected, and it was a little truer to...
La Grande Blanche
Wits used to be one of my favorite styles, but of late I've been enjoying them less so I was pleased when this one was better than expected. On-tap at The Brick Store, Decatur, GA, USA. Classic, lemon yellow, hazed pour with an attractive, dense looking head and some superb lace. The mouthfeel seemed to add an extra dimension compared to many examples of the style. A bit fuller than usual. All the classic Wit notes with an extra dimension of mild tart apples. The extra "funk" associated with...
Shock Top Belgian White
Review #1500 - a bit sad. Very happy to drink anything once, and this is no exception. It was described to me as "Blue Moon with more orange flavor" - OOOKaaaayyy?? We'll see. 16oz pour, Taco Mac, Douglasville, GA, USA. Head is large over an obviously orange colored, cloudy body. Nose reveals virtually nothing. Head is lively, carbonated and short lived. Taste is NASTY - all I get is dishwasher soap. There is simply nothing else to report. Blue Moon is an infinitely better beer, and that is...
Belgian-Style White Ale
16oz pour $2.38 during Happy Hour. Cloudy appearance with a very light mouthfeel and taste. A little too light for my tastes, in fact maybe even a little watery. Slightly too simple? Some Belgian yeast notes come through. Refreshing and drinkable, but lacks body and character. It was a beer that I would call competent. Not bady made, but something that I would imagine a half decent homebrewer could put together. One for the ladies?
Horny Goat Belgian Style Wheat
Saw this in four packs (encased in a cardboard container like an energy drink) a few times before, and figured it was not good, but then I saw it at Mac's Midtown in Atlanta as part of their "mix-a-sixer" so guessed it was worth 1/6 of $7.99! Poured into the Tucher Weizen glass this has a decent head for a few seconds but then it fades badly. Lace is scant. Body has a classic, hazed lemon look, so that was OK. Strange, peppery-citrus nose followed by a weak, watery body that lacks banana or...
Whirlwind Witbier
Purchased as a sixer in Hilton Head, SC, USA just a few days or weeks before this made it to Atlanta. Victory had already made it here but Whirlwind was NOT in the initial wave of Victory products, but now (mid-July 2007, it's here). 12 oz bottle. Pour is disappointingly flat - lack of head and lace (which to me is a real problem for a Wit) is alarming, and carbonation is light, but at the same time over FIZZY - a very odd combo. Nose has the yeast and spice, but also an odd mixture of sweet,...
Summer White (Seasonal)
12 oz bottle as part of a $6.99 mixed single at Mac's, Atlanta, GA, USA. A very standard American Wit that is more refreshing than most. Lots of sediment (as expected) but also some odd, white chalk like particles the like of which I have not seen before. Standard cloudy yellow body with a nice (if somewhat short-lived) head and lace. The usual spiced aromas are there, with a little clove etc. Tastes are standard American Wit ones, but where this beer does shine is in its refreshing qualities....
Woody Creek White
Got lucky and picked this up as a single as part of the $6.99 mixed six pack at Macs, Atlanta, GA, USA. Attractive bottle in the usual Flying Dog/Steadman style. VERY bready nose comes from the cloudy yellow body. A classic Wit color. Mild spice and mild acid meld well together. A sharp, citrus finish but it sits well. Some very, very mild white pepper. Drinkability is high and I found this extremely refreshing. A nice example of the style.
Kira
On-tap, The Brick Store, Decatur, GA, USA. Served in the correct glassware, as usual very classy presentation at the BS. Not my favorite style, but this still looks good. http://www.kirawhitebeer.com/ Just above average all the way around. The aroma, taste and mouthfeel are all there, but nothing else or above average to report. Very mild spice and an aroma that is reminiscent of light, grassy hay. This will sell (and drink) pretty well all summer in hot places like Atlanta (and I may drink...
Red & White
Additional notes: 09/18/2020 (pictured) Purchased this bottle last month in Indianapolis. I know it's old, the question is how old? Opening produces a little pop, and some carbonation is left although everything associated with fades quickly. Some oxidation and lots of oak character, the beer is a shadow of its former self. As expected, I bought it for fun, and becasuse I loved it so much way back when. Happy to gamble on it, basically as expected. Alcohol I still there, but it's tinged with a...
Leinenkugel’s Sunset Wheat
From a brewery that I have been underwhelmed with in the past, and a style that is certainly not my favorite, and drinking it at the wrong time of year when it was probably older than was good for it...I wasn't really expecting this to be a very good experience, but actually not bad. Just goes to show that you never know. Cloudy, butterscotch pour with a decent head, but shortlived. Some lacing. An odd aroma of licorice at first followed by a more familar corriander, lemon and orange....
Calabaza Blanca
$2.49, Green's on Ponce, Atlanta, GA, USA. 12oz bottle. Annoying huge head that eventually falls back to something managable and sensible. Some lacing. Great color - a hazed, clouded bright yellow, like a top quality Hefe or better. Nice looking pour. Aroma and tstes give the JP signature acid/funk. OK, now I am beginning to lose some patience with the brewery. This is nothing like a contemporary Wit, and to describe it as such is plain misleading. I like the taste of the beer with that...
White Rascal
Extreme yellow color, almost to the point of looking artificial. Cloudiness yes, but with the addition of rather a lot of yeast type floaties. Not adding to the aesthetic nature of the beer. Decent head, some lacing. Typical in many respects. Highly drinkable with an orange peel and coriander back drop. Goes down real easy - need hot weather to fully enjoy one of these. Mouthfeel is better than average, a decent interpretation.
Samuel Adams White Ale
Poured with an orange hue, but a good looking cloudy, unfiltered appearance. Half-decent head and some sticky, if somewhat conservative lacing. Spiced and smooth aroma, with a really quite full mouthfeel. Chunky on the palate. Taste is where things start getting complicated. I get a certain initial spice (maybe coriander), but this rapidly changes in to a wild peppermint!? The peppermint to me is very strong and overpowering. My imagination? I don't know, but it was very odd! Pretty...
Saranac Belgian White
OK, this is not a classic Belgian Wit, but it is drinkable and it is leaning toward the style, even if it is not typical. A very pale, thin looking orange hazy appearance, with a small fluffly head and some mild lacing. Aromas and taste are "Wit-like", but somewhat watered down for the style. Drinkable, but way too lightweight for the whole wit concept for any truth in the whole wit nomenclature. Mouthfeel is watery and poor. One of the poorer efforts from this crossover brewer. Maybe this is...
Blanche De Chambly
Classic Witbier pour, with a lovely well carbonated head and classic clairty in the body. A little light on the color, which is then reflected in the rest of the beers' attributes. I found this a little too light and under-spiced for the style. With that slight insipid character came some acidity that took points away from taste and drinkability. Light cloves and lemon are there, but not in way that gives the refreshing character that I was looking for. Despite not being the best Wit, it still...
Wittekerke
Not bad. Pretty standard appearance for a decent Wit, with the anticipated lemon, cloudy hue and a large billowing, white head. Looks good, although the lacing and the head retention are not up to much. I didn't get the large citrus nose that some others have noted, in fact, the whole aroma and taste experience was rather subdued. Not the most potent Wit in a style that is seldom very gregarious. Good mouthfeel, and drinkability. Decent player in a pinch, but there are lots of better examples....
Sweetwater Hummer (on-tap)
Firstly much of what can be said about the draft serving has been said on the bottle review here. But the distinct differences are; Not such an impressive head on draft. The serving temperature seems to dampen the carbonation. Also, in terms of the color, on draft it appears to take on the look of the Sweetwater Blue, with that very noticeable, light green tinge to the yellow body - very unusual. Still massively drinkable though. This should be HUGE in Atlanta through the hot summer of...
Sweetwater Hummer (bottle)
Very, very nice, 100% drinkable and a perfect complement to the Atlanta heat that is slowly, but steadily, rising here in mid-May. From the bottle a large frothy, rocky head adorns the orange haze below it. Definite relationship between the orange looking body, the taste and the label, all of which pull together a distinct citrus feel and an amazingly refreshing drink. Large amount of unfiltered sediment, but not dark. This is a beer that I am going to drink exclusively in the daylight! Sounds...
St. Bernardus Witbier
Pierre Celis Signature Edition: 12/22/07 4.5, 3.5, 4.0, 4.0, 4.0 B+ 4 Deliberately added as a new entry to the BA database to reflect the Pierre Celis Signature Edition for the Wit. 750 mL, corked & caged. $8.99 Arbor Place Beverage, Douglasville, GA, USA. Classic, cloudy, washed out lemon colored pour with a huge head and broken lace on the glass. Looks good. Aroma is very funky and tart, and is a cross between a good old fashioned West Country (England/Somerset/Devon) Cider, and a...
Allagash White
Extremely attractive looking beer, that takes the usual pale yellow cloudiness to new level. This beer truly looks yellow. It' s so yellow, I was expecting to take a gulp and taste lemons! Crowning, classic rocky white head, great retention and lacing, this is a 5 for appearance all the way. Everything about this beer is slightly hyped-up. The color is a bit deeper than a traditional wit, so are the clove and corriander aromas, as is the mouthfeel and the tastes. Highly drinkable, it's...
Ommegang Witte
$4.48, Green's Beverage, Ponce de Leon, Atlanta, GA. Little or no "pop" to the opening of the corked and caged 750 mL bottle, but a lot of effervesence on the pour. Wonderful golden yellow color and decent head with some lacing. Rather thin mouthfeel, but classic clove aroma and taste undertone. (The bottle mentions corriander, and there are certainly spices, but to me they are more clove-like in character) A little prickly in the mouth too, from the carbonation. Somewhat watery feel in the...
Hoegaarden Original White Ale
A classic of its type. Despite the plaudits that I hear for other, more "trendy" and expensive beers of the style, for me Hoegaarden continues to be consistently excellent. It's appearance is really second to none. The cloudiness perfectly compliments the yellow coloration and the aroma and taste never fail to back up its great looks. The citrus and spice come through in exactly the correct amount and the refreshing ability of this beer is largely unmatched. I like this, a lot!
Blue Moon Belgian White
Pours a very cloudy yellow color with very little head. Frankly I found this very refreshing indeed. Definitely a good thirst quencher. It has a fragrant or floral taste that I thought I would find not to my liking, but does have an unusual quality to it. There are some serious citrus and floral undertones that give this brew a herbal quality. This is a very acceptable domestic, mass produced substitute for similar, higher quality, more expensive beers of this style and stunning for a Coors...