Boulevard Two Jokers Double-Wit

I’ve been liking the Smokestack series so far. This big wit cardamon, coriander, orange peel, lavender, and grains of paradise. It features a lactic fermentation, which should give it some acidity. I also recently had this at beer club.

Stats:
Witbier. 8.0% ABV. 15 IBUs. Missouri. Summer Seasonal.

Hazy yellow color. Head disappears right after pouring.

Interesting nose. Fruity and spicy with lots of orange peel, cardamon, clove, banana, peaches, and so on.

Mouthfeel is medium body with high carbonation.

This is actually fairly tart with a lot of yeast coming through with that spicy and citrusy note. It’s got everything the nose has.

Pretty tasty brew. Actually reminds me a bit of a saison with that tart and yeast thing, but there is definitely that classic wit/gruit flavor going on. Definitely worth a purchase. 90 points.

Great Lakes Holy Moses

My folks just came back from Ohio, and they brought a couple of these back. I know Great Lakes, but havn’t had any of their beer, so I’m pretty excited. I also get a new Ohio State shirt! Go Buckeyes! This wit is brewed with orange peel, chamomile, and coriander.

Stats:
Witbier. 5.4% ABV. Ohio. Summer Seasonal.

Looks like a wit. Yellow in color, not much head.

Nice nose, but does seem a bit closed. You get those spices plus lemon rind, and I do get a little bit of a corn aroma.

Mouthfeel is shocking. I’d never expect a beer like this to be so full-bodied, but it’s great.

Huge lemon up front closely followed by lots of cardamon, cloves, black pepper, and other various spices. I’m surprised by the amount of hops on the backend here, which gives it quite a bit of bitterness and an slightly off-balanced tasted.

Not too shabby, but I think the hop bitterness is a bit off-balanced in my opinion. 89 points.

Redhook Wit

This is a new seasonal witbier from Redhook. They are still working on their new website, so there is no information about this beer yet, but I know they do add ginger into this beer.

Stats:
Witbier. 5.3% ABV. Washington.

Yellow pale color and hazy. No head.

Nose isn’t bad, it’s mainly a ginger and citrus play. A lot of fresh citrus with some spices and ginger and a hair of yeast.

Mouthfeel is light, and fairly watery.

Well the nose is better than the palate. This is pretty watered down and light. You do get that ginger and citrus but it’s just too light. Not much else to say here.

This beer isn’t great, but if you are looking for a Blue Moon alternative and are just branching out into beer, give it a shot. But do NOT drink this beer with food, otherwise it’ll just taste like water. 78 points.

Samuel Adams Imperial White

This is a white beer that has been “imperialized.” Meaning instead of a low alcohol, easy-drinking beer, they upped it to a high alcohol version. This beer features 2-row Harrington, Metcalfe, and Copeland Pale malts and malted wheat with Hallertau Mittelfrueh hops. I’ve been only so-so on their Imperial Series stuff so far, but I do love me a wit, so let’s see how this fairs.

Stats:
Witbier. 10.3% ABV. Massachusetts.

Dark orange color and it’s just chock full of sediment.

Interesting nose. First thing I notice is the sweetness, but it has some orange and coriander coming through as well. Alcohol shows a bit. And I do get a little pinesol type of action, smells kind of artificial.

Mouthfeel is pretty thick, and high carbonation. Not really what I’d like to see.

Palate is really sweet, with lots of brown sugar, with orange, banana, cloves, coriander, and again, I get this artificial pine sol thing. Alcohol shows on the backend.

I absolutely hate this beer. It’s practically undrinkable. The sweetness and alcohol are completely out of control. The mouthfeel and the flavor is undesirable. Save yourself some cash on this one. 76 points.

Allagash White

This well-known and highly rated witbier comes from Allagash in Maine. Their website doesn’t say much about the beer, other than it has their own special blend of spices. Many of you have tried Blue Moon, which is macro version of this type of beer. Let’s see how this example is.

Stats:
Witbier. 5.2% ABV. Maine.

Pale yellow and very hazy with really nice lacing here.

Lots of spices on the nose including coriander, nutmeg, and lemon zest. Lots of banana comes through, with a little vanilla and cinnamon.

Medium bodied with a good level of carbonation.

Lots of lemons with the spices up front, the mid-palate is very fragile which disturbs me. The finish is a heavier dose of the spices, with just a tiny bitterness on the back end.

I have to admit that I was pretty let down by this beer. I love this style, but the mid-palate really seems to fall apart and it’s a bit light. I might try to get a fresher bottle, and re-review. 87 points.

New Belgium Mothership Wit

I havn’t done a wit review in a long time, so here’s one I’ve had collecting virtual cobwebs. It’s a normal witbier, so it’s a wheat brewed with coriander and orange peel. This particular one is also “organic”. Let’s see if it’s decent.

Stats:
Witbier. 4.8% ABV. Colorado.

Very light, pale yellow color. Hazy and not much head.

Not a very aromatic nose, but a very typical witbier nose. Lots of banana coming through, a little bit of yeast and a hint of coriander.

The mouthfeel is light and carbonated.

Light flavor, but again you get a lot of banana, some tangerines, and a little apple. A little bit of yeast in here. The back end is where more of the spices come through, and I’m getting this really nice cinnamon flavor, though I doubt any is in here.

A pretty lackluster beer, light in flavor and pretty boring. 82 points.

Pike Dry Wit

This special release from Pike is 92% organic and includes organic malt, water, hops, spices, and yeast. If that seems vague at all, you should talk to Pike. The beer isn’t even listed on their website, but let’s see how it is.

Stats:
Witbier. 5.0% ABV. 20 IBUs. Seattle, Washington.

Pale yellow in color with very little head, but has some nice lacing.

The nose is quite spicy. Lots of coriander comes through with other spices. Orange and bananas also come through. And there is just a little bit of hop presence along with the wheat.

Light to medium bodied, but works well for this beer.

Again, lots of spices with orange and banana peel. I get some nice blueberries and peaches rolled in spices and baked. And the finish is dry with some hop bitterness.

I like this one, and I think it’s one of Pike’s better brews. Pretty good take on this style. 88 points.

Blue Moon Grand Cru 2009

It took me a very long time to buy this beer and I only did it because it was on sale. It’s normally over 10 bucks for a bottle. That’s a bit much for something from Coors. So, I’m a bit biased, but I’ll give it a fair review.

Stats:
Witbier. 8.2% ABV. Colorado.

Murky, brownish, yellow color, not much head.

The nose is similar to regular Blue Moon. Lots of orange and coriander. Fairly Hi-C orange smelling. A little brown sugar, honey, and spice. Alcohol does seem to show just a bit.

Mouthfeel is way too carbonated.

Palate is candy orange and coriander/spice. Some brown sugar and honey notes. Some spice, orange and lemon zest on the finish.

Pretty okay beer. Just don’t pay full price for this. 83 points.

Rogue Issaquah Bullfrog White

Here is another Rogue (Issaquah) wheat beer. This is a white beer brewed with coriander, orange peel, nutmeg, chamomile, cinnamon, ginger, Pilsen malts, and Sterling hops.

Stats:
Witbier. 5.2% ABV. Washington (Oregon).

Hazy yellow/orangish color. Head doesn’t last too long, but keeps some lacing.

Decent nose. Smells a little bit like a dessert. A lot of spices coming through, with a bit of a floral component. Wheat is there, with some orange and lime. I don’t know what it is, but it reminds me of some kind of like pastry, like a tart made with lots of spices, and vanilla. Wait, this smells a bit like pumpkin pie. It’s brewed with camomile, which I think is where the floral component came from.

Actually pretty heavy in the mouth, with fairly low carbonation. Probably one of the heaviest witbiers I’ve had, interesting.

This witbier is a lot heavier on the spices than the fruit, which I’m really liking. The palate is like a pumpkin pie made with candied orange peel and flowers. Say what? Yeah, that’s what it tastes like, and I’m digging it. But as much as I like the flavor, it’s not jam packed with it, and it’s a bit watered down, and the flavor drops off a cliff at the end. Though, a nice little baked apple flavor does linger in the back of my mouth.

One of the more interesting beers I’ve had recently, and such a missed opportunity. Could be a fantastic beer, it has it all, but it’s just too subtle, and the back end is a disappearing act. 87 points.

Question: what beer do you want ME to try?

Boulevard Zôn

This is the summer seasonal produced by Boulevard out of Kansas City. It’s another Belgian style witbier. This beer is actually produced with malted and unmalted wheat, with Magnum and Simcoe hops. I actually hadn’t heard of this brewery until I saw some, and if you know me, you know I love some good witbiers. Let’s see how this brewery’s interpretation stands up.

Stats:
Witbier (White Beer). 4.4% ABV. 12 IBU’s. Missouri.

Yellow and hazy in color, but no head on it at all.

Very banana and lemony on the nose. If I didn’t know any better, I would assume this was a Hoegaarden. Some more citrus, a tiny bit of spice, a little wheat, and a hint of sweetness.

Medium bodied, light enough to drink a bunch of, with pretty decent carbonation.

Again, it tastes very similar to Hoegaarden. Except it does seem just a tad watered down, and it finishes a little differently. But lots of citrus and some spice. Lemons all over the place.

So, not bad. If Hoegaarden is cheaper for you, then I’d go with that, but there isn’t much wrong with this beer, pretty solid. 86 points.

Question: Everybody seems to love witbiers, but most only know Blue Moon and Hoegaarden. What is your favorite other than those two. And if you don’t have one, promise me you will go out and try some more. Expanding palates, as GV would say.