Lost Abbey Witchs Wit

Brewed by Port Brewing/Lost Abbey
Style: Belgian White (Witbier)
San Marcos, California USA

In short: A heavy/muddy witbier. Not very good, not very refreshing. Just decent.
How: Bottle 750ml. Consumed fresh soon after purchase
The look: Cloudy dark yellow body topped by a very small white ring of foam
In long: I noted many flavours for while drinking my bottle but all revolve around a common theme of banana/lemon dessert. Banana peels, lemon pie, meringue, honey, banana cake, citrus, apricots, breakfast banana muffin, apricots. Don’t mistake my many flavour names for complexity this is a rather simple beer. Very little of the usual witbier spiciness. The main thing that prevents it from being a very good witbier is that it’s too heavy for the style. Too doughy, yeasty, honeyed. The whole thing felt a bit muddy. Not tasty enough to be very good and too muddy to be very refreshing. Just ok. A disappointment considering the brewery pedigree. Excerpt from a witch stand-up routine “why did the chicken cross the street? I don’t know and I don’t care. Thank you, good night.”

Bottled. Hazy yellow color, short head. Aroma of grain, some citrus, bit spicy. Slight sweet and citric taste. Ok.

Bottled. Aroma has some grain, citrus, spice and yeast. Hazy, yellow coloured with a white, lasting head. The taste is a bit sweet, has yeast, citrus, some spice and grain. Medium bodied, quite refreshing. Nice wit bier.

Appearance: Pours a hazed, straw-colored, yellow body with a thin, white head. Smell: Slightly grainy, unrefined wheat aroma with notes of lemon zest, triple sec, wildflower honey, and lastly, a meager pinch of spice. Taste: Sweetish wheat grains with a touch of honey. Cantelope juice mixed with a dash of Cointreau and garnished with a lemon twist. Lightly earthy, citrus hop character with a medium-low bitterness. Minimal yeast spice qualities, quite subtle really. Rebound of orange and lemon citrus flavors on the drying finish. Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium-low carbonation. Drinkability: Though it could benefit from a bit more crisp carbonation, it was still an enjoyable, immensely refreshing Belgian wit.

Bottle @ Skortilla. Hazy dark yellow colou, white lacing. Aroma of wheat and citrus. Flavour is sweaty, yeasty and citric. Nice one.

750 ml. bottle. Shared with Gabe. Pours a thin non-lasting head, no lacing. over a minimally cloudy yellow (SRM 10) body.....nose of spice, wintergreen, clove, and honey....tastes of light maltiness, with light spice finishing, wintergreen, clove, primarily, very dry throughout....mouth feel is light and occasionally a little too watery carbonation low....meets the Witbier style. This unfortunately the wrong time of year to be sampling it.

My Bottom Line:
Herbal spiciness, doughy yeast and citrusy fruitiness form a lean and friendly example of the Witbier style.

Further Personal Perceptions:
-A ring of foam crowns the cloudy yellow.
-Herbal hop bitterness is apparent in the finish.
-Even though this is slated as having a different angle to the Witbier concept, the final result is quite redolent of what the style usually offers.
-Some sips are kind of watery. I would have preferred a tad more cereal presence.

Bottle.

Bottle@Home. Coriander and citrus aroma. Golden colour, last pour was cloudy, off-white head, good lace. Sweet, bitter, coriander, citrus, more bitterness in the finish. Cloying, soft and light bodied. Reminded me of a La Chouffe Light.