Newport Storm Cyclone Series Frank

Formerly brewed at Coastal Extreme Brewing Company
Style: Belgian White (Witbier)
Middletown, Rhode Island USA

05-Aug-08 (12-oz bottle: Obtained 01-Aug-08 in trade with jjpm74, thanks John!) This may be the strangest wit I’ve come across. While the aromas of coriander and orange peel are apparent, what really jumps out is orange marmalade and coconut. Wow, the sweet coconut is almost overwhelming. But despite taking a sharp left turn from the style, the nose is exotic and interesting. A similar situation with the flavor. Lots of sugary-sweet coconut, grossly overripe bananas and sherry are partially offset by the mild bitterness and flavor of coriander and citrus peel. The problem with the heavy tropical character is that the beer is very weighty on the palate, nothing like what a real Belgian witbier should be. It’s heavy and cloying, lacking the refreshing character one expects from the style. It’s nearly 7% too, so that’s another clue. And the color is cloudy amber. Heading is small on the pour and fully dissipates, leaving no lace. An odd beer, it clearly isn’t meant to be a Hoegaarden clone. Forgetting the classic style though and treating it as its own entity, this beer still fails the drinkability test because of the syrupy, cloying body and the total lack of balance. Exotic and tropical, maybe the tropical fruit aromas and flavors are by design since this is series named after tropical storms. Too bad this hurricane came ashore.

Interesting nose on this one: one part damp coriander, one part potpourri, one part orange, and one part minty key lime pie. Flavor is centered more towards a typical witbier, with abundant coriander, a lot of orange and lemon peel, some wheat, and a strange bit of black pepper mixed in as well. Generally heavy on the yeast, normal for the style, and quite tasty but not really great.

(12oz bottle, thanks artusory) Small off-white head atop clear apple juice body. Aroma is medium sweet, lime, lemon, some yeast, light straw. Taste is medium sweet, lime, lemongrass, yeast. Evokes Thai cooking. Creamy light-medium body, low carbonation. Weird but likable.

12oz bottle, courtesy of artusory. Thanks, Ryan! Pours a hazy, honey-orange color; thin off-white head with patchy fine-bubbled lacing. Lots of overripe, juicy oranges and Key limes and coriander in the aroma; very fruity; sweet and messy. Chewy, sticky oranges, viscous candy sugar, and doughy vanilla / banana notes; very chewy; slightly metallic note comes through near the front, which, with the relaxed carbonation, is one of the couple of things to detract from an otherwise pleasant enough beer; cotton candy and sweet; slightly imbalanced. Sticky sugar and dough (with a touch of metal) in the finish.

Hazy, light amber body with a small white head. Spicy, citrus nose with coriander, orange peal, tangerine and candied lemons. The flavor is moderately sweet, with lots of toffee, caramel, golden raisins, coriander, honey and tangerine. Medium body is round with moderate carbonation.

Bottle and served in my Hoegaarden tumbler: (bad news) Well it does not look like a witbier, too dark and not hazy white more like amber and clear, the head fades and there is no lace to speak of. (good news) It sure smells like a witbier with plenty of coriander, orange zest, and Kaffir lime leaves over a bed of roasted and caramel malts, some sugar, and a hint of banana yeast ester. NICE!!!

The taste falls in line with the nose, spicy and fruity with a light wheat and caramel malt background. Some earthy characteristics as well (salty, dusty, herbal) before the syrupy sweet finish. The mouth feel is indeed heavy for the style and lack the refreshment normally found among the best of the genre. This is among the new breed of Imperial Witbiers, big and bold with a lot of forward facing spice and sweetness. I like the depth but also miss the refreshment. Worthy of a try IMO.

12 oz. bottle courtesy of Alldaydrinker. Pours slightly hazy amber color with a small fizzy rapidly diminishing white head. The aroma is wheat grass, corriander, and citrus fruits. The flavor is light sweet malt, citrus, spices (corriander, pepper), and yeasty bread. Medium bodied. Not bad.

Thanks to alldaydrinker for this bottle. Orange yellow pour with very small head and nice visual carbonation. Wheaty nose with coriander and lemon notes. Body is creamy with flavors of coriander, citrus and light spices. I’d say this is a bit ’thicker" than a typical Wit, but I like this beer.