Washington Wheat
Skagit River Brewery

 

I always forget to tell them not to put a lemon wedge in it!
Anyway, this is a pale, somewhat cloudy yellow with a light wheat aroma and not much else. It definitely has a full bodied wheat taste with just a light hop bittering and a little hint of orange. It's described as being brewed with coriander but it was unnoticeable to me and I'm usually fairly sensitive to it (oddly I did taste it in the yellowjacket pale ale). Carbonation was pretty low but I sort of prefer that in witbier but it did seem a little flat. Overall, a nice low alcohol yet heavy drinking beer for lunch.

I hate overusing the phrase "crisp and dry" in reference to American style wheat beers, but it fits here. This is a low intensity ale, but the flavors still reasonably hold one's attention. In fact, the taste handily exceeds all other qualities of this beer. Washinton's is neither tart nor sweet, but holds to a grainy wheat design. It is an opaque (and odd) gray-chamomile color whose nearly non-existent head and lace may have been quashed by the acidic virtues of the compulsory lemon wedge that also obliterated the smell.

It's surprising to find a wheat beer of such low alcohol content at a NW brewery. But low gravity beers can still entertain if done right. This one tastes fine, looks weird, feels tight, and drinks average.

Served in bubble pint glass at the brewery. Came with a damn slice of lemon that I immediately discarded. Poured the typical cloudy yellow with a thin cap of a head that quickly dissipated, leaving no lacing.

The aromas were the usual wheat and spice for the style, but rather muted. Same goes for the flavors, typical but soft and muted.

The body was, again, typical for the style. Drinkability was very good, low abv + easy drinking = several of these sliding down your throat.

Overall, an average beer that's worth trying if you see it.

Found this beer on tap at The Bookstore Bar (Alexis Hotel, Seattle)...we spent a couple hours at the bar this afternoon, after seeing Radiohead last night. A shaker pint, garnished with a lemon wedge.

A: Knowing nothing about this beer, I really expected a standard 'American Wheat', just based on the name + preconceptions...a nice surprise to see a very pale wheat, very cloudy. A witbier! Fair white head building to well over 1-finger, average lace in thin rings.

S: Light aroma of bready wheat, a little buttery...like oyster crackers? Modest whiffs of sweet lemondrop citrus, maybe some latent lemon wedge aroma.

T: Doughy and slightly tart, bits of orange and more candied lemon. A bit of peppery spicing and a drier, more 'crackery' finish. Not a 'Belgian' yeastiness/spiciness, but flavorful.

M: Light and just a bit thin, but has a clean/soft crispness. Very refreshing.

D: Extremely easy to drink, so 'sessionable' and so 'summery'. A very nice treat to find this obscure brew on tap; good enough that I had to have another. Certainly one I'd have again! Very nice!