Contrail
Uinta Brewing Company

 

 

 

Great tasting Belgian Wheat. Quite cloudy, but a really pretty lemon color to the mix. Very smooth and easy to drink. I think my first glass was gone in three gulps, and not on purpose. Bought the party pack from Uinta and glad it has a few more bottles of this beer in it. I normally like a stout or other dark ales, but I think on a hot summer day this killed it.

 

 

 

Poured from the bottle into a Hoegaarden tumbler. Best before April 29th 2016.

Classic foamy white head, of only about two fingers and settling to a thin but slightly bowled puck of about three millimeters. Unfiltered body, but with pale lemon and dull brown hues. There's just a tinge of streaming carbonation in places in lines.

Aromas smells like vomit and bile. Quite strong actually, very unsettling with not much else going on. Quite a dud, with a mix of burnt grain strangely hiding in the back which is really odd.

Palate really manages to save itself. Huge husking grains on this, but it's something that has really gone overboard. Thick malt finish and not a lot of Belgian sweetness. Mouthfeel is actually just about right but comes with a flattened thick low carbonation thud. Aftertaste throws thick rustic grain and husk that lingers with big doughy pilsner like body.

Where is the Belgian character on this beer?, which is lacking in lemon refreshment, and even hints of sucrose that are nowhere to be found. Besides the awful aroma, the beer just tastes like a malt wheat bomb, which actually has a unique aggression that would be better off harnessed in some other style (American Pale Hopped up Wheat Ale I am looking at you) with much room to improve. As a witbier this is really not getting it done.

Best before 12/17/15:

Pours clouded light yellow. A thin fizzy head becomes an island. Not much lacing sticks.

The smell is of orange peel, coriander, wheat tang. Lively. Classic witbier aroma.

The taste is of candied orange peel balanced by tart wheat tang, biscuit and coriander.

It is initially effervescent, then turning creamy. Full-side of light-bodied. Smooth.

A very pleasant, refreshing traditional witbier. Very enjoyable!

A- Custom 12oz bottle into a snifter with a hazy golden body that contains some major flecks of sediment towards the end of the pour. Large, foamy head with good retention dying eventually to a medium fluffy ring. Just a few foamy sheets of lacing.

S- Cloves and phenols off the top with plenty of coriander and orange zest as well as pepper, banana, pale fruit esters and pale cracked cereal grains.

T- Same general principle as the aroma but for me it becomes a bit brighter with more lemon and zesty orange coming out and the spices being balanced into that shell. Clove, coriander and pink peppercorn spice hints as well as wheat, bready and pale cracker malt tones. Lacks a bit of depth I find in the great examples.

MF- Light bodied with a high end foamy carbonation. A slight creamy and frothy texture leads up to a soft finish. The carbonation does make it feel a bit seltzery at times.

Nothing out of the ordinary done here and not necessarily a bad thing as there are no big off flavors or balance issues. In fact, the flavors presented are smooth with an interplay between zesty citrus and well-rounded spiciness. The carbonation and texture does detract a bit making it a bit too spritzy, adding a thinning effect, but overall solid.

 

12 oz bottle poured into a tall lager glass.

A: Cloudy golden body topped by a fairly durable white head that leaves good lacing. Some sediment accumulates in the bottom of the glass over time.

Aroma: like most witbiers, not particularly inviting to me. This one seems more funky and has less banana and clove than many.

Flavor: like most witbiers, more appealing than the aroma. It's fruity, including plenty of lemons, and moderately-to-lightly yeasty

Overall: Refreshing and easy to drink.

 

 

A: cloudy; pale gold in color; 1 finger white head that receded to a thick collar; OK lacing;

S: coriander is predominant with orange and a hit of bread in the background;

T: nicely balanced between coriander and orange; finish is mildly bitter;

M: light to medium bodied; moderate carbonation; dry finish;

O: a nice interpretation of the style;