McBride's Wit
Al's of Hampden / Pizza Boy Brewing

 

Growler pour

Nice, light refershing

Hints of bananas and cloves

 

 

A - An active billowing cascading pour yields four fingers worth of audibly fizzy airy bone white froth comprised of big chunky bubbles... Better than average retention... Once receded there is a splotchy veil of lacing that gravitates towards the outside of the glass... The color is a pale lemony yellow... There is a distinct haziness that permeates throughout... A light to moderate bit of carbonation throughout some of which is sluggish and some of which moves at a decent pace...

S - A distinctive whiff of strong Belgian yeast to start... Lemon zest... Orange zest... Some dried grass notes... A bit of white pepper... Perhaps a very subtle hint of sage... Quite pleasant and spot on for the style...

T - There is a lot happening on the palate... A moderately strong Belgian yeast presence throughout... Lemon zest... A hint of citrus... White pepper... Light honey... The light presence of Simcoe hops on the finish is a nice touch...

M - On the fuller side of medium bodied... Starts a touch on the dry side but finishes with a nice juicy burst... A light bit of assertive and spry carbonation... Even and consistent... A slight bit sticky... A wee bit more sturdy and chewier than it's style brethren..

D - An ambitious and enjoyable Witbier... The oat and Simcoe hop additions push the bounds of the style, but aren't quite as awe inspiring as I had hoped... It's a solidly above average Witbier... The slight nuances of the flavor profile and the full mouthfeel (by style standards) are the highlights... Quite refreshing... Goes down easy... Can't ask for much more than that... Pizza Boy loves there barrel aging and I could see how white wine barrels would greatly add to this offering...

 

Served on-tap at Al's of Hampden.

A - Pours hazy pale yellow with a nice one and a half finger tall white head, quickly dissipating down to a light film, leaving little to no lace on the sides of the glass.

S - Smells of chewy wheat, black pepper, clove, bit of orange and some coriander. Smells just like a witbier should.

T - Starts off with the chewy wheat quickly being joined by the clove, coriander and black pepper spices and a bit of orange pulp. Finish is chewy with some mild spice, not lingering for very long after the finish.

M - Light body with moderate carbonation. Spicy, chewy feel from start to finish.

O - Still not the biggest wheat beer fan but this is a very nice Witbier. It has everything you would want in a traditional Wit and it has a bit of extra orange thrown in to make it unique. If you like the style you will like this one.