Witless
Buckeye Brewing Company

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poured from a bottle into a standard pint glass.

Appearance: Pours a mildly cloudy golden yellow color with a two finger white head that disappears completely.

Smell: Mildly sweet and crisp from the malt. Hints of banana and spices.

Taste: Light wheat malt, spices, and hints of citrus and banana. The finish is quite crisp.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with mild carbonation and a dry finish.

Overall: Not a bad beer. Nice and refreshing. Don't know that it does the feelings of Cleveland justice.

22oz bottle from Tyler.

Pours bright hazy yellow gold with a small whitish head that recedes quickly to a thin collar and a stream of bubbles feeding a small clump in the middle.

Aroma is spicy with coriander and lemon zest alongside faint banana sweetness. The malts are very pale and grainy in the nose.

The taste is a mix of the coriander and bitter hops. Nit much citrus at all and the finish is very bitter and dry. There is a strong grainy malt presence and little fruitiness at all.

The mouthfeel is highly carbonated and dry with an overly bitter aftertaste.

Not a bad beer but only an average wit.

22oz bottle served in a glass goblet.

Appearance - deep straw color, nice lacing, highly carbonated

Smell - lemon and orange

Taste - lemon, orange, coriander, and subdued black pepper

Mouthfeel - fine carbonation allows the flavors to stand out and hang around, however it cuts through so that it's not lingering on the palate

Drinkability - extremely refreshing

Poured into my SA glass at room temperature. Surprise #1 ... virtually no head, and needless to say, no lacing. Color is a pale lemon yellow, reminiscent of BMC fizzy yellow water type beers.

The nose is mostly corriander, and some kind of of medicinal smell. No date on the bottle, so I can't tell if this bottle is old. (received the bottle in this years brew club beer exchange).

The flavor has the corriander up front, followed by sort of an "off" lemon flavor. Entirely unremarkable. The mouthfeel is medium-thin. Carbonation is low; even my SA glass's nucleation site can't coax much out of it.

Ordinarily, at this abv level, I usually give a decent drinkability rating, since this is in the session beer range. However, the beer leaves me so non-plussed, that I will probably have to keep reminding myself that this was a gift, and that I should finish the bottle.

I've had plenty of Buckeye Brewing beers, mostly at local brew fests. They do make some decent beers. Unfortunately, this is not one of them. I can't honestly recommend this one ... if you see it in a bottle shop, pass it by for something else.

"Shakka, when the walls fell ...."

Marvelously murky grapefruit yellow with multiple streams of energetic carbonation that have created an expansive crown of bone colored froth. The head is reasonably rocky, but isn't sticky at all. Almost no lace makes it to the glass... until it's almost empty.

Coriander is more prominent than orange on the sniff test and the malt is slightly grain-like, which isn't too much of a negative. Slightly more pungency with warming almost allows the next highest score to be chosen.

Witless is a decent witbier, but that's as far it goes. There's too much bitterness (without good hop flavor) that might be at least partially due to overabundant CO2. It gives the beer a harsh flavor and feel, which is probably how Cavs fans feel about the event for which this ale was brewed/named.

The malt tastes exclusively pale and is short on sugars. The spiciness of coriander is still well in the lead over citrus, although the latter is noted in the background. Tanginess is low end as well. Warming accentuates an odd herbal-metallic quality on the finish that defies adequate description. In the end, this BBC brew doesn't come together well enough to be an enjoyable version of the style.

Too many bubbles annoy early in the bottle... and fade quickly thereafter. No expansive creaminess here. It's hard to believe that this offering was bottle-conditioned, so it looks like the brewery just screwed up and added too much gas.

Witless (Belgian-style wheat beer brewed with orange peel and coriander) is not worth a second bomber... or a first if you're looking for opinions before buying. I have no problem with Buckeye hoping to cash-in on the whole ordeal, but they need to create better beer so that it doesn't come across as a gimmick.

I got this beer from drgonzo3705. Thanks Paul!

22oz bottle served in a glass beer mug.

L - hazed bright yellow with a white head that thinned to a light fizz being fueled by tiny rising bubbles.

S - lemon rind and earthy yeast.

T - there's a lemony zing blended with sweetness, wheat and yeast.

F - medium bodied with good carbonation.

D - refreshingly drinkable.

Poured from a 22 oz bottle into a wine glass. The bottle bears a yellow profile of LeBron James screaming to the sky "Lord, why am I so greedy??!?"

Pours a hazy yellow-orange, with a slight swirl of white head on top.

Smells of mango concentrate, pear juice, and other syrupy sweet fruit extract. Some mild malt hits the nose as well.

Weak and lacking character, it is clear this... oh, sorry, I was describing something else.

Mild malt, this is a crisp and clean beer. The citrus is quite light, and there is a mild spice- perhaps the coriander described on the label? While Clevelanders may feel bitter, this beer isn't.

Light mouthfeel.

While drinkable, this beer only serves to remind us of how we were shafted.

22oz bottle into a snifter.

The label says "This sudsy tribute was brewed to celebrate the fierce pride and loyalty we have for our fair city. Made by Cleveland's own Buckeye Brewing Company, this ultra-refreshing Belgian 'Witbier' style will become your chosen one when you want to defeat thirst. With citrusy crispness and honest flavors that will not quit, this classy brew will not abandon your taste buds. Make the right decision to get some of this proud hometown treat before it's gone!"

5.3% ABV, no IBU listed

Looks OK in the glass. Witless is cloudy and orange with some golden touches around the edges. A small ring of head is left after just a short time. It really has poor head retention for a Witbier.

The smell starts to make up for the average appearance with some familiar scents of coriander, orange peel, and a touch of lemon. There's a slight tartness from the yeast, and the spicy coriander and a touch of clove are there but aren't expressive enough to warrant a higher praise for its smell.

The taste also has the requisite, traditional flavors of orange and coriander. There's just a touch of white pepper and lemon peel keeping this both interesting and refreshing. However, in the end, the taste of Witless leaves me wanting more; the best Witbiers of the world leave such powerful and well-defined flavors and this just can't hang on that stage. For a truly magical Belgian Witbier experience, I recommend Allagash White, Southampton Double White Ale, or the amazing St. Bernardus Blanche.

That's not to say drinking this beer isn't a pleasurable experience. I certainly encourage Belgian beer lovers to try it for themselves. The beer does feel nice in my mouth, with its sparkling carbonation, creamy medium body, and dry finish with just a touch of chalk. A decent beer but nothing extraordinary.