Optimal Wit
Port City Brewing

Ok not likely to buy again

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 11 of the advent calendar 2021.

Straw colored and with a plentiful white head. Very bubbly. Served mine in a chalice.
Yeast and sweet notes on the nose. Cloves and malt and other citrus-y spices on the palate. Delicious is the best way to describe it.
Medium long finish, great mouthfeel.

 

Abundantly flavorful! Straw-colored brew, white foamy head with staying power. Was surprised how in-your-face the flavor was--coriander and orange peel come through beautifully. At first I thought "maybe too much?", but no. This is a full-flavored wit that rivals some of the European wits I've tasted. Well done, Port City.

Perfect Wit

 

Bought at the Beer Table in Grand Central Station and drank in its Food Hall.
Looks slightly above average with active protein, but foam faded surprisingly fast.
Smells are a mixed malt bill eventually pushed back by the citrus and spices.
Tastes are balanced, refreshing.
In my mouth, Feel is medium and bubbly enough, yet soft like wheat... particularly on this hot, muggy day in New York's Dog Days.... Gets me ready for the subway.

Optimal Wit is one of Port City's cash cows. And for good reason, it does its job. It's refreshing, balanced and reasonably priced. Port City claims to be the DC metro's first crafter, founded in 2011. If so, it has brought brewing culture to the nation's capital. And for that, it deserves very good OA Hugs.

 

 

Poured from a can into a pint glass
Appearance – The beer pours a lightly hazed straw color with a one finger head of white foam. The head has a good level of retention, with it slowly fading over time to leave a light level of foamy lace on the sides of the glass.
Smell – The aroma of the brew is strong of a bready and doughy aroma, mixed with lots of yeast. Along with these smells comes notes of banana and lemon as well as a big aroma of clove and coriander. Overall, the aroma is rather inviting.
Taste – The taste begins with a mix of a bready and cracker malt flavor that is paired with some yeast and a good deal of a sweet banana and citrus flavor. As the taste advances spice flavors of coriander and clove get stronger and stronger, all while the sweetness ups a bit as well. A subtle, confectioners’ sugar like taste comes to the tongue at the end, and with a touch of hay, one is left with a nice, moderately sweet and spiced, wit taste to linger on the tongue.
Mouthfeel – The body of the brew is medium in thickness and creaminess with a carbonation level that is average. For the bready, sweet, and spice the feel is rather nice allows for a nice balance of flavor appreciation and easy drinking nature.
Overall – A tasty and nice wit. Flavorful and very drinkable. Great for a warm summer day!

 

 

Pours a pale straw but a little dark or redder than some of your pilsners and saisons. The nose is faint some bubblegum, banana, and clove. The underwhelmingness carries through with each sip - faint banana and clove. The mouthfeel is thin, which I guess some folks might like, but I found perpetuated the "lightness." When you compare this beer to a Hoegaarden or Allagash White, you will be underwhelmed as was the case with me. If I'm trying to find a tasting memory, I think it reminds me of Spotted Cow or one of the underwhelming saisons I had at a just opened Foam (Burlington, VT). This just doesn't do it for me.

 

Not worth the money...too much banana flavour, watery mouth feel.

From a 12 oz Bottle
Appearance: poured well, nice head, medium rocky structure, moderate longevity
Smell: some yeast, banana mild, clove, mild, citrusy
Taste: ahhh, nice banana mild, clove mild confirmed, citric tang
Fell: tad thin, medium to light body
Overall: refreshing, would like another

April 9th, 2016 - This is a faint, almost ghostly beer, with just a slight hint of popcorn and vanilla ice cream on the nose. It's a curious combination, and might be a result of some off-flavors, but it's not so off putting that I don't try a taste. The flavor is lighter than expected (even controlling for the style) with a lighter carbonation. While the taste is a bit bland, the somewhat flatter body is more unforgivable.

 

Cloudy, yellow appearance with an average size white head and little lacing. Grassy, grainy, spicy aroma. Flavor tracks more toward the traditional wit style as the yeasty esters pair with wheat and spices. Slight vegetal aftertaste., Light bodied, well carbonated mouthfeel with a short lived finish.

 

Year old bottle from the work cooler, so take this review with a grain of salt. Was refrigerated the entire time.
Pours a clear straw with a thin white head that dissipates quickly, some streaks of lace.
Smells like doughy malt with a hint of banana and coriander.
Doughy malt, some banana and a hint of coriander. More like a hefeweizen than a wit.
Fluffy mouthfeel, dry, but lacking the spritziness I expect from a wit.
Not really my style in the first place, but age definitely hasn't helped.

Appearance:
A ghostly-pale, white gold liquid that lurks beneath a frothy ocean of white foam. Its cloudy translucence gives it an otherworldly, ethereal quality. When the head vanishes, it leaves strands of webbed lacing in its wake.

Bouquet:
Grainy wheat bread, lemongrass, and spiced herbs.

Feel:
Moderate carbonation provides a lively yet laid-back foundation for this light bodied white ale. Travels smoothly with a cooling linger.

Taste:
A witbier that's as woefully weak as a paltry pilsner. Pale grains and wheat biscuit come across hollow, if not altogether unpleasant, with a dash of lemon pepper that's easier to miss than the number 57 on a Heinz Ketchup bottle. Not bad, just unimpressive.

Overall:
It's about as exciting as getting a tetanus shot.

 

 

 

 

Bottled on 03/05/19, served in a glass mug

Barely hazy golden with 1-finger foamy white head with skimpy lacing.

Grainy pils with light lemon and orange fruity notes will spicy herbal notes.

Delicious wheat pils graininess, deftly crafted, with low level spicy orange-lemon with light-medium bitterness.

Feel is on target for style but I wish it had a bit more body.

An excellent witbier - best regional wit in mid-Atlantic.

I've spent quite a bit of time in Alexandria in the past six months and have resisted trying this one. Maybe because it's absolutely everywhere around here. Anyway, I finally gave it a go and I'm glad I did. Redolent of lemon and coriander, with nice wheat notes and a smooth, semi full feel. Quite worth a pick up or two.

 

From the bottle, it pours a light hazy amber with a modest white head that lasts and leaves lacing. In the nose, it is a touch of yeast and a bit of, er, bubble gum. In the mouth, it is light and refreshing. Nice!

2022 update: Yum!

 

Picked this up at the LCBO on a whim, as the few American microbrews they do carry are usually good.

L: pours a light golden, almost straw-like colour, almost yellow. No head at all.

S: initial aroma of yeast, followed by bubble gum. Not ver much aroma, really. Almost like white wine.

T : Flavour is not very strong - almost pilsner like. Quite weak, even a little watery. Hints of pepper towards the back of the mouth.

F: heavy on the carbonation, too much so. Once the roughness of the bubbles subsides, it goes down smoothly.

O: could take it or leave it. Would not buy this one again.