Winter 2012 Winter Wit
Almanac Beer Co.

a bottle turned up from the cellar at Beer Revolution in Oakland, so I picked it up.

A - a lovely cloudy yellow with orange hues. Some light lacing and head, not too much.

S - pepper, citrus, malt and yeast, grassy odors, the sharpness of the ginger's there.

T- citrus and ginger up front. I think I'm getting more of the ginger than most of the other reviewers, and for me, it's adding a nice unusual dimension, combining interestingly with the earthy slightly bitter flavors of the belgian style.

M - light/medium body.

O - I enjoy this one a bit more than the consensus, maybe because I wasn't necessarily expecting the orange flavors to bring a dominant sweetness. light, refreshing, well balanced, nice combinations. A great wit.

 

 

 

A: Translucent golden with a lot of carbonation and a foamy white head.

S: Saison yeast, poppy, spices, wheat, and orange in the nose.

T: Orange, fall spices, poppy, and some citrus peel on a wheat backbone.

M :Medium bodied, not overly carbonated, and refreshing.

O: Not quite as good as I was hoping for, nor as sweet. Blood oranges, to my understanding, are supposed to be sweet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to eyebereej for this one. Reviewed from notes. Poured from bomber into Peg's snifter glass.

A: Gold in color with some haze, more as we get to the bottom of the bottle. A small white head forms but quickly reduces to foam, amid a moderate amount of visible carbonation.

S: Overall mild. Present is a wheat breadiness, a bit of citrus fruit and orange, and a light spicy background.

T: Follows the nose. The flavors are subtle, but present and well-mixed. There is some pilsner malt character that i could do without, but not overbearing for a wit. More subtle flavors that pull through include the ginger, citrus, coriander, and wheat malt. There's a bit of citrus sweet and tanginess in the hang.

M: Medium body, no particular alcohol presence, and a good amount of carbonation sensation.

O: This is a really nice, well-made wit. There's nothing to write home about, but the flavors are put together really nicely. I would drink another.

 

Appearance – Pours a cloudy golden color with noticeable carbonation at first, that slowly disappears to no carbonation. A nice medium head that dissipates to a thin layer that never quite disappears, and produces a good lacing.

Smell – Orange, ginger, and coriander. Perhaps a touch more orange than I’d prefer. There’s also a sweetness that complements the ginger.

Taste – Ginger and a touch of orange. Not as tasty as the Belgian witbiers that I’m used to.

Mouthfeel – Strangely flat considering the carbonation that was initially present. Kind of thick and syrupy for a witbier.

Drinkability – Goes down well for a 7% beer, but not a 'top of the line' witwier.

Clear golden color with a white foam. Looks more like a lager than a usual Wit. Nice nose of roasted wheat and grapes. Modest carbonation in the mouth.

Hints at richness but ends up tangy. Some citrus flavors. A touch of something floral like chamomile. Fair amount of the scratchy Belgian yeast flavor. Ends with quite a bitter candied taste as the malt fades. Herb tea, lime peel, straw.

I can't shake the impression that this is a hopped up malt liquor nicely packaged. From the 22 oz bottle purchased on a rare trip to BevMo, which seems to be the only place in San Diego that carries Almanac.

 

 

Thanks to barfdiggs for hooking me up with this bottle...
Limited Seasonal Release, Bottle # 3191 (12/29/2011)

A: Pours a cloudy orange/yellow with about one finger of pure white head. The foam settles quickly into a thin ring along the edges of the glass. There is little to no lacing as it drinks.

S: The nose is sweet, yeasty, and packed with some citrus. I get light malt, yeast, and citrus peel. There is a bit of bubblegum in there as well. It says that this beer was brewed with ginger, but I don't detect that scent.

T: The taste follow pretty close to the nose. I get some nice sweetness and citrus right up front. Oranges, lemons, and yeast flood the palate in the middle, and it ends with citrus rind bitters. However, that slight sweetness lingers from beginning to end.

M: Light bodied beer. It hits the palate and the flavors seem to move through their transitions nicely. The mild sweetness stays with the beer the whole way, even as it bitters up in the finish. The finish is a bit drying.

O: I think this is a really solid beer. I don't get a whole lot of ginger out of it, but the oranges are really nice. I'm really glad to have tried this beer, but I don't know if I would seek it out again. I suppose that all depends on the price, and I can't imagine bottles from Almanac being cheap.