A Foolish Wit | Pipeworks Brewing Company
Brewed by:
Pipeworks Brewing Company
Illinois, United States
pdubs.net
Style: Witbier
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 7.00%
Availability: Rotating
Notes / Commercial Description:
We're not joking around here, the jester has returned! A Foolish Wit was our original Belgian style wit beer, brewed with amchoor, (dried green mango), lemony sumac, and traditional green coriander. This is a wit that even those wielding the sharpest of tongues will enjoy. Light, bright, and full of lemony wheat flavor, this ale is ripe with mischief.
Added by TMoney2591 on 09-23-2012
Reviews: 13 | Ratings: 88
4.26/5 rDev +7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Appearance: Pours with a vibrant active head. Above average active carbonation in glass while drinking. Creamy lacing left behind with each drink.
Smell: Accents of pears, cloves, and bananas hit the nose right away. Subtle lemon and lime tones warm up in the body. Very solid yeast base.
Taste: Excellent. Vibrant fruits blast through right away. A bready, yeast, buttery body comes through after the fruit. Finish is a pleasant dryness with accents of all stages of this beer left behind. Well rounded, balanced, and a real experience for the drinker.
Mouthfeel: Crisp, dry, and fruity.
Overall: A really excellent american belgian style beer. A truly wonderful ride for the palate. This was an early one for Pipeworks and they showed their awesomeness very early on.
★ 774 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Appearance: Pours with a vibrant active head. Above average active carbonation in glass while drinking. Creamy lacing left behind with each drink.
Smell: Accents of pears, cloves, and bananas hit the nose right away. Subtle lemon and lime tones warm up in the body. Very solid yeast base.
Taste: Excellent. Vibrant fruits blast through right away. A bready, yeast, buttery body comes through after the fruit. Finish is a pleasant dryness with accents of all stages of this beer left behind. Well rounded, balanced, and a real experience for the drinker.
Mouthfeel: Crisp, dry, and fruity.
Overall: A really excellent american belgian style beer. A truly wonderful ride for the palate. This was an early one for Pipeworks and they showed their awesomeness very early on.
★ 774 characters
4.38/5 rDev +10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
A: yellow body with hints of light orange. fizzy head that dissipates very quickly.
S: harsh grain, slight barnyard funk, sharp lemon zest, peppery spices, a slight touch of coriander
T: awesome orange peel, lemon zest, slight candy sugar, spice, and yeast. i also enjoy the rich creaminess in the finish
M: much thicker than I had expected and its extremely nice. the creaminess is so damn nice and it lingers on the palate with a touch of funk.
O: simply one very well put together beer. PW is known for their hoppy beers, but this one is terrific too. definitely looking forward to seeing this company continue to put out some awesome brews.
★ 648 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
A: yellow body with hints of light orange. fizzy head that dissipates very quickly.
S: harsh grain, slight barnyard funk, sharp lemon zest, peppery spices, a slight touch of coriander
T: awesome orange peel, lemon zest, slight candy sugar, spice, and yeast. i also enjoy the rich creaminess in the finish
M: much thicker than I had expected and its extremely nice. the creaminess is so damn nice and it lingers on the palate with a touch of funk.
O: simply one very well put together beer. PW is known for their hoppy beers, but this one is terrific too. definitely looking forward to seeing this company continue to put out some awesome brews.
★ 648 characters
3.62/5 rDev -9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A - Poured out of a bomber into a Matilda glass. Pours with a half finger head that fades almost instantly. Dirty lemon appearance with a satin shimmer. Tons of carbonation.
S - Really yeasty wheat. Definite lime notes.
T - Slight sting (just as it says in the bottle description) but a really nice spice to it. Breaddy but in a good way. Small hint of lime. Fades to an interesting bitter and sticks around a lot longer than expected. The final notes seem almost sour, not to my liking. There's a huge maltiness to it, but one that is much more bitter than usual.
M - Good carbonation level which seems to prefer a colder temperature. Hangs around a bit too much for my taste. Has a great refreshing feel initially but leaves you with a negative sour in your mouth.
O - Interesting. The initial taste is actually pretty good and decently refreshing. The bitterness is the aspect I don't really understand about this beer. Its not sharp, but almost sour. I like the idea of the zing it starts with, but the "exotic spices" it uses seem to be a little too exotic for my taste.
Heed their warning about not pouring the last little bits into your glass, you'll get sediment for sure.
Batch #45
★ 1,202 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A - Poured out of a bomber into a Matilda glass. Pours with a half finger head that fades almost instantly. Dirty lemon appearance with a satin shimmer. Tons of carbonation.
S - Really yeasty wheat. Definite lime notes.
T - Slight sting (just as it says in the bottle description) but a really nice spice to it. Breaddy but in a good way. Small hint of lime. Fades to an interesting bitter and sticks around a lot longer than expected. The final notes seem almost sour, not to my liking. There's a huge maltiness to it, but one that is much more bitter than usual.
M - Good carbonation level which seems to prefer a colder temperature. Hangs around a bit too much for my taste. Has a great refreshing feel initially but leaves you with a negative sour in your mouth.
O - Interesting. The initial taste is actually pretty good and decently refreshing. The bitterness is the aspect I don't really understand about this beer. Its not sharp, but almost sour. I like the idea of the zing it starts with, but the "exotic spices" it uses seem to be a little too exotic for my taste.
Heed their warning about not pouring the last little bits into your glass, you'll get sediment for sure.
Batch #45
★ 1,202 characters
3.74/5 rDev -6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Poured from a bomber batch 45 to a Pipeworks snifter
A - Very cloudy gold with bits of sediment. Very little residual head, and no lacing. This batch is fairly old at the time of tasting to be honest.
S - Bready belgian yeast with notes of orange and lemon
T - follows nose with the orange, citrus, lemon, etc.
M - This is definitely the game changer as it is more of a full bodied beer, with light carbonation. I believe this style is generally a light bodied.
O - Fine beer, not the best Pipeworks I've had, but it definitely brings it on flavor and body. Wit Beers are not something that I seek out, this example is far more interesting and enjoyable than most I have had due to body and flavor.
★ 703 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Poured from a bomber batch 45 to a Pipeworks snifter
A - Very cloudy gold with bits of sediment. Very little residual head, and no lacing. This batch is fairly old at the time of tasting to be honest.
S - Bready belgian yeast with notes of orange and lemon
T - follows nose with the orange, citrus, lemon, etc.
M - This is definitely the game changer as it is more of a full bodied beer, with light carbonation. I believe this style is generally a light bodied.
O - Fine beer, not the best Pipeworks I've had, but it definitely brings it on flavor and body. Wit Beers are not something that I seek out, this example is far more interesting and enjoyable than most I have had due to body and flavor.
★ 703 characters
3.5/5 rDev -12.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Interesting brew picked up in trade from rmcnealy... Thanks a bunch Rob... this is soooo very odd even for a witbier.
Poured into my slim tulip.. nice white head... the brew is hazed dark golden..
The nose shows bunches of weird tropical fruitiness that would NEVER BE called for in a witbier but somehow meshes with the background lime profile.. I guess I get some mild clove phenols.
The palate is thick for the style... heavy fruits and a bit of kaffir lime leaf... odd sour notes coming from the Sumac I guess.... The flavors just don't jive for me... too thick and ultimately too muddy.
Really, this is just an interesting heavy bodied witbier.. I APPLAUDE Pipeworks for doing a wit with ingredients that obviously took a lot of work to gather and make things happen.
3.5 across the board is probably too high... but the adventurism with the witbier ingredients brings it back into higher realms.
★ 907 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Interesting brew picked up in trade from rmcnealy... Thanks a bunch Rob... this is soooo very odd even for a witbier.
Poured into my slim tulip.. nice white head... the brew is hazed dark golden..
The nose shows bunches of weird tropical fruitiness that would NEVER BE called for in a witbier but somehow meshes with the background lime profile.. I guess I get some mild clove phenols.
The palate is thick for the style... heavy fruits and a bit of kaffir lime leaf... odd sour notes coming from the Sumac I guess.... The flavors just don't jive for me... too thick and ultimately too muddy.
Really, this is just an interesting heavy bodied witbier.. I APPLAUDE Pipeworks for doing a wit with ingredients that obviously took a lot of work to gather and make things happen.
3.5 across the board is probably too high... but the adventurism with the witbier ingredients brings it back into higher realms.
★ 907 characters
4.15/5 rDev +4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A: Very cloudy pale pastel yellow. Forms a rather large white head, but it falls to a faint surface coating fairly quickly. Does manage to leave a moderate bit of lacing on the way down.
S: Lemon and lots of it. There is a tart or sour quality to the aroma, presumably from the mango, but there really isn't much in the way of actual mango in the aroma. Some yeast and a little coriander spice.
T: Lightly sweet. Mild yeast. Tart, sweet lemon, reminiscent of lemonade. Very citrusy, an attribute most likely from the sumac addition. Quite refreshing.
M: Lighter side of medium. Lower carbonation. Mild tartness. Very minimal bitterness.
O: This beer turned out to be far better than I was expecting it to be. Actually thought about passing it up because I really wasn't expecting much out of it all, but the combination of flavors really play well with each other and end up making a beer better than the sum of its parts.
★ 930 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A: Very cloudy pale pastel yellow. Forms a rather large white head, but it falls to a faint surface coating fairly quickly. Does manage to leave a moderate bit of lacing on the way down.
S: Lemon and lots of it. There is a tart or sour quality to the aroma, presumably from the mango, but there really isn't much in the way of actual mango in the aroma. Some yeast and a little coriander spice.
T: Lightly sweet. Mild yeast. Tart, sweet lemon, reminiscent of lemonade. Very citrusy, an attribute most likely from the sumac addition. Quite refreshing.
M: Lighter side of medium. Lower carbonation. Mild tartness. Very minimal bitterness.
O: This beer turned out to be far better than I was expecting it to be. Actually thought about passing it up because I really wasn't expecting much out of it all, but the combination of flavors really play well with each other and end up making a beer better than the sum of its parts.
★ 930 characters
4.04/5 rDev +1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Immediately after pouring, there's a white bubbly head that dissipates quickly into a blotchy veil. The color is completely opaque, which is typical for the style. The color takes on more of an apple cider orange, than golden yellow.
On the nose I get banana and pear esters, sweet malt, and some bright citrus. It's exciting to be able to detect the malt backbone in the aroma. All the smells mingle very nicely with each other.
Flavor starts with banana-like yeast, but is quickly beat by some bright citrus fruit. I get just a very small hint of alcohol in the middle as the glass warms. The finish is quite dry and sweet malt flavor lingers along with the fruity esters.
The feel is light-to-medium and full of light carbonation.
This is a very enjoyable and well-executed Witbier and therefore is definitely one for fans of the style. I think what makes this brew stand out is the appearance and the higher than average ABV. The latter point makes the malt backbone more apparent, relatively speaking. I hope Pipeworks makes more variations of this style.
★ 1,064 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Immediately after pouring, there's a white bubbly head that dissipates quickly into a blotchy veil. The color is completely opaque, which is typical for the style. The color takes on more of an apple cider orange, than golden yellow.
On the nose I get banana and pear esters, sweet malt, and some bright citrus. It's exciting to be able to detect the malt backbone in the aroma. All the smells mingle very nicely with each other.
Flavor starts with banana-like yeast, but is quickly beat by some bright citrus fruit. I get just a very small hint of alcohol in the middle as the glass warms. The finish is quite dry and sweet malt flavor lingers along with the fruity esters.
The feel is light-to-medium and full of light carbonation.
This is a very enjoyable and well-executed Witbier and therefore is definitely one for fans of the style. I think what makes this brew stand out is the appearance and the higher than average ABV. The latter point makes the malt backbone more apparent, relatively speaking. I hope Pipeworks makes more variations of this style.
★ 1,064 characters
4.14/5 rDev +4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Wasn't sure if this was the "sour mango wit" mentioned as coming soon, or the base beer for it... A Foolish Wit is a very solid (nearly imperial) Witbier.
Straight down the middle our into a tulip glass generates a billowing head of foam, which recedes with plenty of sticky lacing. The color and clarity leave something to be desired, a dull opaque brownish-orange rather than the usual light pastel yellow-orange. Head breaks u fairly quickly also.
Aroma is fruity, orange eel supplanted with plenty of smooth wheat and moderate coriander.
Smooth feel, medium bodied, a light natural fruit tartness initially that segues quickly into seamless wheat softness. Not overly spiced, more fruit forward with plenty of wheat character in the middle and end. Lingering orange eel and soft traces of coriander. Very well put together, no flaws in my mind other than the appearance, which is pretty minor anyway. Can't wait to see a fruited version, if that ever comes to fruition (groan, lol)...
★ 994 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Wasn't sure if this was the "sour mango wit" mentioned as coming soon, or the base beer for it... A Foolish Wit is a very solid (nearly imperial) Witbier.
Straight down the middle our into a tulip glass generates a billowing head of foam, which recedes with plenty of sticky lacing. The color and clarity leave something to be desired, a dull opaque brownish-orange rather than the usual light pastel yellow-orange. Head breaks u fairly quickly also.
Aroma is fruity, orange eel supplanted with plenty of smooth wheat and moderate coriander.
Smooth feel, medium bodied, a light natural fruit tartness initially that segues quickly into seamless wheat softness. Not overly spiced, more fruit forward with plenty of wheat character in the middle and end. Lingering orange eel and soft traces of coriander. Very well put together, no flaws in my mind other than the appearance, which is pretty minor anyway. Can't wait to see a fruited version, if that ever comes to fruition (groan, lol)...
★ 994 characters
4.08/5 rDev +2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
22 oz. bottle served in a FFF teku glass. Batch #38.
A: Pours a dirty orange color with fluffy white head forming on the pour. It recedes to a thin film that leaves some sticky sheets of lace down the glass.
S: Definite sweet yeast presence with nice citrus backing. Some toasted grains with a little orange as well.
T: The taste follows the nose. Some sweet yeast, a little chalky, but nice smooth citrus notes as well. Some light peppery notes with a little lemon peel.
M: Medium to light bodied with nice medium high carbonation. The body has a little more weight to it than a normal wit, but it's still very drinkable.
O: A very solid wit. I'm sold on the addition spices added as it gave the beer a light kick that made the drink a lot more enjoyable.
★ 761 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
22 oz. bottle served in a FFF teku glass. Batch #38.
A: Pours a dirty orange color with fluffy white head forming on the pour. It recedes to a thin film that leaves some sticky sheets of lace down the glass.
S: Definite sweet yeast presence with nice citrus backing. Some toasted grains with a little orange as well.
T: The taste follows the nose. Some sweet yeast, a little chalky, but nice smooth citrus notes as well. Some light peppery notes with a little lemon peel.
M: Medium to light bodied with nice medium high carbonation. The body has a little more weight to it than a normal wit, but it's still very drinkable.
O: A very solid wit. I'm sold on the addition spices added as it gave the beer a light kick that made the drink a lot more enjoyable.
★ 761 characters
4.2/5 rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from a 22 oz bottle into a Half Acre tulip.
A- pours a very cloudy, dirty orange with a 2" thick white head. Big blotches and trails of lacing remain on the glass.
S- big orange and lemon aromas along with lots of spices. Definitely smell a Belgian yeast strain in there.
T- follows nose with citrus being more dominant over the spices. Lemon, oranges, spices.
M- medium body and high carbonation. More acidic with higher carbonation.
O- not you typical witbier for sure. Has the spice, but more of a citrus take compared to banana.
★ 544 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from a 22 oz bottle into a Half Acre tulip.
A- pours a very cloudy, dirty orange with a 2" thick white head. Big blotches and trails of lacing remain on the glass.
S- big orange and lemon aromas along with lots of spices. Definitely smell a Belgian yeast strain in there.
T- follows nose with citrus being more dominant over the spices. Lemon, oranges, spices.
M- medium body and high carbonation. More acidic with higher carbonation.
O- not you typical witbier for sure. Has the spice, but more of a citrus take compared to banana.
★ 544 characters
4.03/5 rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
On-tap at Local Option. Served in a weizen glass.
A - White foam settles to a thin cap, thicker collar, and splotchy lacework. Murky straw orange body. As usual, these Pipeworks beers are very attractive.
S - Coriander, mild orange peel, lightly phenolic yeast, sweet pale malts. It's a witbier alright!
T - Taste is more grain and wheat-forward, with less of the spices. There's some banana and orange citrus sweetness in the back end.
M - Grainy, wheat chaff, medium body, with pleasant active carbonation, and a dry finish.
D - This isn't going to wow your hardcore Beer Advocate crowd but it's a solidly made and enjoyable witbier. I was actually somewhat surprised to see it was 7%, as I assumed it was 5% or so. In any case, it's a good beer to have in your portolio to convince Blue Moon fans to 'drink local' instead.
★ 830 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
On-tap at Local Option. Served in a weizen glass.
A - White foam settles to a thin cap, thicker collar, and splotchy lacework. Murky straw orange body. As usual, these Pipeworks beers are very attractive.
S - Coriander, mild orange peel, lightly phenolic yeast, sweet pale malts. It's a witbier alright!
T - Taste is more grain and wheat-forward, with less of the spices. There's some banana and orange citrus sweetness in the back end.
M - Grainy, wheat chaff, medium body, with pleasant active carbonation, and a dry finish.
D - This isn't going to wow your hardcore Beer Advocate crowd but it's a solidly made and enjoyable witbier. I was actually somewhat surprised to see it was 7%, as I assumed it was 5% or so. In any case, it's a good beer to have in your portolio to convince Blue Moon fans to 'drink local' instead.
★ 830 characters
4/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Served in an Ichtegems tulip glass at Local Option.
I was surprised to see a Pipeworks brew on tap, but I guess the Fuckin' Catalina Wine Mixer means A-game all the way, right? Anyway, this stuff pours a cloudy sunset straw topped by a finger of white foam. The nose comprises orange peel, light wheat, coriander, clove, cardamom, and grapefruit rind. The taste brings in more of the same, with a touch of red apple flesh for good measure. The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a lightly prickly feel. Overall, a very nice "imperial" wit, one that brings everything on with some strength behind it, but also without overdoing it.
★ 660 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Served in an Ichtegems tulip glass at Local Option.
I was surprised to see a Pipeworks brew on tap, but I guess the Fuckin' Catalina Wine Mixer means A-game all the way, right? Anyway, this stuff pours a cloudy sunset straw topped by a finger of white foam. The nose comprises orange peel, light wheat, coriander, clove, cardamom, and grapefruit rind. The taste brings in more of the same, with a touch of red apple flesh for good measure. The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a lightly prickly feel. Overall, a very nice "imperial" wit, one that brings everything on with some strength behind it, but also without overdoing it.
★ 660 characters
A Foolish Wit from Pipeworks Brewing Company
3.98
out of 5
based on 88 ratings.
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Pours hazy golden in color with some slight burnt hues. Head is one finger fluffy white and has great retention.
Smell is very mild but there are some nice Belgian aromas. Some Belgian spices hit the nose first with some mild grainy aroma and orange rind. There is a very mild mango presence near the end along with a slight alcohol and acetone aroma.
Taste follows the nose with Belgian yeasty spice and orange rind along with a mild sweetness from the malt. Orange rind follows along with an interesting vanilla like creaminess that dominates the midsection and works very well. Some very faint hops are nearly undetectable near the end along with a alcohol finish.
Mouthfeel is good. Soft, moderately carbonated and medium bodied. Slight dry alcohol finish.
★ 763 characters