Breakside Gin-Barrel Double Wit
Breakside Brewery - SE Taproom

 

msubulldog25 hooked me up with this ultra-rarity from Portland, and I raise my glass in his honor.

Label reads "limited edition experimental and avant-garde beers." Right up my alley...

The color here is that of an authentic Belgian wit: a washed-out peach that's cloudy to the point of opaqueness. The head is just weird: big dishsoap-like bubbles. 4.5 for the color, 2.5 for the head.

The aroma is a wonderful thing. You can definitely glean some gin, but mingled with the yeast and everything else, there's a thick layer of pineapple and lemon, and something very similar to Chardonnay.

And that's mostly what I get on the tongue: tart and sweet pineapple, even more lemon, plus the dryness and delicate citrus character of Chardonnay. Sour milk, yeast leaning toward funk. Along with the gin hints, and a subtle woody character, this is definitely a deviation from the typical witbier formula and is pretty much its own beer. All kinds of tart, puckery pineapple in the finish, although never as sweet as the fruit.

The real letdown here is the feel. It's watery and even near-flat. The cap seemed to be in good shape, and it was waxed too, and it doesn't taste like oxidation, so I don't know. A bit weak and wispy in this department.

Unlike anything else I've ever had. With a better mouthfeel (and I feel the carbonation issues have something to do with the weak head), this would be an even better experience than it already is. Maybe it lost something in the bottling stage?

Appearance: (4.0)
- Pours a nice cloudy straw yellow and light orange wheat color. Couple of fingers of fluffy white head settle to a bumpy and spotty thin froth on top.

Smell: (4.0)
- Fresh zesty lemon and herbs hit the nose right off. Light sweetness, dryness, and sourness all melded in scent. Slight esters and a fruity touch. Certainly some woody character going on.

Taste: (4.5)
- Big spicy citrus zest. Light bready funk, and a tart sourness which seems almost too perfect for the brew. Light woody gin character certainly playing a big role. Light malt flavors, only slightly sweet which balances the whole array of flavors. Something about it makes me not want to put the glass down.. but forever keep it flowing across the palate. Light bitter herbal hops.

Mouth Feel: (4.0)
- A rather light to medium body, and very perfectly carbonated. The gin and hop character really makes for a very dry beer. Must be why I want to keep drinking it. Very clean.

Overall: (4.5)
- This beer is super good. The gin-barrel quality really highlights a very zesty, citrus wit. All around this beer spells win. It's super dry which I like. Only thing i would say is a slight downside is a slight soapy touch to the smell and taste. But it really is just the affect of the lacto and gin I believe. A great summer drinker as well. Super good stuff.