Twist of Wit
Une Année

Pours a very pale, slightly yellow with little to no head. Aroma is malt and citrus. Taste is thin, bitter and at the end of the tongue is where a small amount of coriander hits. The whole is underwhelming and somewhat of a mess. A good vibe of wheat does present itself, though even that is underwhelming.

 

Taster:
An interesting beer that I was somewhat glad to see had the added ingredients. Nose has some wheat, but mostly floral lemons, sadly leading to a Pledge vibe. It’s missing a strong dose of chemicals, though, so could be a wide deviation on how others find this aspect.

Feel is nicely soft and smooth for a fairly pretty light beer. The taste parallels the nose in that the wheat beer is noted, but the citrus, and spice here, stand up. Unlike the nose, though, they are refreshing. That said, absent the smoother feel, the fruit notes give this a sort of saison impression to me. I think it’d be a nice beer to have around in the summer.

16 oz can into a Spiegelau wheat glass.
L: SRM 4 Pours hazy orange with light edges, dense fine carbo bubbles, a colossal 4" soapy head that keeps creeping back, took 5 pours to empty the can, massively large lacing, soapy with big bubbles, recedes to a complex skin, a few sediment chunks at the bottom of the glass.
S: Very floral, caramelized malts, fruity, green apple.
T: Lightly sweet pear, white grape, gently sharp citrus, a light coriander note, gently earthy, lemon zest, orange & orange flower, a touch of grains in the finish along with spice. There is a suggestion of black pepper crackery bread.
F: Zippy, almost punchy medium bodied semi-juicy feel with a fast dry finish. It has superb feel retention and is slightly effervescent.
O: This beer is like an offspring of NEIPA & Belgian Ale. A powerfully floral aroma and a floral palate. Fantastic tastes and feel. Requires a careful pour. It is outstanding in its style.

Poured into a weizen glass. Pours a hazy, light gold-yellow with a massive head that I had to scoop out at first to get a half glass of wit. This fine, white head was persistent and left thick solid lacing. Aroma of wheat malt, lemon, coriander and a hint of orange; somewhat subdued because of dense head. Flavor is slightly grainy wheat malt, lemon, coriander, ginger, and mild orange. Spicy and lightly tart finish. Medium bodied with sharp carbonation. The malt base is mostly classic witbier wheat, but this is quite citrusy and spicy, as the can suggests. Lots of lemon at first, but the orange and coriander develop with time. I got a distinct ginger note, but it may just be the interaction of the citrus zest and the coriander; it fit in well. I liked this very citrus take on the witbier style. It's not traditional, but it is refreshing and bright. Nicely done. The carbonation is a bit active, though. I'd suggest opening the can for a while before pouring.

 

 

 

Appearance: Pours a mostly hazy (30% clarity) medium orange to golden color with a strong and bright white head. SRM of 7. (4.00)

Aroma: Mild aromas of orange citrus, coriander, and slight Belgian spices. Some wheat and yeast underneath. (3.75)

Flavor: Moderate flavors of orange citrus, Belgian spices, some floral notes and yeast, before a smooth wheat finish. (4.00)

Feel: Medium to light bodied. Strong carbonation presence. A yeasty, and clean, but also smooth finish from the wheat. (3.75)

Compared to BlackStack Working Title 6/1/22: Pours darker, Milder aromas. More smooth citrus and wheat. Less tart citrus and wild yeast. Lighter and cleaner.

Overall: I found this a pretty decent representation of a Belgian Witbier. Nice citrus notes, subtle Belgian spices and floral notes. A wheat body. Pours nicely, aromas are alright, flavor is good, the body is slightly lighter and flat. Overall, I'd give this one a good rating for a Belgian Wit. Une Anne does some great stuff and this does not disappoint. (Rating: 3.97+?)

 

 

 

Twist of Wit is a bit of a disappointment.
Of the 11 I've had from Une Annee, 6 have been in the Belgian tradition (that is, no Wilds.) And all six of the traditional Belgian styles I rated above the average. So, I conclude that I expect good things from Une Annee'. And while Twist of Wit is not good; it is interesting.

Twist starts poorly with Looks that are murky and devoid of foam. I recognize Wild brewers have trouble making foam that lasts. But, this is a wit and wheat makes good foam with the right yeast. Smells are interesting: a medley of citrus with traditional wit spicing in the back of the nose. Tastes are about the same flavors and is refreshing and balanced and even mild. In the mouth, I get bubbles (like in soda pop) but not fullness (like in wheaty wits.)

I like Une Annee', but they let themselves down on this Twist. Probably decent at the summer table, Twist I should try at that time. But, this wit needs an active yeast.

5/28/22 Over 13 months later, I probably bought another copy of the same release. I've edited some harshness out of the review and improved the rating a bit. As I repeat, I like Une Annee and want to encourage them in the Belgian tradition; but they need to work on their yeasts. Counting @ UnTappd.