Blood Orange Wit
Cloud 9 Brewery

they are calling this one blood orange spring ale now at the brewery, i am assuming its the same beer as is listed here, as its a wit type as a base. i cant make sense of the poor ratings here, and can only figure that they have someone new in the brew house since this has been reviewed, or that they learned a lesson or two and reworked the recipe, because both my buddy and i were blown away by this, really it was the standout in a great session here, and i think this deserves some attention as a near perfect summer beer, light on the fruit, distinctive on the fermentation side, and so clean, dry, and balanced. its awesome, and it must have improved over time, nobody would rate this so poorly as exists below here. the orange is really natural, contributes a bitter oil essence maybe from the peel, and the sweetness is fermented out. i also get cool nuance of lemongrass and even vanilla in here, maybe a little white wine too, a combination of the esters of the yeast and the fruit reacting well together. its smooth in feel, fluffy wheaty, with some earthiness, minerals, and almost creamy texture, the whole thing drinks like a cloud. maybe a touch of fruity sweetness as it warms, a light belgian familiarity, and high carbonation. it all makes this very refreshing and drinkable, especially in nice weather, almost a creamsicle vibe to this without being sugary. very well made, surprisingly flavorful with an interesting climax of flavor somewhat earlier in the beer than we usually see in the style, i could drink a dozen of these on a hot day in here. perhaps my favorite of their beers yet!

Draft at Cloud 9. Very light bodied, too light bodied. Not enough of anything to salvage this. Flavor practically nonexistent, cloudy yellow body. Even the citrus is scant and hard to find. Disappointed.

Hazy light orange with a foamy white head... Grainy pale malt .. Light citrus.. No yeasty presence... Barely comes across as a witbier. Just because orange zest is used doesn't make it a wit.

4/3/2.75/3/2.75