Shrouded Summit Witbier
Ghostfish Brewing Co.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DATE: January 2, 2021... OCCASION: wrapping up a Saturday with Saul Goodman and a new gluten-free offering... GLASSWARE: Liberty Craft House bulbous pint... a three-fingered fuzzy, foamy, sudsy white head holds well atop a sallow yellow body busy with effervescent life... huge lemon, coriander, sharp juniper (a nice touch), and light cracker malts... its aroma is winning, a summer breeze in its own right... this sips with a buzz at the teeth, refreshing through its mouthfeel, and pleasant in its finish... the coriander and juniper make this light and easy, but not much else commends itself to the experience--which is the way most wits go... a bit light and thin overall... this is another quality Ghostfish gluten-free product--keep stocking this brewery, Bottle King!

L: Pours a cloudy dull pale yellow with a small white head that dissipates rather quickly and leaves no lacing.

S: Fresh wheat, a hint of lemon, coriander and pepper. However, the Belgian yeast strain seems very light in this one, not a very strong aroma.

T: Fresh wheat, light lemon, coriander and pepper, a light herbal bitterness. The Belgian yeast strain seems very light in this beer. Overall, not a strong taste.

F: Seems a little watery, smooth and easy drinking.

O: There are much better Witbiers out there than this, the yeast is very muted in this beer.

This beer is gluten free. I have never had one before so I don't have context to similar beers in terms of taste, etc.
It tastes more like a light beer than other Belgium White ale. Flavor is not bad, just not remarkable. Color is good though a little on light side. All in all, not bad, not great.

A medium-strong pour from a 12-oz. can (2/5/19) into a 16-oz. mug yields a finger of fizzy and foamy white head with short retention and sliding blotched of lacing. Clear light pale straw color, some dissolved sediment clouds the beer. Strong smell of imitation orange, rising bread dough, apple cider, lemon and faint herbal hops. The taste is neutral on sweetness with low bitterness. Millet, buckwheat and rice do an "OK" job of replacing barley and wheat leaving a grainy, bird seed taste.
Medium light body, average carbonation. Alcohol is disguised as a peppery aftertaste.
Refreshing and spirited, would do better in a gluten-free category. The wheat is missed.

It tastes like an unimpressive wit, which considering its gluten-free and contains no wheat is kind of impressive.

i was about ready to rip this one apart for being boring, odd, and mediocre, but then i found out it was gluten free, and now i kind of like it more, its cool that they are endeavoring to make craft beer in styles like this that have no gluten at all in them, this is done without wheat or barley entirely, and i have to respect that. so while this definitely wouldnt stand up to the best examples of the style, its certainly an awesome option for those who have to or prefer to be gluten free. its hard, because i dont usually drink this sort of thing, it must use millet or buckwheat or rice or some combination of those, it definitely lacks any real wheat character, which i guess is to be expected, i miss it more in feel than in flavor, this is watery. however, the belgian yeast aspect and the coriander and the citrus all seem to be there, which is kind of rad, even though its a little sloppy, it has to be hard to even get close without the fundamental element, and they do get close. simple things would make this better, more bubbles and more carbonation and a cooler ferment, but i respect this for trying to do something nobody else has done for the gluten free folk..

edit: many many years later revisiting this it seems like they almost read and responded in the brewhouse to my review. i could not believe how much more fleshed out the texture seemed, how positively effervescent it was, and enormous bubble size too, in suspension the whole drink, and holds a tall white belgian looking head, absolutely wonderful feel now, and dry and bright, crisp even for the style. the yeast is mellow but makes sense for a wit type, like they cooled it down, and its not watery, phenolic, or lacking in any way at all. its cool it has juniper berries in it, they are subtle but i dont think i knew that last time, the citrus is bright and real, the coriander is complimentary without being overdosed, notes of white pepper and tea, and here in summer 2024 i am really liking what this has become. no doubt radically improved from when i first had and reviewed it. bumping up scores a lot, still lower than this recent experience to remember the old lackluster example, but wow, this really is delicious now! if, like me, you wrote this off half a decade ago, give it another shake, i was really pleased! props for the improvements! makes me want to try other ghostfish beers!

Can. A gluten free beer. Nothing truly upsetting in any element here. Just pretty bland but it dips it's toe in the right pool in terms of aroma and flavor.