Common Wit
Lake St. George Brewing

Pours a very pale golden color and cloudy haze. It is actually pretty hazy, to the point of being opaque. Not much of a head and what there was fell fast despite an aggressive pour.

Smell...wow...strong spiciness, coriander and I find some clove notes as well. And bright citrusy orange emerges buoyed by the bready, bright wheat. Nice stuff here, possibly a touch strong. Compared to Allagash White, this is much stronger.

The taste follows the formula for the style, but this is quite a bit more flavorful than others I have consumed. The wheat is the anchor here and everything else complements that baseline flavor. No doubt this a Belgian influenced beer and it shows...eventually. Whereas the spice came on strong in the smell, it is more restrained in the taste. If the spice isn't supposed to be "over the top" in a witbier, this one stops about a micron short of being too intense for the style purists. There is no doubt what you are tasting. Coriander and I still get clove, orange peel, a little sweetness and a little wheat tang as the beer warms up. On the aftertaste, peppery phenolics and a lingering orange that are quite pleasant. Zero bitterness.

Light bodied, moderately carbonated, a bit dry on the finish. What I like is that it isn't watery feeling like some examples of the style.

I dig this one a lot. Much more flavorful than most I have tried and very well-balanced. Springdale's Pearly Wit is smoother, but much less flavorful, and I'd have to say the same for Allagash White.

So...is a flavorful witbier an oxymoron that warrants points off for not adhering strictly to style? Nay, says me. This is a very good beer brewed by a Maine brewing legend. Pushing the envelope? Maybe. Personally, it seems to me that maybe this is what the style should be - balanced and well flavored. Who says a wit can't be a bit bold and that you should be "guessing" at what hints of flavor are present? Kudos and well done, Mr. McGovern...this is an excellent beer.