Halo
Widmer Brothers Brewing Company

 

This is pretty good! Pours with a small to medium sized, off white head and some lace. Color is a clear medium amber. Aroma is a mild blend of hop, caramel, malt, plus a hint of spice. Flavor is like nose but the flavors are much more intense, plus a little gaminess. Body is good and a bit chewy, with good carbonation. Finish is like flavor and of medium length.

I enjoyed a slim and tall pint from the tap and Uncle Sams in Kennewick, Washington.

A: It poured a ice tea colored body that had hints of orange. There was a slight head of under a finger tall. The head receded fast and left a sparse lacing.

S: It emitted a ton of hops that overwhelmed other aromas until it sat for a bit then some sweet malts emerged.

T: It is hoppy from the front to the back. The floral and citrusy hops hit first followed by the bitter hops. There was a creamy and semi-sweet malt base.

The malt I got from the nose though turned into a grainy annoyance on the tongue. I expect a big, chewy, sugary malt base with my ADIPAs and this one just didn't have the support.

M: It was light bodied with a lingering bitterness that lasted well into the aftertaste and morphed into a sourness that was not terribly enjoyable..

D: It was a tad one dimensional...like many Double IPAs. I hoped for better balance. It was worth the experience but I'll not search this one out again.

Appearance – This one is a clear, bright orange in color with a modest head that left a nice film on top of the liquid.

Smell – The big PacNorthWesty pine and orange are here in spades. There is a nice, sugared malt backbone to the aroma as well. This one just smells sticky on the teeth.

Taste – I like the hop profile here. The pine is big but doesn’t trump the other hops, and the orange flavor isn’t that pukish rotten tangerine you get with some pretenders of the style. No, this is a wonderful, juicy sweet orange flavor that seems perfectly balanced with the resin.

The malt I got from the nose though turned into a grainy annoyance on the tongue. I expect a big, chewy, sugary malt base with my ADIPAs and this one just didn’t have the support.

Mouthfeel – This was disappointingly lighter than medium-bodied and lacked a big bitter bite.

Drinkability – This went down well enough and wasn’t a bad beer at all, especially considering Widmer’s atrocious line-up.

Comments – I’ll eat my shorts if this tests out at 8.5%. It seems more like a hoppy IPA than a double.

This was one of my favorites from the recent Oregon Brewer's Festival. Brewed in small batches & a seasonal, so it's hard to find. I wrote to Widmer to find out where it's available; the asst. brewmaster stated they have no plans for releasing this one in kegs or bottles and will reserve it only for festivals and for the Gasthaus at N. Portland headquarters.
The color was a deep copper and the aroma was fairly hoppy and zesty. Taste of hops, but not overpowering; complex and seemed to linger on the tongue a while. A surprisingly crisp finish. I don't know exactly the IBU's but I seem to recall in the 60-70 range; ABV was 8.5%.
If in Portland, you may be lucky enough to find this on tap at Widmer. If it is, order one (or more...)!

On tap at the Gasthaus, delivered swiftly in a 10 oz. glass showing a regal copper body, slim white cap, and mild carbonation.

The aroma is unique and amazing. Its a very pulpy orange citrus hop aroma that really kicks your senses.

The taste is also stellar. The same deep, pulpy citrus and sweet bitterness combines with a robust malt body for a divine beer. Overall its much less bitter than most big IPAs, but the bitterness is very refined, to near perfection.

Its very drinkable, though I wouldn't want to spoil the experience by drinking too much. Oh - and it goes well with ribs.