Partner Ships: Rye Wit
Heavy Seas Beer

 

 

 

Pours a murky pale amber with swirling particulates producing 1.5 fingers of short-lived beige head that leaves a thin wash of soapy lace as it dissipates. Aroma is wheat, fruity with apricot/peach/apple. There is clove & dough backed by hints of coriander, banana, wet hay mustiness & spice. Taste is bready wheat, apricot, candy apple, clove, earthy barnyard, a little wood, faint coriander & subdued rye spice. The rye is there but I have to hunt for it. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with moderate-high carbonation, wet but prickly. Being a fan of rye beers and both Heavy Seas & Terrapin I must admit to being a little disappointed. Certainly a fruity witbier with obvious character from the barrel aging it is extremely weak on rye character. So much so I wonder if something went amiss with the bottle I sampled.

 

 

Pours a big foamy head of nearly three fingers, bright white and evenly surfaced, leaves a steady surface coating behind, the lacing in turn is noticeably thick, forms a broad sheet before eventually breaking up into streaks. Coppery gold colored liquid, more yellowish at the edges, very active swirl of bubbles throughout, no beads. The rye spiciness is not that evident in the nose, creamily textured with orange creamsicle notes, rose water, apricot, peach to white grape fruit, light clove accent, a little densely woven to reveal broader nuance. Medium-bodied, the carbonation has a thickish churn to it which feels like it leans into you as much as scrubs. Much more rye bite here, peppery and the clove displays greater staying power. The sour vinous quality persists throughout. More dead yeast cells than breadiness. The orange to lemon citrus spreads out through the finish. Pear, apple here as much as apricot. While it is enjoyable enough it can easily be filed under “beers that try to do too much.” Happy to have tried it but would not seek out again.

L: Pours hazy, gold with light orange hue, average to good white head with good retention.
S: Average wit aroma - clove and esters, not much complexity.
T: Follows the aroma. Much closer to the style than I expected, given the other factors in this beer.
F: Light and crisp, perhaps a slight rye slickness
O: Disappointed, not because it is a bad witbier, but because the label sounded far more promising.

 

 

 

L: Cloudy, golden beer. Not much head.
S: Grainy with some spicy rye, some hints of banana and citrus. Smells rather like a saison, which is a good thing.
T: The chardonnay is evident straight up front. More of the clove/banana flavor. Finish is dry, with a nice hit of rye and floral bitterness.
F: Medium body, fairly effervescent.
O: A good beer. Reminiscent of a saison in many ways, with the grassiness or the funk. Certainly nothing to write home about, just a fun play on a wit beer.

 

22 oz bottle, poured in a stemmed, tulip style glass. Nice hazy, golden color. Spiciness from the rye and solid witbier. A bit of earthiness on this one as well, but definitely get the expected yeastiness.

L - Golden and cloudy, 2 fingers of head and ALOT of sticky lace all over the top of the brew and all over the glass

S - Wheat, rye, sugar, grapes

T -Alot like the smell, grapes, wheat, slightly spicy - no doubt from the rye. Coriander, and citrus flavors

F - Thin body, well carbonated

O - A very tasty spicy wit with notes of grapes and coriander. Well done