Review: Witte Comeback

Two summers ago I was really loving the 3726 Farmhouse Ale PC WYeast strain, and I used to to make a Witbier which I soured 1 gallon of and then blended back into the full batch at bottling.  The result was a mildly tart Wit with too much Chamomile.  After nearly 21 month I expected something more "Wild", but the results are still enjoyable. 

Look:

Pours a semi hazy pale gold with a huge moussey pure white head that stays thick for the whole glass leaving thick sticky lace all the way through.  Lots of bubbles.

Aroma:

Smells of Chamomile flowers and light Brett funk.  Wheat and coriander follow with citrus and and a mild tartness.  Fruity, hint of strawberry.  The Brett character is actually fairly low for as old as this beer is.

Flavor:

Light wheat character, mild lactic tartness, hint of cardboard, citrus, mild Brett fruitiness, strawberry.  Chamomile.  Not a whole lot left from the spices.  Citrus rind when I burped.

Mouthfeel:

Tart and dry, spritzy on the tongue.  The finish is still silky from the Oats.  Mild bitterness to balance.

Overall:

Can't believe after 17 months and Brett the Chamomile is still so evident.  The mild tartness and Brett character is great addition of complexity to the overall beer, though the citrus and coriander is nearly non-existent.  Fun experiment, definitely worth doing again.

REVIEW: Hazy Dayz (Session White IPA)

White IPA, blending a Witbier with its coriander and orange peel, tart, fruity, refreshing, with a bold, hoppy IPA.  When it is made right it is a thing of beauty.  The key is to use the hops to accentuate the fruit already present in the Wit.  Citrusy hops work well.  For mine I used Cascade for grapefruit, and Meridian for Meyer Lemon.  The hops didn't really pop like I had hoped for, but it does make for a great Witbier.  Too bad it is Fall now and light, refreshing, citrusy, low ABV, just isn't cutting it on these dark, cold, wet nights.

Look: Pours a super hazy golden rod.  Looks like a milkshake with a massive, thick, billowing pure white head.  Head retains forever, drops to a thick cap, and leaves tons of lace all the way down.

Aroma: Smells of citrus fruits, orange zest, lemons, grapefruits, spicy, pepper, coriander, floral hops.  Lots of fruit, citrus, in the the nose.  It explodes.  Can't really tell where the hops are in the mix.

Flavor: Tastes like bread, doughy, lots of citrus again, mainly orange, light sweetness, spicy, white pepper, floral hop notes.

Mouthfeel: Light and crisp on the tongue, spritzy carbonation, light tartness.  Finish has an apparent, but soft bitterness that persists, very nice and balancing toward ISA.

Overall:  Solid Witbier, White ISA, not so much.  The hops dropped off quick, even after dry hopping the citrus and spice was prominent.  Hop flavor is low and the aroma is hard to get through all the fruit and spice.  The PC Fantome strain did really well in this beer.  Nice doughy malt, floral, subtle spiciness from the yeast, fruity.  May have to do this one again next year for a summer wit.