11 July 2008

A Witty Tasting


I will never again shortchange the "wait 3 weeks before trying your homebrew" rule. I never cease to be amazed how such amazing transformations can take place in the span of just a few days.

I broke out one of the Wittes yesterday evening with dinner, but didn't feel like reviewing. I'm glad I did wait, because even in the space of 18 hours, it has improved even more. The early-sample off-putting nose has vanished, and the resulting brew is well-nuanced and quite tasty.

Here's the breakdown:

Appearance: Very cloudy, with thin white lacing. It looks somewhat like liquid peach in the glass. The photos keep coming out with a redder hue than it actually is -- a nice shade of orange tan. 3.5

Aroma: A fruity bouquet! I promise that no fruit flavorings were added past the organic peel (3/4 oz, added in the last 10 minutes of the boil). Banana, pomegranate, lemon, orange, peach, apple, strawberry -- they all make a cameo. Also, notes of honey, with a tinge of sweet-and-sour. 4.0

Taste: Not as strong as the nose, but let it breathe for a couple of minutes and it opens up very nicely. Refreshing for sure. The coriander (I used 2 teaspoons, added with the orange peel) comes right on through. There's a citrus edge, some floral action, and a nice mild and gentle hop finish. This is one well-balanced package. 3.7

Palate: Just a tiny bit syrupy on the way down; past that it's mostly great and definitely thirst-quenching. 3.0

Overall: I'm damn proud of this one and impressed with myself. In retrospect, I probably could have boosted that coriander on up to a Tablespoon, and next time I'll get a bit more creative with the spices (cardamom? chamomile? definitely.) I'm imagining all sorts of food pairings, not the least of which being some sweet-and-sour bird action (duck, anyone?), seafood (lemon-butter lobster or crayfish), and even fruit dessert (warm apple pie or peach custard with some vanilla ice cream). 3.7

Overall Score (out of 5): 3.8

2 comments:

AAK said...

I wonder whether it's legal for this stuff to cross state lines?

Mark aka "Perm" said...

Well, my understanding is that folks will occasionally send "yeast samples" or "bottle collectibles" through the mail.