Namaste - Dogfish Head Brewery

cbarrett4

Oregon

3.95/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured from bottle into tulip glass. From the brand new batch that dropped at my neighborhood Whole Foods so 2011 I assume.

Pours with one of the most gorgeous orange/golden hues imaginable. Super hazy with a generous foamy white head that just won't go away. Superb lace. This is what Witbier should ALWAYS look like!

Sadly the nose is rather simple but inviting with orange zest, lemongrass, white pepper, and biscuity yeast.

On the palate the flavors mingle into a marvelous dance. Despite the fact that tart lemon(grass) dominates, the coriander really shows up on the palate with pepper and a orange blossom note. A slight candied note too.

This is really light but has good grip and intensity. Sadly the tart fruit seems to whisk the finish away leaving one of the shortest finishes in memory. Which is sad because I want to taste this for hours! Just means you have to sip faster!

Overall a stunning beer that sadly falls short on the finish (it's kind of like a really hot/smart girl that sadly hasn't read a single book - you know... oh you're so pretty, oh you're so smart, oh... you don't read... awww.... I knew it was too good to be true....). But this is seriously one gorgeous looking beer!

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2011 21:20:03 | More by cbarrett4

akorsak

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A 750 mL bottle.

A: The witbier is a light straw color, hazy as a witbier gets. The lighter colors support an equally white head that leaves a few islands of lace behind.

S: The nose has plenty of coriander driving a full aroma. Mild wheat hands a tart profile to the ale. The coriander though stands out with a fresh cut peppery aroma.

T: The coriander stands out in the taste as well, an herbal flavor that adds pepper and grasses to the body. Oranges are soft and the wheat that accompanies both has a pleasant undercurrent of tartness. The coriander lingers throughout, a spiciness that is welcome at nearly every turn.

M: The mouthfeel is spice-driven, so much so that the witbier base doesn't get as much airtime as it should. The wheat is present though, enough tartness to keep me interested.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2011 02:00:35 | More by akorsak

Yagman3000

New York

4.33/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 750 into a DFH goblet during a tasting with fellow BA CosmicEvan.

Appears a dark buttery yellow with a light fluffy foamy head (possibly due to my pour). Apparently there's some carbonation at play here based on the head. Not too hazy in my opinion.

Smells really nice - a belgian wit on steroids. The citrus notes are fantastic: orange, lemon and coriander come through.

Tastes of classic DFH: spiced to the nth degree with a ton of citrus. A great pepper emerges as well with a touch of spicy birch beer.

Very effervescent with a creamy opening feeding into a fizz fest. I do like the aforementioned flavor I'm left with though.

Overall I enjoyed this beer a bunch - DFH is my favorite brewer. At the same time, If I was looking for a super-citrusy beer from them, I'd probably locate a Hellhound and get lemon-crazy.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2011 01:44:56 | More by Yagman3000

cosmicevan

New York

3.63/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle generously shared by yagman.

A - huge pour left a thick head of white foaminess. Classic wit. Beautiful murky golden color. Thick strong lacing. Pretty true to what I expect of the style. Head hangs around. Visible steady bubbling.

S - really strong orange. Strong lemon as well almost lemondrop candy. Quite enjoyable. Not too sweet.

T - orange peel and corriander. Touch of the pilsner in the flavor which is a bit weird, or should I say off centered? Tang,flavored beer?

M - mouth grabs me first. Very thin and watery. Reminiscent of cheap beer when.i had my first taste as a wee one. However...Super easy to drink. Almost like a wit flavored vitamin water.

O - overall, I enjoyed this beer. Great for the summer wheather, lighter, easier to drink. Somewhat pilsner meets wit. Yagman called it a good crossover beer for a fan of macro wits and,that pretty much hits it on the head.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2011 01:44:36 | More by cosmicevan

Cyberkedi

Georgia

3.88/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Yeasty aroma has fruity, spicy and malty hints. It pours a slightly hazy solar yellow with a minimal white head that still leaves some good lacing. Malty and wheaty flavor has a firm yeasty undertone and floral and fruity hints, and is very refreshing. Smooth texture has fairly firm body and a rather strong fizz, leaving behind a persistent tingle.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2011 01:41:44 | More by Cyberkedi

JRed

New Jersey

3.98/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bright golden hue with long lasting white frothy head. Aroma of wheat, coriander, and orange peels. Tastes of citrus, orange peel, coriander, lemon zest, fresh hop bitterness finishes the drink with some light ginger flavor. High carbonation and spritzy. Refreshing, sessionable, tasty.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2011 21:07:17 | More by JRed

EricMichael

North Carolina

4.05/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Namaste
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Milton, Delaware, United States
Style: Witbier
ABV: 5.00 %

appearance - Probably the most white witbier I've seen in a long time. Part of the white comes from a whole mess of white yeast floating in it. I have never such so much floating yeast - almost chunky. Decent head after pour that quickly dwindles. Very light lacing.

smell - More lemon than orange and a light hint of corriander

taste & mouthfeel - Feels very heavy with a yeast bite with lemon corriander flavor. More heavy on feel than flavor.

overall - Looks great even from a distance and taste that delivers. Not top-tier, but great for a summer day!

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2011 20:47:07 | More by EricMichael

TenHornsProud

Colorado

3.98/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a light yellow with a nice, light white head that quickly fades and laces a bit.

Smells of lemon...almost like lemonade and some small spice. It is quite aromatic.

Tastes of grain that flows into a big lemon middle and ends with peppery spice. There isn't much to speak of in terms of malt or hops. The yeast comes through a bit, but only to set the wit flavor upon which the spices are built.

Higher carbonation and lighter body make this one refreshing to drink.

This is a good beer that is all about the added spices. It has a wit base that almost goes into saison territory but ends up firmly planted in its lemon, citrus flavors. Refreshing and lighter, good for the summer.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2011 22:15:24 | More by TenHornsProud

warnerry

Michigan

4/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Pours a slightly hazy pale golden with three fingers of white head. Head dissipates rather quickly and leaves a bit of lacing behind.

S - Coriander is very prevalent in the nose, along with grain and yeast. Also some pepper and gain amounts of citrus. Very aromatic. Definitely draws you in.

T - Pepper and coriander up front with quick a bit of yeast. More grain taste in the middle with citrus and lemongrass. Finishes dry wit citrus zest and pepper.

M - Light crisp mouthfeel with a dry finish.

O - Overall a good witbier. Not something I would want everyday. A little thin in mouthfeel. I did enjoy the dry, spicy character.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2011 00:35:20 | More by warnerry

Metalmonk

North Carolina

3.8/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I'll buy and try anything Dogfish Head brews. Anything.

Pours a slightly hazed pale yellow...very washed out looking, which does, admittedly, get us as close to white (wit) as beer gets. The head is quite small, pouring thin, even when poured hard, but certainly maintaining itself for a good couple minutes before dying.

Wow, immensely fragrant, this Namaste, with a healthy wheat vs. yeast battle taking place, both ultimately joining to offer a tart, earthy, grassy, lemony explosion of aroma...of course, the lemongrass, coriander and dried orange slices are contributing too.

The flavor is good, certainly offering equal spotlight to the spice/fruit additions, while the wheat is clean and bright, the yeast offering a bitty taste of soil...the hops? Pretty mellow, if even detectable...it's really the lemongrass that does what hops might normally do here. Overall a bright, grassy, slightly tart, and bready taste. With just a little warming, it all coalesces into a nice, bold herbal flavor. Ample carbonation, lots of spritz, light bodied, all fitting for a witbier.

Tasty. A more than worthy witbier if you love this style, but I get sort of bored with the wit these days, so I can just admire from a distance really. It's not like I need Dogfish Head to throw tar and pickle juice into a beer to make me take notice...not at all. Although, hmm, I wonder what a Pickled Pils might taste like? I'll have to get Sam's #...

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2011 21:06:28 | More by Metalmonk

tdm168

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a bright yellow golden color with a mountain of head and great retention. Yeast and coriander are most noticeable in the nose. Taste is lemony with a hint of orange peel and coriander. There's also some yeast present. The flavors blend very well to create a well balanced beer. Mouthfeel is light, crisp, and smooth; very drinkable.

This is a very drinkable beer, and at a low ABV, a great beer for those hot days.

Note: Though this beer is great for the style and is very drinkable, it does break away from the "off centered ale" strategy that Dogfish works toward. This one is very much more standard than their other offerings.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2011 22:42:40 | More by tdm168

elton044

Florida

3.85/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Namaste. "The divinity in me bows to the divinity in you," and others' based on literal translations of the Sanskrit root.

While I would not classify this creation as 'divine' per se, I would most certainly classify it as worth one's time and hard-earned money.

Lately, I've found myself on a quest to both try new brews and experience them in a more culinary context. That being said, after first sampling this creation, I immediately paired it with a fat, juicy burger topped with a sharp pepper jack cheese, thickly-sliced tomato' equally thickly-sliced bacon, a smattering of lettuce and just enough jalapenos to make things interesting. After whipping up the meal, I subsequently headed out to my favorite chair on the back porch. This brew, my friends, created an experience.

From my 750 mL. bottle, this brew poured forth in a hazy, golden-blonde hue. It effervesced in just the right ways to create a thin, yet frothy, pearl-white veil in my tall pilsner glass. I found it to have multi-layered scent tones; hints of light wheat yielding to a cacophony of citrus tones led by orange and then quickly followed by lemongrass. I was quite pleased to observe some sedimentation in this brew that lazily settled to the bottom of my glass.

Each sip sent a pleasant bite of spicy across my palate, which dissipated somewhat quickly. Wheat and yeast notes orchestrated the breadth of the flavor experience and were then eased aside to make way for the tingly citrus character that led to a clean, crisp and satisfyingly dry finish. The comparatively sharp bites of pepper jack cheese and jalapenos, along with the saltiness of the bacon, all part of my chosen meal, proved to be a perfect antithesis in this regard.

Although not an absolute top-level witbier, this brew most certainly asserts itself as the embodiment of summer in my opinion. Thoroughly enjoying a burger on my back porch with a tall, cool glass of Namaste crafted a lazy August summer evening that I will surely be repeating before long.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2011 23:24:56 | More by elton044

OakedCanuck

Washington

3.15/5  rDev -18%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

750 ml bottle into cervoise. From notes

A - Pours a hazy golden yellow with nice fluffy white head. Decent lacing

S - Lots of citric orange and lemon. Wheaty yeast, and floral accents

T - Heavy on the wheat. I do pick up the lemongrass, lemon rind and tart lime. The coriander and other spices (pepper mainly) are noticeable but are more in the background.

M - Thin and very dry.

O - The graininess of the wheat I thought outshined the fruitiness of the lemons and oranges. A good, average witbier that I thought could afford a bit better balance.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2011 17:57:39 | More by OakedCanuck

WesWes

New York

4.35/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The beer pours a hazy gold color with a thick frothy white head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is good. It has a light, pale and wheat malt scent along with a mild coriander/orange peel spicing. The taste is good as well. It has a nice and refreshing pale and wheat malt flavor. It goes down easy with hints of coriander and lemongrass along with a faint bitter orange peel finish. The profile is dead on. The mouthfeel is fine. It is a low bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is a tasty beer with excellent witbier character; a wonderful example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2011 19:39:51 | More by WesWes

Boto

Connecticut

3.98/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml bomber: This one pours a hazy straw-golden color. There was a bit of a white head on it that doesn’t linger long. Also, there were some "floaties" in the beer. There is a nice nose to it. Definitely coriander and yeast to the nose. Some wheat in there also, as well as some floral notes. The taste is good also. Wheat, coriander, and a slight dryness to the beer. Citrusy flavors also. Good, but a bit pricey for the style.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2011 19:23:58 | More by Boto

mikesgroove

South Carolina

3.95/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

very bright golden amber with a smallish maybe one finger high head of white fizzy lace that formed on top. Very hazy and cloudy with lots of sediment floating around and eventually settling down to the bottom of the glass. Decent retention left behind just a touch of lace across the top and no side glass lace what so ever.

very light and bright with lots of yeast and wheat like aromas. There were some light hints of fruit and a touch of grassy and grainy qualities in it as well. There was light grape and a touch of lemon in it as well. A earthy grassy quality as it warmed up.
light yeast flavor. Nice hints of peach and grss mixed in but both were very light and did not really contribute all that much to the overall approach. The finish was very dry and had an almost light wine like taste to it, very long and drawn out it was really very nice and a classic witbier.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2011 16:06:27 | More by mikesgroove

babaracas

Florida

4.22/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy gold color with two fingers of fluffy white foam. Big swaths of lace left on the glass. Smell: yeasty with some punchy sweet citrus, floral, with wheat and coriander notes. Taste: sugary pale, wheat cracker, tangy, coriander, a little clove-like spiciness, a fleshier orange like navel, lemon peel note. Medium bodied, creamy, dry spiciness midsip but juicy finish. Really nice. July 2011 release.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2011 23:51:19 | More by babaracas

Phelps

Arizona

3.75/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed in a shaker pint at Flanny's.

Slightly hazed lemonade-yellow. One finger of off-white foam becomes a thick top layer after a minute. Sticky walls of lace.

Bright, pithy aroma. Lots of lemon peel and coriander with some crackers. Nicely floral, with roses and lavender. Maybe even some lilac?

Lemon again in the flavor, blended with tons of coriander. The clean cracker finish is nicely drying. Flash of floral and dried citrus before swallow.

Light, massaging carbonation and a soft fizziness. Light on the palate, as it should be.

Namaste might be the best American-made wit. It’s more citrusy than your average wit, adding to its refreshment and complexity.

Serving type: on-tap

08-06-2011 06:33:50 | More by Phelps

Gueuzedude

Arizona

3.43/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Sampled March 2011
This beer arrives from the tap with a one finger thick, pale, white head (that even leaves some nice lacing on the sides of my glass) that sits on top of a lightly hazed, pale straw-gold colored beer. The aroma smells of watered down orange juice, musty malt, bright slightly earthy coriander (that largely escapes the more herbaceous / earthy notes that coriander can sometimes have). There is quite a bit of pale malt character that contributes an earthy grain and clean cracker like malt character. As my nose gets used to it, I am noticing a fair amount of clove-like phenolics in the finish.

Dry tasting up front, though there is a hint of malt sweetness in the middle and the finish is very dry with some accentuating notes from a carbonic bite, dry citrus zest, pale grain cracker notes and a touch of hop bitterness. Also lingering in the finish is a supporting, slightly grassy, earthy coriander spiciness as well as a touch of fermentation phenolics that provides touches of clove. The coriander all of a sudden got quite distinct with a lemon like character that it can often have; this plays a huge role in the flavor profile in the end, as it warms up even more it becomes even more like coriander taking on that sort of grassy note that coriander has. This is nicely light bodied and refreshing, and it has just enough body to not be watery or overly light.

A pretty nice example of a Wit, the coriander character is actually pretty aggressive, but somehow I am enjoying its presence in this beer.

Serving type: on-tap

08-03-2011 22:44:36 | More by Gueuzedude

lordofthewiens

Maine

4/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer was a hazy yellow color with a small white head. Very pretty carbonation.

It had a very fresh, outdoorsy aroma. Some citrus, mainly lemon. A bit of spice.

Sweet taste, bready. Lemon and a bit of orange.
Definite coriander.

This beer was light-bodied and refreshing. Perfect for a warm summer day.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2011 19:34:28 | More by lordofthewiens

BrewCrew2010

New York

3.63/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

A: A cloudy light golden body with a nice size white fluffy head. Good amount of lacing.

S: A nice fragrant nose of coriander, yeast, lemon zest, spices, loads of wheat, and a hint of lemon grass and citrus hops.

T: Wheat is the dominate flavor on the palate. It's balanced with some spices, yeast, citrus hops, lemongrass, bready malts, and a slight earthiness. Finishes slightly dry, but the flavors are thin and not long lasting.

M: A very watery mouthfeel that I feel hurts the flavor almost. Light body and light carbonation.

O: A nice witbier and glad I tried it, but it was missing something. If the mouthfeel wasn't so lean it would definitely get more points from me in the tasts. Otherwise, very easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2011 18:24:48 | More by BrewCrew2010

KAP1356

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 750 ml bottle marked 2011 (I forget the other markings) into a cervoise...

A - Pours a slightly hazy golden-straw color. A one finger thick bone white head forms and recedes to a very thin collar.

S - Yeasty and bready with some obvious wheat. There is some nice earthy citrus I attribute to the lemongrass. Not as spicy as I thought it would be, but overall quite nice. Lemon zest and some other light citrus round out the nose.

T - Spices come out here. Corriander and peppery with wheat and breadiness. Lemon zest and earthy citrus give the profile a nice refreshing zest.

M - Light and crisp with a slightly dry finish. Nicely carbed and very refreshing.

O - Really glad I picked this one up as it was very refreshing on a hot summer day.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2011 16:47:03 | More by KAP1356

theboozecruise

Louisiana

3.9/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 750 ml bottle into a goblet, it's a gold color with a finger or so of white head.

The aroma is a typical wheat beer with hints of wheat and coriander.

The taste is a lot more spiced than the aroma, with strong notes of citrus and coriander. Very light and refreshing.

A good beer, but it's nothing amazing.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2011 23:34:01 | More by theboozecruise

Retail1LO

Pennsylvania

4.53/5  rDev +18%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Another EXCEPTIONAL offering from DFH. Had this in a pint glass served out of one of DFH's large format bottles. This poured a very very light color, with a voluminous head, remniscent of pilsner. This was light in color and body, crisp, and an absolutely refreshing beer for a 104 degree day. This is the kinda beer you can slug. No need to nurse this one. I have another bottle I can't wait to lay into. I'll definitely be getting more.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2011 21:10:07 | More by Retail1LO

buyBinboaVodka

New Jersey

4.43/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750 ML bottle

A - Pours a cloudy yellow with a hint of orange hue to it. The huge white bubbly head slowly fades away leaving a minmal lacing around the glass.

S - Yeasty, bready, sweet fruits, lemon zest aroma. A very simple smelling beer, not a whole lot going on.

T - I get a nice refreshing lemon and orange zest with a clove like presence in the middle and a faint lemon bread finish. The combination of flavors is so simple but woven togther to form a flavor profile that feels complex.

M - moderatly carbonated with a crisp clean finish that leaves a nice spicy citrus flavor on the palete.

O - I'm kicking myself for not having this beer sooner. In fact, I plan on buying about 10 more. At 5% ABV, this could be a great session beer for these above 90 degree days we have getting latley.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2011 15:40:51 | More by buyBinboaVodka