Not Just Another Wit - Mikkeller ApS

ngeunit1

California

4.16/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Fairly clear golden-orange with a finger of frothy white head. Fades normal.

S - Sweet wheat with pale malts, Belgian yeast, coriander, lemon zest, orange peel, citrus and floral hops.

T - Sweet wheat and pale malts, Belgian yeast, coriander, orange peel, lemon zest, oats, citrus, grassy, and floral hops, some smooth bitterness.

M - Medium bodied, moderate carbonation. Smooth with a dry and spicy finish.

D - Nicely balanced bold witbier. Good level of spices.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 03:37:16 | More by ngeunit1

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

330ml bottle. Picked up at my old downtown wine store haunt, after way too long of an absence. Damned be these lifestyle and career changes!

This beer pours a cloudy medium golden amber colour, with two fingers of puffy, slickly foamy off-white head, which leaves some bicycle chain lace around the glass as it evenly subsides.

It smells of semi-sweet wheat grain, sassy floral, grassy, citrusy hops, lemon pepper, a bit of earthy, spicy coriander, uppity yeast, and a touch of warming alcohol. The taste is more soft, neutered wheat grain, lemon oil, white pepper, confused coriander, smirking settled yeast, muted citrus and grassy hops, and a subtly rising alcohol edge.

The carbonation is lo-fi frothy in nature, the body a lulling medium-light weight, and mostly smooth, as the alcohol just can't seem to help itself in this instance. It finishes with a moderately strong drying trend - the grain gaining a sharp tint, and the spice, hops, and booze colluding as such.

The imperialization of a witbier can go so, so bad, given the inherent delicate aspects of the base style. Here, we get a generally full-flavoured wit, with some extra, somewhat prickly alcohol, though nothing that really detracts from the overall drinkability of this jazzed up offering.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 06:47:00 | More by biboergosum

mwilbur

Minnesota

3.68/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from 750 mL bottle into shaker pint glass.
A: Pours a moderately hazy lemon yellow with high carbonation producing a 3 inch thick bubbly white head. Good retention and lacing.
S: Nice lemon citrus hops, belgian spice, and hints of orange and white pepper.
T: Sweet and clear lemon hops, belgian spice, orange zest, grapefruit, and white pepper. Lacks the typical bite of a wit and in its place lies dry and slightly earthy hops. Interesting.
M: Clean, smooth, and slightly sweet. Nice carbonation effervescence. Moderately dry with a slightly bitter hop finish.
D: Not your typical take on a wit...wait a minute...yup, that's what the beer told you right off the bat. An interesting and refreshing brew. Solid...just not stupendous. I do like the creativity which is a hallmark of Mikkeller.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2012 04:28:08 | More by mwilbur

impending

California

3.28/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

B-

750ml into a tulip. Pours a nice transparent golden copper, yellowish dense towering head, excellent lacing.

Aroma is strong of yeast, spices and camphor. Significant floral hop contribution.

Again a strong hop profile. The aftertaste is clear mildly bitter hops which in measure is the dominant feature of this brew. I struggle to discern any typical wit characteristics. Low medium bodied mouthfeel. A subtle pleasant pineapple appears with warmth. Nice but lacks complexity.
an ipa wit
not just another cause it's not
cheers
jd

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2012 06:05:10 | More by impending

GilGarp

Colorado

4.38/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served cold into an oversized wine glass at Choice City.

Golden yellow color with good clarity but almost no head.

Aroma is nice and sweet with a hint of lemon.

Flavor is really well done with lemony citrus and strong but pleasant yeast character. Balanced but flavorful, mild but interesting.

Mouthfeel is light in body and perfectly carbonated.

Overall a really enjoyable wit that certainly lives up to its name.

Serving type: on-tap

06-11-2012 22:23:26 | More by GilGarp

CrazyDavros

Australia

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

Pours hazy pale amber with a large, fading head.
Nose shows piny and grassy hops as well as orange and lemon-like notes. Also some coriander. Quite light.
Flavours include the same orange peel and lemon alongside spicy hops, alcohol and grapefruit.
Nice high carbonation.
The hops and booze definitely dominate this one.

Serving type: on-tap

06-11-2012 11:49:47 | More by CrazyDavros

HopSteppa

3.98/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

first time i had this wit style. the foam definitely stayed and poured an amber brown, smell came out slightly fruity and tasted in the foam as well...but once i got to the beer it was a build up of hops that kick in. not as strong and evident as an ipa but packs a punch with some herb notes and fizzles out on a great honey and sweet taste. i enjoyed it, definitely need one more tasting to do it justice.

Serving type: on-tap

06-06-2012 06:57:47 | More by HopSteppa

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Mikkeller reconstructs the essence of classy Belgian witbiers but pushes the power and dryness to heightened strength of 7.4%. Curious to see how the elevated alcohol plays on the palate and whether it interferes with the subtle perfume and soft wheat character.

This "Not Just Another" witbier pours with the most delicate and fragile coloration and foam- very light, canary yellow in color and with a glaze of protein and yeast allow for a diffused glow to permit. Foamy with a cottony-white head that persists and retains very well and in somewhat liquidy fashion- Easily mistaken for Hoegaarden.

Muted and delicate aromas of soft wheat, mild honey, and light starch provide the basic underpinning while spicy aromas run the gamut of coriander, orange peel, perfume, white pepper, light clove, chi tea, lemongrass, and a sparse sprinkle of cumin. Somewhat estery as lemon and apple penetrate the mix for a very inviting and mouthwatering scent.

All those soft malts and decorated spices play delightfully on the palate in most refreshing and soothing flavor combinations. Soft wheat, honeyish caramel, floral flavors, and soft baking breads provide a creamy flavor of starch and powdered sugar that's soon rivaled by the spice and hop additions, led by coriander and curacao. Counterparts of citrusy hops with slight leafy action, lemongrass, and peppery bitterness rise in finish for a balanced and varying taste.

Light bodied throughout, but the early creaminess gives a slight impression of fuller-than-actual feel. The unique Belgianesque carbonation allows for a light prickle on the tongue and expansive airiness to emit. But the carbonation retracts at mid palate and ushers in the refreshing soft wheat and peppery bitterness to dry the beer and offer a semi-powdery finish with a linger of lemon pepper and minty alcohols.

The higher rate of strength exceeds the usual 5% that's exhibited by usual witbiers, but nothing is lost here: Not only does Mikkeller retain the soft supple character that makes standard witbiers so refreshing, but does so with higher hopping rates of American varieties and more experimentation with spice to accompany the assertive alcohol, and without compromising its balance- no easy feat.

Serving type: on-tap

05-02-2012 17:10:11 | More by BEERchitect

barczar

Kentucky

3.73/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a deep chill hazed golden color with a half finger whitish ivory head that quickly dissipates into a thin sheet of foam.

Initial aroma is grain and wheat, with muted orange and grapefruit, followed by bready malt. Belgian yeast esters of bubble gum and tropical fruit surface as it warms, as well as a rich of phenol.

Flavor is more indicative of the belgian yeast ester profile. Grapefruit and coriander emerge, carried by slightly bready malt and wheat, leading to a slightly bitter and dry finish.

Body leans to the heavy side, with moderate carbonation and a hint of slickness.

Overall, a slightly sweet, yet bitter beer with all the character of belgian yeast and a good balance of malt and fruity hop flavor. Wheat adds a nice complexity. Obviously a bit bitter for the style, and a touch heavy.

Serving type: on-tap

04-28-2012 03:02:06 | More by barczar

Rickythejeweler

Maryland

4.48/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Golden yellow, one finger foamy white head, decent lacing.

S - Yeast, lemon, orange, pleasant combonation of fruity/spicy/bitter hops.

T - Orange rind, spicy hops, lemon zest, coriander, tropical fruits, light dry wheat finish.

M - Medium-full body, moderate carbonation, slightly creamy.

O - This is my favorite wit, the complexity cannot be matched and the name rings true!

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2012 13:37:08 | More by Rickythejeweler

Viciousknishs

Virginia

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

A- pours a translucent golden orange color with two fingers of white head. Solid retention with ok lacing.

S- base aroma of wheat and raw cereal grain. Substantial orange peel and herbal coriander blend with assertive orange hops. Finishes with a dusty yeast character and leafy hop notes.

T- touch of dry malt flavor with wheat and rustic grains. Orange peel and herbal coriander spice come out in the middle. Hop bitterness with notes of orange and tangerine and a powdery like yeast flavor hit the palate on the finish.

MF- fluffy soft mouthfeel. Medium body and small bubbled awesome carbonation.

D- good drinkability.

Overall a solid wit beer with great over the top hops for the style.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2012 03:01:50 | More by Viciousknishs

DanK4

Maine

4.7/5  rDev +18.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Delicious. A fantastic witbier in my opinion. Had all the right smell and taste notes I like in a witbier without being overly fruity or bogged out by by a lack of flavor. Poured into an Allagash flute with a good 2 finger white head on it that hung around for a minute or two then dissapated, but had wonderful lacing. Te aroma was a nice mixture of citrus (orange mainly, but a touch of grapefruit and lemon), cardamom, and a banana note with some allspice in the mix. The taste is what really sold me on this beer though, I am a huge fan of wit's and have been looking for another great besides Allagash and St. Bernardus and this one hit the nail on the head. I was floored, and it was a perfect accompaniment to my stir-fry I loaded with Sriracha. It had a body to it, not feeling light but it wasn't overbearing and thick. The mouthfeel was just right and left a nice banana and orange aftertaste. Not alcohol bite and no funky warming taste, just pure delicious wit. A definite recommendation.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2012 17:06:15 | More by DanK4

blakelive784

Colorado

3.4/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

1 pt 9.4 fl oz bottle served in a weizen glass, reviewed live:

A - Pours a murky golden orange color with a soapy with head of 1.5 fingers. Retention is average.

S - Honey, orange peel, unrefined wheat, yeast, and a good bit of citrus hops. Moderate strength and well balanced.

T - Heavy on the yeast. Pleasant pale malt and honey, orange and lemon zest, and a fair amount of bitterness on the finish. It's balanced well, with great yeast flavor, but may not please fans of the style.

M - Light bodied. A bit too smooth, especially on the finish. Medium carbonation.

D - Quite complex, highly drinkable and very well built. It's got depth, especially for a wit, and is an inspired take on the style. Worth a try, but not outstanding.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 02:56:44 | More by blakelive784

kojevergas

California

3.83/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served on-draught into 20cl stemware at the Mikkeller Bar in Copenhagen, Denmark. Reviewed from notes taken in July 2011. The board there listed this as 7.4% ABV, which I trust more than beeradvocate.

A: Pours a one finger head of soft slight cream, fair thickness, and good retention. Colour is a cloudy yellow-gold.

Sm: Orange peel, assorted citrus esters - especially lemon, and light barley. A mild strength aroma.

T: Orange peel esters, lemon, and heavy unexpected bittering hops. Complex and boundary pushing for the style. Built and balanced well.

Mf: Smooth and wet. Complements the style and flavour.

Dr: High ABV (especially for a witbier), very easy to drink, and at a high price point. Worth a go especially if you like the style and want to see it done differently.

Serving type: on-tap

12-20-2011 02:32:25 | More by kojevergas

DCon

Missouri

4.25/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bought a 1 PT 9.4 FL OZ bottle of this from Flamingo Bowl in St. Louis, MO for $17. Poured from the Corked/Cagged w/ Black Styrofoam wrap around this, Black Labeled w/ Yellow Piano Keyed bottle into a 12oz Snifter Glass. Does not have a freshness date on the bottle.

Aroma- Has a nice wheaty and light spicy aroma from the beginning. The end of the smell has nice sour/acidic aromas that blend in well. Herbal/floral hops are hanging out throughout the aroma also. Very nice!

Appearance- Pours a 2 finger, frothy head that has above average retention time. Has a deep orange, cloudy body and leaves VERY thick lacing behind.

Flavor- The flavor starts with a ton of citrus and light spice that lingers into a great sweetness (coming from malt?). Has a light tart finish and very light bitterness from hop if anything.

Mouthfeel- Medium Bodied, High Carbonation, Creamy, EFFERVESCENT, and has nice citrus finish with tons of sweetness again.

Overall Impression- While having many brews from Mikkeller, most of them are a collaboration (BrewDog, FFF, Struise, etc.) and was very happy with this one! Light spices are hanging around this Wit and had a fantastic Effervescent characteristic that is great to find in this style! I would suggest this brew for anyone wanting a refreshing Wit but would til it was around $10-12... A bit overpriced.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2011 21:06:42 | More by DCon

mattboyer182

Indiana

4.03/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - burnt orange in color with a nice white one fingered head with good retention.

S - smells of light citrus and spices faintly earthy.

T - taste is mellow. Lots of spice and light fruit.

M - light to medium bodied with light carbonation.

O - decent wit. Nice mellow, fruity and spicy!

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2011 23:04:01 | More by mattboyer182

AlexTheAleMan

Oregon

4.47/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 1 pt 9.4 oz corked bottle into a "German style" pint glass with a handle.

Deep golden yellow color. At first it was very clear, but on the second pour a bit of yeast came along to give it that nice cloudy appearance.

Smells very fruity. A bit of honey on the front with clove and slightly metalic/fruity/earthy hop aromas coming afterwards. There is a distinct orange smell to it along with some tea bag aromas.

This is a tasty brew. Honey suckle hits you right away but gives way to some spicy christmasy flavors of clove and orange that are accompanied by a slightly bitter, earthy hoppiness. There is a slight hint of banana and some almost raspberry like notes here. The aftertaste is very enjoyable with tea like aromas coming ending in a light pear flavored taste.

The beer is pretty light in mouthfeel for its high abv. It does a good job of coating the entire mouth with flavor and has no weak spots (lots of flavor from when you sip it til about 30 seconds afterwards).

Over all I like the beer a lot (even though it is not all that true to its style), the price point is a bit too high though...

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2011 23:40:08 | More by AlexTheAleMan

lacqueredmouse

Australia

4/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Errr... Probably the darkest witbier I've ever had, a very deep amber hue, almost opaque with sediment and full of plenty of agitated floaties. Head is crackling and full, leaving some stonework lacing down the inside of the glass. Body is very heav, and this together with the opacity means it's an intense looking beer. And a *very* intense looking witbier.

Nose is crisp with a lemony citrus character that you could almost mistake for hops. It has an edge of Belgian acidity to it, almost like a lambic, or the rusticness of brett on the nose. Bright and light, and really rather pleasant.

Taste is again very weird, and really unsuitable for a place in the witbier genre. Here, there's a pleasant light hop bite, and a touch of zingy true lemon or orange rind, that just makes you question whether what you taste really is hops. Nice nutty character from the yeast, and a touch of Belgian esters to round it out. It still has that classic Mikkeller character to my mind (perhaps it's a De Proef character, in reality), which anchors it to something else.

It's not just another wit: in fact, I'd hazard a comment that it's not a wit at all. This is an odd little beer with plenty of citrus and spice, but from all the wrong directions. But Mikkeller, as always, make the weird work for them, and this is a very tasty and enjoyable beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2011 07:50:22 | More by lacqueredmouse

paperbackfoster

Missouri

4.18/5  rDev +5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A pour that begins as a thin, bright gold quickly develops into a rich, clouded honey in the glass. Out of the bottle, it easily yields a two finger head, which holds together in beautiful clumps before reducing to a one finger head with great retention and initial lacing. The beer keeps a very subtle effervescence underneath, lending a depth to the otherwise cloudy appearance.

A quick sniff turns up a light zest of orange and lemon with a hint of light spice, cardamom and coriander noticeable. A pleasant tartness is all that remains of the promised 8% ABV.

The taste of this one is a pleasantly sugary sweetness up front, followed by the zesty fruit from the scent dancing on the tongue. The finish is crisp and dry, but manages to linger. This is a full, balanced witbier, heavier than many of its counterparts. The spice is just enough, more complex than the coriander and cardamom I mentioned but subtle enough not to pinpoint specifics. The fruit flavors don't overpower at all. The body of the flavor is a mild sourness, reminiscent of a pleasant, summery farmhouse ale. While it could be seen as a departure from style, this, to me, is what a wit is all about. A hint of fresh fruit, delicately spiced, pleasantly carbonated, crisply refreshing. All this while being a full, rounded beer, rather than the typical refreshers such as a hefe or kolsch.

Mouthfeel is equally full and round, the otherwise maltiness balanced out by the carbonation.

Overall, I'm very impressed with this beer. As I mentioned, it's an exemplar of what I personally look for in this style. It's a real pleasure to drink. It hits the heavier qualities, including it's 8% ABV, while managing to be a very refreshing drink that's hard not to gulp. The main deterrent from mad quaffing is, as it should be, the simple but evidently delicate fruit and spice profile.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2011 05:40:07 | More by paperbackfoster

marcobrau

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Wow. This is was an interesting interpretation of the style. Lot of Amarillo hop flavor blending quite well with some of the traditional witbier spices (orange peel and coriander.) Quite a bit darker, perhaps deep gold as opposed to the straw color of traditional wit. Plenty of carbonation made for a persistent foamy head and creamy mouthfeel. A very sunny beer with bright, assertive spice and hop flavors letting the unmalted wheat and oats provide a soft landing for all the other bold flavors in this brew. Stronger than I think it needs to be, but a very tasty beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2011 02:21:54 | More by marcobrau

EgadBananas

Louisiana

4.03/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a little on the dark side...more along the lines of Weissebier, but good none the less. The head was massive, white and retention was stellar. Naturally, lacing was triumphant. What sets this Wit apart from the rest (from my experience), is the wondrously floral hop nose. There's also some light spiciness and herbal notes, along with some bready malt characters. The taste consists of more bready malts, equal parts spicy, earth notes, and less on the hoppy side...still nice either way. With a slightly more slick and heavy feeling for a Wit, it definitely leaves a hair more to be desired in the mouthfeel, but nothing off-putting at all, though a lighter, crisper feel would be king. In the end, a great interpretation of the style and a great beer. Mikkeller (recently at least), has been impressing me.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2011 01:49:14 | More by EgadBananas

jamescain

Texas

3.88/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a sniffer, thanks texasclimber for sharing this one

Appearance: Straw yellow with a fluffy white head about two inches thick with sediment floating in the beer.

Aroma: Spicy, coriander, orange dominate and a hint of currant.

Taste: Still spicy, not spicy like a pepper, but the kind of spicy that a Belgian yeast strain will provide. One of the better wits I’ve had, but nothing spectacular.

Mouthfeel: Highly carbonated, but in a refreshing way.

Overall: Despite what the name of the beer implies, it tasted like just another wit. Was it better than other wits? Sure. But I wouldn’t say it was not just another wit.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2011 20:43:57 | More by jamescain

JamnesCameron

Illinois

3.3/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Served on tap at Finnegan's in Plainfield, IL. Pours a very clear, pale straw, with a stark white head of about two fingers. Lots of lacing as the head slowly drops.

Aromas of spices, coriander, bitter and sweet orange. No hop aroma to speak of, no real malt aromas. Lemons.

Flavors of spicy lemon, bitter and sweet orange, coriander. Quite bitter for a wit.

Mouthfeel is light, not as creamy as most wits. Good level of carbonation.

Overall, don't quite know what to think. Definitely not your average wit. Not much to identify it as a wit. Not cloudy, too high alcohol.

Serving type: on-tap

06-10-2011 04:03:36 | More by JamnesCameron

kawilliams81

Illinois

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

On tap at Bavarian Lodge.

A- hazy dark orange with nice lacing and retention

S- oranges, lemons and some slight bitterness

T- lots of citrus going on here. orange, lemon and some coriander come through at the start. Nice pale hop finish for a wit.

M- light to medium bodied. not real dry and fairly easy to drink

O- this was a decent stronger wit.

Serving type: on-tap

06-10-2011 01:53:45 | More by kawilliams81

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

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

This had a really nice yeasty and citrusy aroma, the head is very lively. It's thick and sticks to the glass like a champ. The color is a hazy yellow not too many bubbles. Has a bit if a thinker mouthfeel which I feel is quite good because some Wits are very thin. This is a good spring brew though.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2011 04:20:01 | More by Knapp85