Redhook Wise Cracker Wit - Redhook Ale Brewery

Pintofbrown

Iowa

3.3/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I poured this Wit into a pint glass.

Appearance- This, no surprise, has a cloudy and golden-yellow body with some bubble streams racing toward the cap. Speaking of the cap, where is it? I only had a slight film on the pour and it disappeared almost immediately. Not even a ring of film around the glass here...

Smell- Very interesting having that ginger note included. Otherwise there are hints of banana, and maybe even coriander, but not really well defined. Mainly it is that sugary ginger and banana that lingers the most. Not bad.

Taste- This is where the Wit style flavors kind of pop out at you, unlike on the nose. There is a great deal of coriander and some wheat back bone that leads off. Ginger finally comes through when the drink has almost finished. There is a little sweet banana lingering in the finish. It is much sweeter than I expected.

Mouth feel- Not the best feel in the world for this Wit. The beer seems a little astringent, and it may be due to the carbonation. There is no lift on this one, it just sludges over the tongue, and feels light bodied doing it.

Overall- It really was an interesting wit, and I liked the idea to incorporate ginger a lot. However, the nose was not that impressive, and the taste seemed really disjointed. Maybe less of the sweet and more spice? And the mouth feel was average at best. The carbonation was not handled well.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2011 18:08:43 | More by Pintofbrown

SickGnar

Pennsylvania

3.38/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Medium orangey golden – adequately cloudy and hazy. Cream-white head pops right up to medium size with large bubbles and then collapses blazingly fast. No lace.

S: Sweet ginger. Some coriander – both herbal and lemon. Doughy wheat with a hint of malt sweetness. Hint of citrus peel. No hops.

T: Coriander first and quite flavorful & nicely herbal with hardly any of the lemony aspect. Ginger stays quite sweet – sort of like candied ginger but softer. The hint of orange peel is more forward than in the nose. Doughy wheat – a simple solid base. No real hops or yeast notes. Coriander develops a spicy edge as you consume, but lemon also grows.

M: Medium body with soft almost low carbonation. A fair bit of sugary sweetness sticks around. Coriander tries to take the end drying, but cannot quite do it.

D: A sweeter wit with an interesting ginger and coriander character. Sweetness gets to be a bit much and hurts drinkability. Feels just a bit dis-jointed and lacking in balance. Probably better with food.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2011 16:47:03 | More by SickGnar

DarthKostrizer

California

3.48/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Look Pours a murky yellow orange color with no head no retention and no lacing

Smell: Notes of peach and ginger

Taste: Subtle notes of ginger, straw and citrus

Mouthfeel: Light body and medium to high carbonation

Overall: It's ok it again is a decent beer from Redhook who like to make run of the mill beers it seems

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2011 06:24:21 | More by DarthKostrizer

woosterbill

Connecticut

3.33/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle from 05/11 into a Duvel tulip.

A: A fairly hard pour still only produces a finger of short-lived white foam atop the hazy pale orange body. What head there is disappears quickly and leaves no lace. Pretty disappointing.

S: Ginger, candy sweetness, and wheat malt. Pretty generic aside from the ginger, and that doesn't really go all that well with the malt. No better than average.

T: A bit better here, as the ginger provides a really nice counterpoint to the sweetness that just didn't make sense in the aroma. The subtle spiciness of the ginger really lends some welcome complexity to a beer that would be pretty boring otherwise. Overall it's both interesting and inoffensive. Not bad at all.

M: Fairly light body with moderate, lively carbonation. Solid.

O: Not a great Wit by any means, but well worth the $5/sixer price in the closeout bin. Quite drinkable, and with a fun gingery twist.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2011 21:12:34 | More by woosterbill

ZenAgnostic

Texas

3.58/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into a clear plastic cup. Dated May 10 11 on the bottom of the bottle.

Appearance - Very cloudy, dull pale yellow body. Big white head. tons of sediment in the bottom of the bottle.

Smell - Light. Citrusy. Plain.

Taste - Orange .Lots of orange. Some wheat. Medium bodied.

Mouthfeel - Smooth. Almost creamy. Medium bodied. Somewhat refreshing.

Overall Drinkability - A different, robust take on the wit. But not refreshing or balanced enough for a good score.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2011 23:08:37 | More by ZenAgnostic

Halcyondays

California

3.7/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle,

A: Pours a lightly hazy goldenrod with a light white head, solid retention and lace.

S: Ginger and lemon-lime, very fruity. Some orange.

T: Lemon and ginger, some tropical fruit. Nice overall flavour.

M: Light-bodied, crisp at times, but a soft carbonation overall.

O: A solid wit, the ginger is nice touch. Worth a shot.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2011 06:59:18 | More by Halcyondays

Doshkin

Maine

3.48/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

a - dull, pale, orange/yellow. i poured gently from the bottle and got zero head, so it's partially my fault.

s - pretty weak, but what's there is good. citrusy and bready.

t - citrusy-orange. nice mild yeasty flavor.

m - medium-light. bubbly up front with the citrus bite and then it's smooth.

o - good little wheat beer. i think i paid $2 for a 12oz bottle which is a ripoff, but i would definitely buy a 6er for $9 or less

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2011 21:09:27 | More by Doshkin

KTCamm

New Jersey

3.03/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Served on tap at the Redhook brewery in Portsmouth, NH.

Pours golden color and cloudy. White ring around the edge. Some haze. Light wit smell, but not much. Small citrus after taste. No bitter. Quick close, light taste. Very low carbonation. Just ok.

Serving type: on-tap

10-16-2011 11:27:41 | More by KTCamm

brewmudgeon

Wisconsin

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

redhook wit

a 3.5-4 moderately cloudy piss color, 1-finger head leaves a stubborn ring, spotty lacing at first then nothing.

s 3-3.5 not much for a nose, but nothing off-putting. a little ginger in there.

t 3-3.5 this reminds me of something from a brewpub. sweet for the style, not due to excess malt but just underattenuation. a little tangy, pleasant in a somewhat bland way. gives you the usual initial impression you could drink gallons if you wanted, but that sugar is surely going to have other ideas by the end of the glass.

m 3.5 smooth, rounded, tending more to soft and flat than prickly.

d 3.5 an easy drinker that needs to be dried out to be a really good sessioner. prototypical 3.5 beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2011 02:19:01 | More by brewmudgeon

Zorro

California

3.63/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Cloudy yellow colored beer with a tall white head.

Smells malty and spicy with a little coriander. Powdery yeast smell with some ginger.

Starts out mildly sweet with a good spice flavor. Mostly ginger flavor with the requisite coriander. Slightly sweet after a while. This is a good witbier but not an outstanding one. Easy on the taste buds I could see drinking this on a hot day.

Mouthfeel is good.

Overall this is an easy on the mouth beer. Could be more flavorful but it makes a great session beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2011 01:24:54 | More by Zorro

jjveverka

South Carolina

3.25/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: good color, strong golden hue with a slight hazy color.

Smell: Weak floral hints with some citrus and ginger

Taste: starts with a malty beginning with quick spice hints that end with a strong gingery flavor

Mouthfeel: crisp at the beginning with a smooth finish that lingers on the soft palate

Overall: this beer is a good example of a witibier by an american craft brewery. balanced and spicy. A good summer beer no matter how hot it is.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2011 05:28:23 | More by jjveverka

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.1/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

bright golden yellow then came out of over me.good three finger high head of white foam that only very slowly faded away,

nice light fruits, hints of banana and apricot, lots of cinnamon and nutmeg really far in the back, with a touch of a pepper like smell as well. really crisp, clean feeling. The first flavor to come over was the light grain, and a touch of yeast, some banana poking around in there as well, with a sparkling quality to it. Nice touch of bitter grapes toward the finish, giving that little bit of a hoppy touch to dry out the finish and get you ready for another sip. Not a hint of alcohol in here what so ever, as this was really solidly put together.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2011 04:40:09 | More by mikesgroove

zeff80

Missouri

3.88/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Poured out a hazy, golden yellow color with a crackly white head of bubbly foam. It left sudsy trails of lace on the glass.

S - It smelled very fruity with yeasty notes and some cracked wheat.

T - It tasted fruity with some sweet wheat flavors. Nice touch of grains and spiciness from the yeast.

M - It was crisp, sharp and smooth. A light to medium bodied ale with a dry finish.

O - Redhook doesn't get a lot of high praise, but I think they did an excellent job on a style that very few American breweries do well.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2011 00:03:25 | More by zeff80

jiggahertz

New Hampshire

3.25/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Cloudy, straw yellow with about a finger of bubbly, jumping head.

S: Orange, corriander, spice and wheat on the nose.

T: Wheaty up front, but then thins out a little too much, finish is bland. There is some nice spice in there, but I wish there was something more.

M: Thin, watery, ok level of carbonation.

O: Not a bad wit, was just hoping for more from redhook.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2011 20:57:42 | More by jiggahertz

rowingbrewer

Massachusetts

3.95/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This beer pours amoight orangish yellowy color with a smallmwhite head that recedes fairly quickly. The smell is citrusy win notes of coriander. The flavor follows through with a good citrus flavor and coriander followed by a nice smooth finish bthe mouthfeelmis fairly light decent carbonation and pretty smooth. The beer is overall very good

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2011 21:44:49 | More by rowingbrewer

stephens101

Oklahoma

2.75/5  rDev -22.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Hazy yellow orange with a fleeting, thick white head and a few slight ridges of residual lace. Big coriander and lemon citrus with a sweet malt base and prominent grass and hay notes. Thin body and tastes of malt, more coriander and some meringue. Almost watery at times. Airy. Needs more umph! Taste more banal than bad, and that creates its own set of issues.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2011 23:08:14 | More by stephens101

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.03/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

While the accepted spice additions for Witbiers have been corriander and curacco orange peel, those have been surplanted by ginger in this surprise twist of a summertime refresher.

Pouring a deep golden color with an expected haze, the beer's initial foam stance of fizz and foam struggles for any retention or lace, and then quickly falls to a thin string around the edges. Seeming heavy with a dull visual weight and lack of life in the head department are all somewhat dissapointing.

Ginger aromas make an impact immediately. Ginger ale sodas, a musty grain scent, overall fruity character and sugar cookie dough scent all swirl into a sweeter and perfumy aroma.

A blend of malty sweet and grainy sweet flavors give a decidedly sweet balance to taste. Decorated by ginger spice, orange peel, light lemon, and honey all show glimpses into a varying flavor spread that all seem on the sweeter and unbalanced side. Low on bitterness or hop presence, and the acidity struggles to balance the beer in the presence of such sweetness and eventually make the flavors yearning for more complexity.

The sweet start leads to a sticky and tacky feel that lessens just a touch in the finish as the minty alcohols create a cooler dryish sensation, but the beer leaves the palate feeling much the same as when finishing a soda pop.

Lacking the complexity, depth, and powdery dry finish of classic Witbiers, this one may find satisfaction with those who are just venturing into the world of craft beers, and for those who prefer sweeter beers in general. The ginger character is somewhat a savior that gives just enough intrigue to keep the beer from becomming a train wreck.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2011 04:28:34 | More by BEERchitect

hreb

Washington

3.3/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12oz bottle served in pint glass, cold. Bottled on June 15. Beer pours pale yellow with a medium thick white head. Beer is slightly hazy and full of big soda-like bubbles.

Aroma is sweet and of ginger and orange. Flavor is similar: big on ginger, coriander maybe coming in second. A little bit of sugar sweetness on the tip of the tongue towards the end, but also a cloying taste from the spices used. Still, more dry (yeast is present) than sweet overall.

Drinkable, but more of a gimmicky ginger-weiss than a Belgian Wit.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2011 03:44:40 | More by hreb

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.23/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

This stubby pours a turbid peach tea color with minimal pearl colored head. Zero head retention & lacing

S: Grassyness & citrus, both fade quickly

T: Grassyness, coriander & tangerine up front. Slight wheaty tartness as this warms, along with touch of phenolic twang & some golden delicious apple sweetness. Finishes dry, grassy & with just a touch of lemon

MF: Light bodied, low carbonation, Body thickens up as this warms

Not bad, hits the spot on a warm ( thank God, not hellishly hot ) Oklahoma evening. I never really picked up on the gingeruntil I belched, so maybe I call that a well played subtle addition to this brew...

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2011 03:54:24 | More by russpowell

redfire89

Florida

2.33/5  rDev -34%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

A- Very hazy orange color
S- Citrusy, with a hint of ginger aroma
T-Very bland I taste a little orange and ginger
M- Really watery and thin with a lot of carbonation
O- I'm disappointed I've had much better witbiers like Blue Moon, Hoegaarden, even Shock Top. This isn't flavorful like a witbier should be.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2011 20:52:14 | More by redfire89

kjyost

Manitoba (Canada)

3.93/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottled May 27/11 in some crazy looking bottle. Poured into a tulip with yeast swirled in.

A: Cloudy with a smaller than expected head that went away too quickly. The body of the beer was also a little more to the copper than to the straw yellow end of the spectrum.
S: Coriander, cloves and definitely the ginger they advertise on the bottle. I like the twist.
T: A spicy wit, that is certain wins lingering heat with ginger hanging on to the palate. I like the ginger, but it made the beer entirely too one dimensional.
M: Thickness that I expect from a wit is lacking, and the carbonation seems low.
O: I can see how this would be hit or miss based on the ginger dominating the game. I enjoyed it though...

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2011 18:06:39 | More by kjyost

StaveHooks

Oklahoma

3.08/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A - Cloudy pale yellow with a fizzy white head that sinks quick.

S - A good dose of wheat, sweet bananas, lemon, very light spice.

T - Lemon and orange citrus, fruity-reminds me of mild fruit cocktail syrup, light coriander on the edges, thick wheat malt underneath. Ginger comes out as it warms and lingers through to the finish.

M - Medium bodied but full creamy feel with prickly carbonation.

The ginger is a nice touch but starts to get weird towards the bottom of the glass. It's nice choice for some variety though.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2011 01:13:33 | More by StaveHooks

Boto

Connecticut

3.73/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Draught @ Portsmouth Brewery. This one poured a cloudy golden color. There was a bit of a white head that lingers awhile and leaves some lacing. Milder but nice aroma Bit of wheat, coriander and other spices. The taste is nice. Medium wheat body, some coriander, citrus. A decent example of the style.

Serving type: on-tap

08-11-2011 15:09:02 | More by Boto

GregSVT

Texas

3.45/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle into a pint glass

A: Pours a hazy yellow with a nice white head that fades to a ring with no lacing on the glass.

S: The nose is light aromas of wheat and citrus. Smells sweet and malty...nothing special.

T: The taste is mostly wheat and a slight citrus flavor. There is an aftertaste on the finish that I can't quite place but it is actually very interesting and tasty. Maybe it's the ginger?

M: The feel is creamy and medium bodied. This is actually the best quality of the beer.

O: I would drink this on occasion but it's not the best Witbier I've ever had. The citrus flavors and aromas are very weak for the style.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2011 05:00:12 | More by GregSVT

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.65/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12 ounce bottle - $1.49 at Total Wine & More in Kennesaw, Georgia.

Bottled On: May 26, 2011. The packaging for this one is pretty good; I like the bottle, I like the label, though good packaging don't necessarily mean good beer.

Appearance: Pours a hazed, pale orange body with a scant, white head.

Smell: Not the most effusive nose in town, but it still yields notes of wheat malt, sweet, juicy citrus peels, and, though rather lightly, ginger powder.

Taste: A lightly tangy, lightly sweet taste of malted wheat greets the imbiber on the opening sip. Small zip and zing of citrus zest with the smallest amount possible of added coriander. Light ginger character. Near nil bitterness. Fruity, sweetish on the finish.

Mouthfeel: Light-bodied. Medium-low carbonation.

Overall: Fairly decent, I think the choice for a bit of ginger was a good one and look forward to possibly trying this one on draft at some point.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2011 14:44:47 | More by ChainGangGuy