Witch's Wit - The Lost Abbey

Thehuntmaster

South Africa

4.16/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml bottle 4,8% Abv.
Served chilled in an oversized wine glass.
Bottled on: 26/07/2012

Appearance: The appearance is fairly standard for a wit beer - murky (I purposefully shook up the yeast) golden-yellow body, topped by a large white head. The head could have lasted a little better, but it does leave some nice rings of lacing as it recedes.

Smell: Oh wow, the honey is immediately apparent, with a big raw honey note dominates the first few sniffs. After a few minutes the more traditional notes of malted wheat, banana, coriander and clove become apparent. Warming yields a light citrus character (sweeter than I'd expect from grapefruit peel), a little peach and a perfumed note that might just be the cardamom.

Taste: As with the nose, the initial flavour offers a fair amount of raw honey. This is soon joined by malted wheat, an unexpected light hoppy note (sweet citrus fruits), coriander and clover.

Mouthfeel: Light bodied, with a medium-high level of relatively smooth carbonation.

Overall: I love wit beers and this is a very interesting (and delicious) example of the style. It was fantastically refreshing and I could happily see myself drinking a few of these during summer!

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 14:04:23 | More by Thehuntmaster

mactrail

California

3.19/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Sparkly and bubbly in the New Belgium snifter. Like a Lager in color and spritziness. A nice head on the glass. Mild aroma of coriander, with more in the nose. slightly tart with a taste of something too much like chamomile.

The spice is quite prominent, and seems to be a little too much of a good thing. A touch of dried orange and lots of the spice with some Hefeweizen wheaty esters. LIght bodied yet plenty malty. No hint of hoppy taste or bitterness, either. The flavor wears a little on the palate. Not one I can drink much of.

From the 22 oz bottle purchased at Holiday Wine Cellar in Escondido.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 06:31:54 | More by mactrail

OtherShoe2

Massachusetts

3.88/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours medium cloudy yellow with a foam white head. Head is a bit disappointing in volume, but it does last. No lace.

Yeast and sweet wheat in the nose. Sweet nutty grain notes.

Wheat and grain dominate in the flavor. The honey comes out and gives this a soft feel. Mild bitterness at the end. Malt forward, incredibly easy to drink, but a very standard wit.

Light bodied, moderate carbonation.

So they made a beer to quaff in the summer. You could drink gallons of this stuff on a hot summer day. No competition at all for the good imported stuff, but a nice version just the same. Easy to like and recommend.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2013 00:41:16 | More by OtherShoe2

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.79/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

On tap at Capone’s. Served in a sampler glass. Pours a somewhat-hazy straw color. Light and fairly crisp. Slight bit of grain with nice wheat. Touch of citrus and spice. Good carbonation. Dry. Well done wit.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2013 12:44:34 | More by Thorpe429

PatriotsRule

Massachusetts

4.55/5  rDev +20.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Lost Abbey is a respectable, reliable brewery, and you've gotta love the cork cage 750mL bottle
A: Nice and light yellow, great head and ample carbonation. Lacing that lingers
S: Wheat, citrus, honey, hops and strawberry
T: Follows the nose, with a little sour fruitiness and a strong wheat backbone
M: Wheat! This is like a refined hefeweizen in some ways. The yeast is active and interesting
O: Extremely drinkable, sweet and special. At 4.8% abv this is a safe choice if you love wheat!

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 02:11:58 | More by PatriotsRule

Boto

Connecticut

3.7/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

750ml bottle: This one pours a crystal clear, golden yellow color. There was a bit of a white head on it. The head doesn’t linger long nor leave any lacing. It has a decent nose: Wheat, some spice, floral and earthy notes. The taste is crisp and it feels a hair light. Wheat, some spice, citrus. A nice wit.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2012 20:47:05 | More by Boto

cvm4

Mississippi

3.33/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours very golden in color, almost see through and has a thin head to it.

S - Malty, wheaty & slightly floral.

T - The taste is very perfume/floral. Light malts along with spices & not much else.

M - Light body & high carbonation. Fits the style.

O - It's good but not great. Way too much floral & perfume going on in here for me.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2012 23:25:35 | More by cvm4

flagmantho

Washington

3.55/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from corked & caged 750mL bottle into a tulip.

Appearance: light golden hue with a small hint of haze and a huge, active effervescence. Head is a finger of creamy white foam. Not bad, but I like my witbiers with a little more murky mystery.

Smell: light malt aroma with a little bit of wheaty character and a relatively strong perfumey, fruity, vinous quality, perhaps due to the honey. It's OK, but it doesn't exactly work for me in a beer of the style.

Taste: perfumey and floral, with a bit of a wheaty malt undertone. I understand that they are playing with the concept of witbier, here, but it's a bit *too* far outside the range of this relatively well-defined style. That, and the overabundance of perfume quality, make this a drinkable but non-wonderful beer.

Mouthfeel: medium-light body and a great big carbonation yield a nice, big, smooth creaminess. Best part of this brew.

Overall: this is simply not one of my favorite beers. It's not bad in any way, but it is not tasty enough to justify its position so far outside of style guidelines.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2012 01:15:35 | More by flagmantho

Mosstrooper

California

4.7/5  rDev +24%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from 750ml bottle into Guinness tulip pint glass.

Appearance: Slightly hazy pale straw in color with a large, creamy white head that dissipates slowly. Some thick lace spots around the glass.

Smell: Wheat, obviously, with lots of citrus- lemon and a touch of bitter lime. Pepper and coriander.

Taste: Begins with a banana/clove yeast flavor that remains throughout. Rounds out to more of a bready flavor and finishes with a touch of spiciness. Some citric and honey sweetness remains on the tip of the tongue after the finish, which is one of the most delightful things I have experienced in any beer.

Mouthfeel: Light in body with sharp up front carbonation that quickly smooths out giving this beer an almost creamy character. Finish is very refreshing.

Overall: One of the better beers I have had of this style. I wish it were a hot summer day, because this beer would be just about perfect for it.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2012 00:52:59 | More by Mosstrooper

AgentMunky

Alabama

3.95/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 750mL bottle into a Koningshoeven chalice. Bottled 26 July 2012.

A: Fizzy white head and a pale, white-gold body. Hazy.

S: Dull yeast and grain. Faint spice and light citrus.

T/M: An excellent witbier! I am not disappointed by the Lost Abbey. Light, spicy, and zesty, with fresh citrus and grassy hops. The light-bodied wheat smooths and sweetens. The aftertaste is lingering coriander, with a twist of citrus peel.

O: Great example of the style. Highly recommended and immensely drinkable. Would have again.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2012 05:06:20 | More by AgentMunky

Blackwolf

3.95/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into an oversized wineglass.

A- Hazy golden yellow body, very little head (almost a finger), that settled quickly into a saturn ring. No lacing. Some very uniformed carbonation that hugged the sides of the glass.

S- Toasted malt, wheat, some yeast and citrus notes. A little spice as the wit opens up more. Nothing too complex, but very solid and aromatic.

T- Palate and nose are almost hand in hand on this. Toasted malts, honey wheat, yeast spice, orange blossom. Again, solid, solid solid!

MF- Surprisingly light-medium crisp body. Medium carbonation. Semi-quick finish, but lots of funky flavor that hangs around the palate for a good minute or two.

O- Solid flavored witbier that opens up well! This is a seasonal worth trying, maybe not rushing to go out and find, because it will always be there the next year... But definitely worth grabbing if you want a crisp and refreshing wit. Lost Abbey never disappoints.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2012 05:00:15 | More by Blackwolf

billab914

Virginia

3.75/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed from notes, opened as part of a haul from a great group of Texas BA's. Golden in color with a thin spotty head clinging to the edges of the glass. It's a surprisingly clear beer.

The aroma shows a nice mix of zesty citrus and sweet wheat malts. Coriander and orange peel flavors are apparent in it. Pretty refreshing and flavorful aroma.

The taste has more of the coriander and orange peel citrus flavors throughout. I get a little lemon to it as well at times. Sweet, bready wheat malts play a big role as well. It's pretty crisp and refreshing, which I like.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied for the style with carbonation feeling a little low. Overall, it was a pretty good version of the style. The look and feel felt a little off, but flavors were pretty good.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2012 15:12:48 | More by billab914

UCLABrewN84

California

3.83/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Boneyard Bistro in Sherman Oaks, CA.

Pours a hazy yellow with a foamy bone colored head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Foamy swaths of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, grain, yeast, spices, and some slight citrus aromas. Taste is much the same with a mild spice bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp and medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer that is tasty and easy to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

08-19-2012 03:18:07 | More by UCLABrewN84

impending

California

3.43/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

B

750ml into a tulip. Pours a crystal clear classic yellow gold, minor cream colored head, ok lacing.

Aroma is mildly sweet and yeasty. The citrus shines a top the coriander note. All in all fairly subdued.

The flavor matches the aroma with the grapefruit now obvious. Again the citrus is dominant although it is clearly from rind, not hops. Medium bodied. Mild in every measure. The mouthfeel and medium carbonation keeps it from entering the realm of crisp and refreshing but pleasant none the less.
cheers
jd

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2012 23:19:29 | More by impending

kojevergas

California

3.43/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

1 pint 9.4 fl oz brown glass bottle with hood and wire cap over a cork served into a conical Guinness pint glass in me gaff in low altitude Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live. Expectations are high given the brewery.

Served refrigerator cold and allowed to warm over the course of consumption. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

Not paired with food. Consumed on a mildly full stomach.

Yields a satisfying pop upon opening.

A: Pours a two finger beige colour head without much cream, of okay thickness, and average retention. Colour is a nontransparent yellow-orange. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show.

Sm: Lemon, lemongrass, lemon peel (yes, these are all distinct notes...), clean malts, hints of funkiness (unexpected), and wheat. A moderate strength aroma.

T: Wheat, funkiness (maybe even brettanomyces?), lemongrass, lemon, clean malts, barley, and background citrus esters from the light subtle hopping. Balanced and built well. I like it. A bit simple, but pleasant and enjoyable.

Mf: Smooth and wet, with some needed coarseness on the climax. Suits the flavour profile nicely. Thick enough. Adequately carbonated.

Dr: A drinkable little wit. I quite like it. An excellent summer brew. Refreshing and pleasant. I'd definitely have this again, though the price is a significant drawback. A good session beer. Fans of the style will definitely like this one. Another solid offering from Lost Abbey.

A bad candidate for aging.

Would pair well with a lightly dressed salad, buttered soft pretzels, and orange rind cheese.

B-

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2012 03:48:38 | More by kojevergas

HopHead84

California

3.5/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

5/24/2012

On tap at Lost Abbey.

A: Hazy yellow with a big foamy white head.

S: Lightly tart wheat aroma with orange zest, coriander, apple, and grapefruit. Peppery phenolics are pronounced.

T: Big phenolic presence with pepper, band aid, and leather. Lemon blends with coriander and a pervasive wheat presence with a light tartness. I get some apple and grapefruit. The finish is spicy and dry.

M: Light body with high carbonation.

Overall: A light Wit beer that's heavy on the phenolics.

Serving type: on-tap

05-25-2012 05:04:14 | More by HopHead84

phishsihq

Colorado

3.63/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Witches Wit pours a hazy pale straw with some orange tints near the edges. A thick white head settles down into a tight ring, leaving a decent lace throughout. A BIG bouquet of aromas are present, most noticeably grass, spice, citrus, wheat, and a little funk. Clove, banana, spice, wheat, honey, coriander, and orange zest all intermingle to build a good Belgian Wit. A spritziness from a lot of carbonation is welcomed by a medium-light body. Another GREAT Belgian inspired brew from the crew at Lost Abbey.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 17:04:26 | More by phishsihq

marikoangel

California

3.85/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: poured into a New Belgian large snifter glass at Amsterdam in SF, it pours a hazy golden yellow with a fingers worth of white fluffy head that dissipates quickly, leaving a small amount of lacing.

S: This beer has a nice Belgian yeast nose, a little dusty, mellow wheat grains, a very subtle spice, and some light dry citrus notes in there.

T: Like the nose, the flavors are yeasty with a nice Belgian spice, there are clean citrus flavors, light wheat grain notes, and a nice subtle sweetness, with a little bit of honey. Overall nice light flavors.

M&O: The mouthfeel is medium light with a lower carbonation. It is crisp and nicely refreshing. Light with a good backbone still. Overall a light, easy drinking and refreshing beer with great flavors. Perfect for a hot sunny day.

Serving type: on-tap

02-03-2012 23:15:24 | More by marikoangel

jsanford

Georgia

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

750 C&C Bottle poured into a Lost Abbey Pint Glass. Bottled 6/11

A - Pours a clear golden amber with a thin white head that settles to a slight ring and haze.
S - Crisp aromas of wheat, honey, lemongrass, coriander, and orange peel.
T - More wheat, honey, coriander, and a ton of orange peel/curacao. Very citrus-forward.
M - Quite refreshing, with a medium-light mouthfeel and sharp, "spritzy" carbonation.
O - Excellent Wit, I look forward to picking up more of this next Summer!

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2011 15:07:30 | More by jsanford

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a hazy yellow to light orange in color with a white head. In the aroma, wheat and light spices. In the taste, spicy, earthy, and a small tart citrus. A spice bite and lighter bodied mouthfeel, with and small dry spice in the aftertaste. Nice flavor, but just above average.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2011 22:17:51 | More by OWSLEY069

phichifiji00

California

4.22/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2009 bottle poured into Lost Abbey tulip.

Appearance: Hazy straw color, pours 2 inches thick white head that fades very slowly. Lots of lacing.

Smell: brett, barnyard funk, earthy, citrus, grassy, orange zest, coriander, honey, spices, floral notes.

Taste: Orange zest, coriander, orange blossom honey, spices, subtle funk, white pepper, salty.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, moderate carbonation, smooth, crisp, zesty.

Overall: Very drinkable. Well balanced. Fairly complex. I think this bottle definitely improved with age.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2011 16:06:28 | More by phichifiji00

brotherloco

California

3.95/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

750ml C&C. Date is scratched, but it's definitely 2011. Served in a pilsner glass.

Seems like an appropriate beer for today's date.

Pours a clear pale straw with lots of cascading bubbles and a small white head. Fizzes away pretty quickly. Bits of lacing. Gets a lot hazier as I pour the rest of the bottle and get more yeast.

Aroma is mostly wheat malt with a bit of spice. Slight amount of funk. Lemon citrus.

Flavor reveals the same with some additional sweetness. Must be from the honey claimed on the label. Lemony citrus emerges in the finish.

Body is medium light with active but soft carbonation. Feels very good on the palate.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2011 02:33:48 | More by brotherloco

Cyberkedi

Georgia

3.85/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Strong aroma is wheaty and yeasty with a hint of citrus. It pours a lovely clear solar yellow with a thick, if not too persistent, white head that leaves minimal lacing. Firm, wheaty flavor has a yeasty undertone and hints of citrus and grass. Body is a little above average, especially for a wit, and the fizz is firm and persistent. I managed to get one of the bottles with the controversial image of an auto-da-fe. Could this become a collector’s item?

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2011 23:27:45 | More by Cyberkedi

Natural510

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

10oz pour, at Ron's in Exton PA.

Pours a pale, cloudy yellow with decent amount of head & lacing.

Faint scent of wheat and grapefruit rind; clean but nothing too pronounced.

Flavor is light and clean. Peppery notes of coriander and citric notes of grapefruit, all understated. Wheat rounds out the flavor well.

Medium mouthfeel, refreshing aftertaste. Light, astringent finish.

Nice, inoffensive witbier. Far from bold, but the grapefruit rind adds a nice touch.

Serving type: on-tap

09-01-2011 13:41:50 | More by Natural510

bierfreundlich

California

3.8/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a hazy, soft golden color with a fairly thin, white head that disappears rather quickly. Practically no lacing on the sides of the glass.

S - The smell is reminiscent of hay bells and cereal grains with spicy/peppery notes from the yeast (which I assume to be a Belgian yeast).

T - At first, a very bright hefeweizen taste somewhere between a Bavarian Hefe and a Belgian Wit. As it warms ever-so slightly, more banana, clove and lemon come out.

M - Very thin, bright and crisp with a slight meandering resinous quality.

D - Very delicious and easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2011 22:36:11 | More by bierfreundlich