Optimal Wit - Port City Brewing

mralphabet

Virginia

4.22/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into pint glass

A: Poured 2/3 bottle....clear yellow with a touch of orange... swirled last 1/3 and poured... now we are a murky light orange with a about a fingers worth of fluffy head that settles to a nice ring with minimal lacing.

S: Smells great, like a great Wit.... Lots of coriander, orange peels, spices, yeast, and wheat. Everything you want...

T: Wheat is right up front with a good touch of orange zest, peels, spices, coriander, and yeast. Finish is clean, crisp with very little aftertaste. Right on top of the style for me...

M: Mid to light bodied with a moderate carbonation. Very smooth feel... good body, very easy to drink.

D: Good ABV, great taste.... Good combo... This is currently my favorite Wit.. Everything fits the style to a tee... Very very drinkable Wit. Seek this one out... Worth a try.

Side note: This is a very young brewery... Give these guys a try...

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2011 00:11:27 | More by mralphabet

zeledonia

Minnesota

3.9/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a light golden straw yellow, a might bit hazy. The one-finger white head, all big bubbles, disappeared when I turned my back. No lacing.

Smells of wheat, spices, and Belgian yeast. Quite nice, kind of a kitchen sink variety, with the various aromas almost, but not quite, blending together well.

Tastes much like it smells. Pale malt, nice soft peppery spice, wheat. No hops, no bitterness. Just tasty smooth pale spicy goodness.

Medium-light body, carbonation is a touch low. Finish is neither quick nor long - right there in the middle. Slightly dry.

A very solid wit, with everything you'd expect and nothing you wouldn't. Pretty darn tasty, but nothing amazing. It's exciting to see a local brewer making this style one of their staples.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2011 04:12:52 | More by zeledonia

wahhmaster

Virginia

3.15/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a Moab Brewery shaker pint.

Appearance: Pours a cloudy, very pale yellow color. Has a thin, fizzy head that dissipates quickly and leaves little lacing. Typical witbier territory here.

Smell: Smells fruity and spicy with definite citrus and coriander notes.

Taste: Slightly bitter up front. Finishes sweet and fruity with a hint of spiciness.

Mouthfeel: A bit on the thin/flat side but still adequately refreshing.

Overall: This is a very average witbier, well-done but unexciting. I would be willing to give it another shot solely because, for me, it's a local brewery and I try to favor local establishments if I can.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2011 18:03:19 | More by wahhmaster

mactrail

California

3.35/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Celery is the surprise flavor. Very vegetal with lettuce and a hunt of radish sprouts, or is there actually some pepper in this? Quite tart with little hint of malt. Very nice mouthfeel-- well carbonated with a silky sense.

Might be a good quaff. I don't care for it as much as other Wits I've tasted. Less beery and more acidic than I like.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2011 04:33:55 | More by mactrail

Godot

Virginia

3.73/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Belgian Wits are not my go to style but this beer is definitely a nice option for summer drinking. Pours a hazy yellow with a big clunky white head. Smell is of orange peel and grains of paradise. The taste is refreshing and well spiced (read not overly spiced). It has a dryer finish than say Hoegaarden, but that is kind of nice. My wife, who is more of a witbier drinker, enjoyed this one thoroughly and I am sure it will be going into her rotation. As for me, I would never turn it down. Definitely a nice and refreshing offering from Port City.

Serving type: on-tap

07-16-2011 23:40:53 | More by Godot

Marty30

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to smokeypeat for sending me this brew! Poured into A Founders snifter at fridge temp.

A. Body is a pale straw yellow,leaves about a 1 inch white head that dissapates very quickly.Spotty lacing is stuck to the glass.

S. Lemon and orange zest upfront with spicy Belgian notes. Has A very nice kind if bread crust back bone.

T. Follows the smell pretty good. Citrus and spicy notes round this out.I'm getting Some corriander,lemon,bread like notes.

M. Light medium feel makes for easy drinkability. Good carbonation cleans the palate.

Overall A very well made beer in my opinion.I havn't had many witbier's this is one of the best I have had.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2011 01:16:16 | More by Marty30

localone703

Virginia

4.22/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is a great wit beer, it's everything a good wit beer should be - light and refreshing, but with a bit of body balancing good proportions of spice that identify themselves without overwhelming.

I can see this going over far better as an overall seller than any of their other beers, and deservedly so.

I'd take this over an over-estimated Oberon any day, now they just have to try to convince the brand-image moron drinkers to do the same.

Serving type: on-tap

06-27-2011 05:47:15 | More by localone703

SummitVA

Maryland

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

A - Nice pale pour with rocky white head. Heavy carbonation.

S – Lemon, sweet pils, and spice—coriander and pepper notes jumping out especially.

T – Sweet pilsner malt followed by lemon and spice. Malt is finished with a beautiful dry tart bite. Coriander, pepper, and lemon linger in the aftertaste.

M – Light.

O – Best offering of Port City IMHO. Fantastic Wit with all the key components. My only complaint is that I’d love a slightly fuller malt presence initially before the light finish. As is, it gives the impression of being a little thin throughout, even when considering the style. A very minor knock on an otherwise fantastic beer. Cheers,

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2011 22:31:10 | More by SummitVA

drizzam

Wisconsin

3.98/5  rDev +7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - A cloudy light orange body is topped by a fluffy one finger head. Head retention is average and some spotty lacing is left down the inside of my glass. Looks like pretty much any other witbier I've had.

S - Wheat, citrus and coriander, with a slightly spicy note on the back end.

T & M - The wheat backbone is followed by nice accents of coriander, orange peel, and a nice little peppery twang toward the back end to give it a little spice. Light bodied with a clean, albeit slightly spicy finish. This is a very crisp brew.

D - A very enjoyable example of a Witbier. My first foray into the world of Port City Brewing, and so far I'm impressed.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2011 01:04:34 | More by drizzam

Chaney

District of Columbia

4.35/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I've had this one more times than I can count now: On tap at the brewery, growler fills, many, many bottles, and I'm just getting around to reviewing it.

This one has the added benefit of being a brew that my normally beer-hated wife will drink with me. She loves this stuff!

A: Beautiful, milky peach/lemon color, with a massive tighly woven 1-2 finger head after a very hard pour that resembled a nito-tap pour.

S: Hell Mr. and Mrs. white pepper and coriander! The spices actually buried the fruit somewhat on the nose, but I still got a slim smattering of citrus.

T: Despite the spice on the nose, I got a lot of fruit and candy sugar on the mid-palate that resembled a pixie stick dust based concoction. Peppery finish.

M: Creamy, and without even a trace of booze. The sweet elements were very disciplined and the spice content... well, they are extreme, yet justified.

O: I friggin' love this beer! A lot of people go nuts over their porter (which is also good), but to me, this is their crowning acheivement... so far.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2011 16:23:24 | More by Chaney

tlazaroff

Virginia

4.53/5  rDev +21.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Hazy light golden straw color topped with a white head.

S: Bursting with Coriander backed by light orange peel, very similar to the Celis White. It is the perfect smell for a Wit beer if you ask me.

T: This is an amazing wit! As the smell is just like Celis White, the taste is too! Packed with a punch of coriander, orange peel, a nice earthiness, and malty goodness.

M: Medium bodied, a bit heavy on the carbonation, and bottle conditioned. Flavor lasts a while on the palate.

D: Moderately high. Delicious beer, the best they brew.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2011 05:22:48 | More by tlazaroff

mpyle

Maryland

3.9/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Straw colored and a bit cloudy. Pours a modest white head, creamy and with some retention (but not great).

Aroma has some subtle spice notes, with pepper, orange, and coriander.

Flavor is more assertive than the aroma, with a nice hit of a peppery orange flavor. Dries out nicely and finishes with a spicy bitterness.

MF - Light body and high carbonation, as expected for the style. Carbonation adds to the drying sensation, and invites another sip.

Overall a nice, light Belgian style beer. Belgian character is present but not overwhelming, but does add a lot to the flavor profile. Definitely a good change of pace beer for the summer months.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2011 18:24:26 | More by mpyle

billab914

Virginia

3.93/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz bottle into my Founders pint glass. It poured a hazy, golden yellow color with a thin, bright white head covering the top of the beer.

The aroma has a bright, citrusy flavor to it with notes coriander and orange peel really coming out. I get a good amount of sweeter, bready, wheat malt flavors to it as well. Pretty nice for the style.

The taste also shows a lot of those brighter, orange peel and coriander citrusy flavors. The orange peel especially stands out to me. I get some bitterness to it in the finish that really helps balance it out.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied and carbonation is moderate, and perhaps a little below average for the style. Overall it's a pretty good beer of the style. The citrusy, orange peel and coriander were very nice and it was pretty balanced overall. A very nice new local beer option for a style we buy fairly frequently.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2011 21:01:48 | More by billab914

Jimmys

Pennsylvania

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

A: highly hazy burnt yellow hue. billowing white head wont let me fill my glass all the way. no carbonation can be seen through the unfiltered body.

S: cracked black pepper. smells like a florist shop with the bouquet of flowers. gentle honey. a dry simple sweetness.

T: a zesty citrus. orange juice. soft sweetness. a bit of lemon that adds just a touch of sourness in the middle. pretty dry finish. not a whole lot of tartness.

M: hard carbonation on the border of effervescent. medium body.

D: one of my favorites from this new northern va brewery. looking forward to some seasonals!

Serving type: growler

04-17-2011 23:48:57 | More by Jimmys

kevinv

Virginia

4/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle picked up from Rick's Wine & Gourmet. Poured into a pint glass.

A - Pours a cloudy straw yellow color with about a one finger white bubbly head. Looks like your typical witbier. The head dissipates rather quickly and leaves little in the way of lacing.

S - The smell actually reminded me more of a Hefeweizen with the fairly prominent banana notes. There are nice aromas of orange peel and some spices. A light grassy hop presence becomes noticeable a bit more as the beer warms.

T - A strong bready yeast is the first thing I notice. Very light and refreshing flavors of wheat, orange, spices, bananas, and grassy hops. The finish is clean and dry.

M - Medium bodied with medium-high carbonation.

D - This is a flavorful easy drinker and one I'm looking forward to having again when the temperature finally warms up here in NoVA. Like I said earlier, this kind of reminds me of a Hefe.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2011 22:44:14 | More by kevinv

smakawhat

Maryland

3.78/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from the bottle into a nonic pint glass.

Off the pour gives a small but marginally sized white heat of two and a half fingers. Body is a slightly opaque lemon gold, looking very much like a Hoegarden only a little deeper.

Bouquet is minimal muted wheat and yeast, faint grain sense. Some small sense of clove spice but not much going on here. It is however pleasant, and solid, but not particularly engaging and big.

After all that you would expect a little disappointed but, luckily from there everything improves. Taste is solid and expansive but simple. Simple chew and spice clove, with a good body. Finish is deep and solid and coating.

This is a straightforward easy drinking example of this style, not much else to say about it, just wish it had a better bouquet.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2011 04:21:17 | More by smakawhat

ShanePB

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle, courtesy of Mike, straight from the brewery. Bleak and boring label...

A: Hazy pale yellow, fizzy almost non existent white head, unless you pour quite vigorously.

S: Quite muted, though some notes of clove, spice and orange peel come through. Subtle notes of coriander and banana in the back end.

T: Very refreshing and light. Lemon, orange, mango and some clove spice. Nothing is dominant or over done - all flavors are blended quite well with each other. Finishes leaves a bit of dryness that I wish wasn't there.

M: Low end of being a medium-bodied beer, nice ample carbonation.

An extremely easy drinking Witbier, for sure. There isn't too much going on here in terms of flavors in both the nose and taste, but there's enough to be refreshing and tasty. Sure there are better Witbiers out there but a really good first attempt from a new brewery.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2011 16:30:06 | More by ShanePB

dedrinker

Kansas

4.1/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Light hazy yellow color with a thin white head.

Aromas of coriander first, followed by a hint of orange peel.

This beer has a very good balance of malt and spice. I would have liked a little more of that lemony juiciness (little more orange peel?) I have found in others, but this one excelled in its moderate coriander profile - enough to always stay present and up front, but balanced off the pleasing light-yet-substantial malt character. It never got on the wrong side of tart and quenching (too soapy - Noxzema - or too tartly citric).

Light-to-medium body, and a clean quenching finish with more deftly handled spice. This is a consummately professional product - locals ought to shun other wit biers in favor of this one whenever they see it. But who's a die-hard born-n-raised local around here? Too many mid-westerner post-college transplants will stick to their Oberon, when this is clearly superior. Oh well, their loss, college don't teach much I reckon.

Serving type: on-tap

03-23-2011 20:06:43 | More by dedrinker

PhillyStyle

Georgia

3.8/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Pizzeria Paradiso, served in a tulip glass - Old Town, Alexandria, VA (3/2011):

The appeared a bright, hazy, light golden color with a nice white, foamy head that was well-retained and settled into a spotty cap and some nice lacing. The beer looked as expected for the style.

The beer gave off the typical wheat-ish aroma, with hints of yeast/bread, orange and some other spices. The aroma was good, not overpowering, but solid.

The taste of the beer was good, followed the nose really well. The yeast/bread/barley was the first thing that was tasted, followed by a nice hint of the spices. The only problem that I had with the beer is that it got a little watered down at the end. I have never experienced that before, so I am not really sure what to think of it.

The beer had a light feel to it. The beer was very smooth and clean, good carbonation and easy to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

03-09-2011 16:43:14 | More by PhillyStyle

sholland119

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Blind BIF Round 4, Beer #4, blind growler. Took this one to our Monday night tasting group. Thanks to Thorpe429.

A-Cloudy, pale straw with a thin white head that does not last long.

S-Bubblegum and banana notes with some notes of lavender. Nice.

T-Nice wheat character, with banana and bubble gum notes, hints of flowery spice.

M-Light bodied, crisp, nicely dry, maybe a bit thin and a little watery.

D-Easy drinking and flavorful.

Serving type: growler

02-22-2011 01:11:03 | More by sholland119

drabmuh

Maryland

3.53/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks Mike, served in a Russian River wine glass. Beer is white with a thin white head and a lot of haze. Moderate to low carbonation, a little lacing.

Smells like wheat, mild esters from the yeast, no spice.

Beer is thin and watery with a grainy finish, it's not bad, just OK. The beer is mildly sweet with little to no flavor in the midpalate but the finish is just a little dry. Overall it's just OK.

Serving type: growler

02-15-2011 19:59:39 | More by drabmuh

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

3.68/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Growler shared by Thorpe429. Thanks Mike!

The beer appears a cloudy, straw yellow hue with a thick, dense white head. The head displays noticeable staying power, gradually fading to about a quarter inch and leaving some decent lacing on the glass.

The aroma seems a bit out of character for a witbier. It smells much more like a hefeweizen, with a prominent scent of banana and clove.

The taste is decent, but with much more banana than I would prefer from a witbier. Also, the spices, especially coriander, are muted and could be brought out more. The beer is slightly grainy / bready, with a slightly low carbonation level.

I'd be interested to try this again, as I was a bit underwhelmed this first time around, especially based on the initial reviews from a few friends.

Serving type: growler

02-12-2011 23:50:06 | More by Huhzubendah

mdfb79

New York

3.83/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Stopped by the Port City tasting room on 02/05/11 and got to try this and their Pale Ale. Decided to pick a growler of this up for a Superbowl party. Reviewed from 02/06/11 notes. Poured into my Duvel tulip.

s - Pours a murky yellow color with one inch of fluffy white head and moderate carbonation evident.

s - Smells of coriander, orange peels, spices, yeast, and wheat.

t - Tastes of wheat, orange zest and peels, spices, coriander, and wheat. A step up from the nose, very enjoyable.

m - Medium body and moderate carbonation. Smooth and creamy body, very easy to drink.

d - I thought this was a good, very drinkable witbier. Nice mouthfeel and I enjoyed the coriander and orange in the taste; not overpowering but enjoyable. I felt like I could have drank several glasses of this. Would certainly get again.

Serving type: growler

02-08-2011 00:05:26 | More by mdfb79

blackie

Virginia

4.1/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

a: opaquely cloudy golden color - typical wit, with a white head that shows average retention

s: clean, spicy wheat body, full bready yeast presence, nice balance of orange and coriander in "just right" proportions, grassy hops

m: lively carbonation - just over moderate, an otherwise light body carries a fullness on the back of the tongue imparted by the oat addition

t: nice set of wit flavors - clean wheat body, lots of bready yeast, orange, subtle coriander, a little spicy, grassy hops, finishing dry and clean with a very mild bittering, hits all the right notes

d: drinks very well, clean with plenty of flavor and a refreshing finish

good first from this new local - look forward to what they'll put out in the future

Serving type: on-tap

02-07-2011 04:15:56 | More by blackie

ahalloin

Virginia

4.58/5  rDev +23.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served on tap at the brewery.

Pours a hazy light golden color with snow-white frothy head. Looks spot on for a Wit with the classic unfiltered appearance.

Smell is good strength for a 5% beer with spicy yeast phenolics and bready malt body. The additions of orange peel, coriander, and grains of paradise are apparent but not dominating.

The taste is really outstanding actually. Muted bready malted body up front with slight sweetness puts you at ease, but then a sudden attack of spicy tartness and slight bitterness bring this beer to a bone dry finish that is very satisfying and refreshing. This is one of those beers where you NEED another sip, after each sip. It is really inviting and well balanced with a spectacular finish.

Mouthfeel is nice with a lighter medium body and medium carbonation. Possibly more carbonation would be right for the style.

Drinkability is great. This beer will make Blue Moon drinkers realize what they are missing in a properly made Wit.

Serving type: on-tap

02-04-2011 22:58:21 | More by ahalloin