Satsuma Harvest Wit - Abita Brewing Co.

metter98

New York

3.48/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

A: The beer is hazy light pale yellow in color and has a moderate to high amount of visible carbonation along with some fine particles visible floating in suspension. It poured with a finger high white head that eventually died down, leaving a thin layer of bubbles covering the surface, a collar around the edge, and some lacing down the sides of the glass.
S: Moderate aromas of wheat and oranges are present in the nose.
T: Like the smell, the taste has flavors of both wheat and satsumas, which seem to resemble mandarin oranges with hints of lemons. No spices such as coriander are detectable.
M: It feels light-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer is very easy to drink and would make for a good selection on a hot summer day. I really enjoyed how it used Louisiana satsumas in place of the typical Curaçao orange peels that are typical of witbiers.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 13:57:34 | More by metter98

jmbranum

Oklahoma

4.51/5  rDev +31.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A very pleasant beer.

Gold, wonderfully hazy liquid with a big white head.

Smells of grain and spices.

Crisp and dry, fair amount of spices, slight citrus background. Also maybe a tinge of apricot.

Carbonation is nice and crisp.

Overall, I enjoy this beer a lot. Many fruit beers are too sweet. This one is just right.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2013 21:40:58 | More by jmbranum

mostpoetsdo

Rhode Island

3.08/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12 Ounce stubby poured into a US Pint glass.

A: Straw yellow, sandstorm of sediment, and perhaps fruit peel? Bright, white head, little lacing.

S: Citrus peel, light malt, a little skunky hop factor that is displeasing.

T: Light malt, a hint of adjunct grain. Citrus fruits and peach are prevalent. A touch of spice, but not much. Clean.

M: Light with a nearly fizzy carbonation. Crisp.

O/D: A rather boring, run of the mill Wit, not one of the better representations, in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 03:34:36 | More by mostpoetsdo

Vashtar

Texas

3.33/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Serving type: Bottle to glass

Pale yellow/orange. Foggy. No lacing, little head retention

Hint of honey in the smell? Good!

It tastes zingy and pale

The mouthfeel is average, but a bit too carbonated

Overall, this is nothing special and I don't plan to buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2012 01:48:32 | More by Vashtar

TheDinger

South Carolina

3.98/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into pint glass. A rich golden, hazy pour with a generous 2-3 finger white head. Clouded and murky. Smell is very orange forward with a small bit of bread and cloves. Taste was very smooth and a great blend of fruit, orange, spice and hops. Nothing was overpowering which was a nice surprise. Balanced and refreshing. I like my Wits/Hefes to have a good balance, and this was spot on. The heavier orange taste also made it quite unique. Feel was adequate carbonation with a medium body and lively action on the tongue. Some dry aspects on the end. Overall- A very solid Wit with orange/satsuma forward taste, a balance of bread and spice and nice mild hop finish. This was tough to sit down and very sessionable. Was not expecting this from Abita, but this one is a sleeper and one I will be getting more of very soon. A must try-

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2012 15:19:02 | More by TheDinger

SteveMi

North Carolina

3.35/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Serving bottle poured in to a tulip glass.

A - Pours hazy golden with a one finger white head which starts to fade to strong lacing after a few minutes.

S - Very nice! Citrusy with lemon, orange and a bit of pine pushing through.

T - Orange with lemon with a bit of grass backing. Tangy and slightly bitter on the aftertaste.

M - Super light and fluffy. Carbonation is a little higher during sips than it needs to be but it is not problematic.

O - A good choice for a refreshing drink! Nothing in it was off putting to me and, in general, I don't much like orange. This would be a fantastic summer time brew.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2012 02:19:01 | More by SteveMi

mgironta

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +17%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer poured a half a finger heard with a very light yellow body. I assumed that it would be darker than this. On the nose, I got a lot of orange and lemon and some other citrus smells (which now I assume is this “satsuma” flavor). The spice on this is much milder than other witbiers I’ve had. The brew is mildly carbonated. It tastes almost like Leine’s Summer Shandy, but isn’t as abrasive. The citrus flavors come through on the taste as well with some mild coriander. Other people have mentioned that they got banana from this, but I couldn’t find any. This is a nice and subtle, not overly sweet summer brew. This is another beer that goes down easily. I would definitely buy this again.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2012 23:14:40 | More by mgironta

rangerred

Tennessee

3.03/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

12oz bottle into a pint glass.

Pours a hazy straw yellow with a thick 1.5 finger head. Plenty of carbonation keeps the head firmly in place.

Coriander and orange peel are huge in the aroma. A tiny amount of lemon and bubblegum sneak in there as well.

The flavor is definitely spicy, more so than with a typical wit. Kind of a sharp citrus twang from the oranges that balances nicely with the increased spicyness. A little sour lemon and bubblegum in the distant background leading to a slightly sticky finish.

Overall, there is no doubt that this is a very refreshing beer but the overall flavor just doesn't really do it for me. I don't care too much for the citrus twang and the aftertaste is a little off-putting. Probably won't pick up again.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2012 23:49:09 | More by rangerred

UCLABrewN84

California

3.55/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a murky light orange with a 1 inch foamy off-white head that settles to an oily film on top of the beer. Small streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, grain, yeast, spice, and some mild citrus aromas. Taste is of malt, grain, yeast, spice, banana, and some slight citrus zest flavors on the finish. There is a mild spice bitterness that quickly fades from the palate after each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer that is pretty tasty and easy to drink but I am not getting any strong citrus aromas or flavors.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2012 02:15:09 | More by UCLABrewN84

acevenom

Louisiana

3.45/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours hazy orange-yellow with a white head. Some lacing is left behind. Some bubbles can be seen rising from the bottom of the glass. I detect wheat malt, barley malt, coriander, and orange in the aroma. The expression of the Pilsner malt, wheat malt, and oats in this beer brings a lot of breadiness to the flavor. The coriander and orange are also there, but the citrus is more subdued. The body is light to medium with moderate carbonation. The finish is crisp and clean. The drinkability is high. This is a good beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2012 19:18:20 | More by acevenom

jtierney89

New Jersey

2.5/5  rDev -26.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Satsuma

Hazy super pale golden color with about 2 fingers of sticky bright white head. Good lacing. Extremely yeasty nose with tons of coriander.

Lots of flavor and goes down easy. Extremely spicy brew. Moderate body with a good deal of yeast bite. Wheat comes through on the back end to round that out. A little medicinal with a touch of band-aid like flavor. Interesting citric fruits. A strange beer with tons of flavors that kind of end up all over the place. It's good and refreshing but some of the flavors are off, especially the medicinal and wet newpaper like ones. Good use of an interesting fruit but could use some work. Slightly acidic with the aftertaste thats reminiscent of orange juice. Slightly overly spiced. Again, full of flavor, just a little off the wall and off the money at times.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2012 03:36:23 | More by jtierney89

smitbo7

Georgia

3.95/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pour into my favorite chilled glass beer drinking vessel.

Hazy golden color with a rich foam head that clings to the glass throughout the drink.

Crisp taste with tones of citrus, hops and malt.

Closes nicely with a slight bitter rind after taste.

Very enjoyable on a hot summer day in Georgia.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2012 22:56:53 | More by smitbo7

dfillius

Michigan

4/5  rDev +17%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass
A: beer with satsumas! Aggressive pour yields 1/4 finger of white fizzy head with fair retention. Cloudy and sedimenty lemon yellow liquid. Nice looking overall, but I'd prefer a bit more head.
S: Slight citrus, pronounced coriander, some slight metallic wheat malt. Tasty smelling but the citrus doesn't pop as much as I expected.
T: Tasty, opens tangy with the round sweet malt following in the center of my tongue. The citrus never shows up big but stays nice and tart in the background. It gets a bit too sweet, but it's a good beer nonetheless and very drinkable.
M: Full, round, a tad sweet.
O: Good. I'd have another, but I wouldn't buy 6. I'd consider sticking with this one at a bar, and could have a few definitely.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2012 03:02:26 | More by dfillius

KTCamm

New Jersey

3.78/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into a pint glass. Pours a hazy pale yellow with low foam, only patches remaining. Nose is wheaty and orange. Other fruity spice too. Firm carbonation with citrus fruity blend that fades into a wit wheat taste. Chalky firm hop. Kind of a rind close. Interesting.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2011 14:40:27 | More by KTCamm

bashiba

Iowa

2.85/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured a nice hazy white with an inch of quickly disappearing head leaving just a hint of lacing.

The smell is sweet and very bready with a bit tropical fruit.

The flavor is very malty with a big blast of biscuit with light yeasty spice, the hops bring a balancing bitterness, but unfortunately not much in the flavor or aroma department. The taste really fades fast leaving just a trace of bitter and musty yeast and a hint of pepper.

The mouthfeel has very zippy carbonation and is a bit thin.

Strange Wit, I would avoid it in the future.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2011 04:10:20 | More by bashiba

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

2.9/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Transferred from my tasting notebook.

Appears clouded pale yellowish with orange shading, an initially large and fluffy two finger head falls apart in less than a minute, leaves very little by the way of lacing at all behind, mouthfeel is sort of slippery, thinner side of medium bodied.

Smells of wheaty malt with heavy breadiness and surprisingly faint orange peel...I was expecting a lot more orange peel. Taste is rather in a similar vein, with an initial straightforward wheat and coriander burst followed by the mild acidic ghost of the peel flavor arriving in stealth mode by blending in with some kind of gently herbaceous hopping that appears at the finish of the sip.
The main unusual quality I pick up from this one is the way it leans harder into dryness than most wheats I have tasted. Not that there is anything wrong with that, mind you...but I do have an issue with the fact that I'm completely unable to find any of the banana or clove elements I expect from a wheat beer in this brew...I'm just left with a merely generic sort of sense of herbal pale malt tinged the whispered breath of a orange peels smell. In other words, It really needs some more elements to feel 'complete' to me.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2011 22:34:26 | More by WastingFreetime

DelMontiac

Oklahoma

2.93/5  rDev -14.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a brown 12oz bottle without any date indicators into a Rogue pint.

Cloudy, pale, thin white head, and no lace make for a pretty weak start.

Pretty weak in the aroma dept...hmmm...not really getting much with this one. A slight fruitiness at best. Faint earth and nut. This is stretching it.

A pretty run of the mill earthy wheat berry wit flavor with pronounced banana. This beer is supposed to have been brewed with "real Louisana satsuma oranges." I don't dectect this element at all. I thought satsuma oranges were from Japan anyway?

Mouthfeel is probably the best trait, but nothing to get excited about. Feels like most wit brews out there - somewhat dry and prickly.

Honestly, a bit of a let down. The words Satsuma and Harvest got me excited, but to no avail. Pass next time.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2011 00:53:41 | More by DelMontiac

CEversole

Texas

3.38/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Yellow, hazy, decent lacing and an off white one finger head.

S: Smells malty and bready. I'm surprised I'm not smelling any of the fruit aromas. Not bad though.

M: Very clean and crisp.Moderate body and carbonation. This is about as it should be.

T: Taste of malt grass and good fruit flavor. I taste a citrus orage to slightly peach background. I thought there was a good balance of malt and fruit. Neither was too overwhelming. Maybe some floral hops too? I get a small bit of spices in the background, however I would have liked to taste more of those myself.

O: Not bad by any means. This is about the caliber that Abita puts out. Good, not to over the top beers. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2011 23:05:54 | More by CEversole

beagle75

Iowa

3.5/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a becker glass.

A: Hazy, luminous, pale golden color with over one finger of white foam head that is initially lofty and goes on to show some staying power. Heavy lacing remains on the glass.

S: Bready yeast is slightly savory, with coriander, and buttermilk is also detected. No citrus is present in the smell.

T: Begins dry, with soft, wheat-focused grain, a brief whiff of chicken boullion, and moderate acidity of a mostly citric nature. Honey is aromatic going into the middle, where understated tangerine citrus will build on the palate over time. The finish is yeasty and slightly citrusy, with mild but detectable herbaceous bitterness.

M: Medium to thick viscosity, surprisingly creamy and substantial on the palate, with low carbonation.

D/O: What seemed unremarkable, if a little off, at first sniff takes its time to develop into an interesting and tastefully executed marriage of classic style elements with a fruit addition. While not a perfect wit, its strength is in the understated authenticity of its tangerine component. Texture is heavier than desired, but preferable to being prickly or watery on the palate. Speaking of prickly, it is some of the other, more experimental qualities this beer brings--such as the presence of chicken boullion--that causes it to remind at times of the Bruery's Orchard White.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2011 01:20:48 | More by beagle75

paperbackfoster

Missouri

3.15/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours a a lighter, hazy dandelion sort of yellow with a one finger head. Some sediment vies for space with the body carbonation.

S - Bread and banana with orange, clove, and slight hint of spice.

T - A lighter wit. This one seems to get most of its character from the yeast, lending some fruit and bare-bones sour notes. This is backed up by a light bed of wheat, with the usual wit bit of coriander. The flavor is very subtle, and all in the body - there’s honestly very little of note up front and at the finish. That’s not to say the beer’s not good, and it’s plenty refreshing. There’s just not a lot to it.

M - On the watery side, but carbonation is decent.

Overall - Not an outstanding wit, but a decent session. Nothing negative, but nothing special.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2011 00:06:08 | More by paperbackfoster

JayS2629

Alabama

3.53/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Hazy orange color with thin white head that fades fast and leaves soapy lacing.

Very faint, fruity notes, orange pulp and citrus zest on a watery background with light toast.

Light, watery, and bland with too subtle spice, weak orange notes and a slight wheat, toasty bottom.

Light, refreshing, slightly grainy and gritty.

Overall, its boring, light, and watery. Needs more grain background. It gets a little tastier as it warms.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2011 21:54:29 | More by JayS2629

Jadjunk

Georgia

2.95/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

#129. Still hacking away at my Abita Party Pack. This one is normally a spring seasonal, but there's no date on the bottle. Mysterious but I can usually find room for a Witbier at most times of the year, so I'll make this one work.

Poured from a 12 ounce bottle to a pint glass at room temperature. Served at about 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

(Appearance) Pours a 1.5 finger depth frothy frost white head that thickens as it condenses. Retention is pretty nice and the beer recedes at a labored pace. Evidence of surface lacing is evident- a nice medium froth remains where the head meets the surface. Color of the beer is a dark golden-yellow but very opaque and very dense with lots of pulpy content. Despite the bright coloration of this beer, the little light reflected to my eye comes from bottom of the glass and is battled by very thick pulp. If you like bunches of pulp, this could be your late night juice. Otherwise, this may not match your ideal beer appearance. Does alright by me though- intriguing and appealing. 3.5

(Smell) Your very traditional witbier smells: banana bread, coriander, perhaps a touch of clove and citrus here and there. Not amazingly original but the positives are in potency, where this beer does somewhat well, but could always improve a tick. There's nothing here to turn me off, but also nothing here to discern it apart from the competition based on aroma alone. 3.5

(Taste) This is where it all disconnects. There's a substantial, albeit watery banana bread malty base in the center but very little spice and excitement to round it out on the finish and little content at the beginning. Despite looking thick and bold, the taste doesn't deliver. There's a touch of citrus and the tiniest bit of coriander on the end, but it's just not what I'm looking for in this beer, ions below the balance and presence of icons like Weihenstephaner. The introduction is the most lacking part of the sip, where content and wheat malt should be greeting, I just get water with a hint of flavor. It really needs a tune-up. 2.5

(Mouthfeel) Surprisingly crisper than the appearance gives away. The beer gets significantly thicker as we work our way to the bottom of the bottle, and becomes pulpy and slightly chewy, both interesting elements but neither particularly pleasurable to me. Carbonation keeps this a tad bit tingly, a much more appropriate feel for the beer style than the taste. Body is a solid light and the alcohol is well hidden. This does much better, but without a solid taste to pair with it it's difficult to judge on its own. 3.5

(Overall) If the taste could even match the aroma of this beer, we'd have a far better finished product. The flavor just wasn't matching up with what I was expecting in particular. If you like Witbiers, you'll probably like this in large doses, but on a critical level, I'd pass this anyway even over Hoegaarden. I'm looking forward to an adjustment for this beer next year. 3

Abita Brewing Company's
Satsuma Harvest Wit
C (2.95)

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2011 02:34:04 | More by Jadjunk

zdk9

Texas

3.73/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- Pours light yellow, clouded with a ton of suspended particles. About a finger of white head that leaves some wisps of lacing on the glass sides.

S- A weak smell. Some yeast, spice, white bread. But I could definitely use some more pungency out of this. Probably would be better in a different glass instead of the pint I'm drinking it in, but even so...

T- A good blast of spice and yeast. I was expecting fruity and sweet, and instead it's quite spicy with the coriander really coming out in the flavor. I'm not really sure what satsuma tastes like, but I'm pretty sure it'd be citrusy, and I don't really taste that. Some maltiness like whole wheat sandwich bread and also some bitterness in the back corners of my mouth. A really well flavored beer with some unexpected complexity to it.

M- Highly carbonated, not too sweet. Good here.

O- I didn't have very high expectations for this beer and it really shattered them. This would be a great summer drinker- complex but still light.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2011 05:02:26 | More by zdk9

donkeyrunner

Massachusetts

3.03/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Bought some local LA beer for the season finale of True Blood...then no one drank it.

Opaque banana puddin' color with a quick to surrender, bubbly white head. Few foamy speckles.

Wheat aroma with some belgian-y spice. Maybe, just maybe, some hard to find orange citrus.

Crisp and wheaty with a minor spicy belch in back. Not picking up much of the promised orange or coriander.

Don't tease me with local produce then hide it in the beer. Boo. Otherwise the wit base is, in itself, pretty good.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2011 00:34:05 | More by donkeyrunner

chinchill

South Carolina

2.68/5  rDev -21.6%
look: 1.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

12 oz bottle served in a pint glass.

Even with brown glass I could see plenty of sediment in the bottom of this bottle. Not being adverse to this I gave it a little swirl then poured all but the last bit into my glass. This produced a nice thick head (keeping the appearance rating from hitting 1), but with all sorts of unappetizing whitish particles floating about. I then poured this thru a strainer into another glass, and ended up with something that looked palatable, with a light yellow gold hazy liquid crowned with a generous head.

The aroma of a fruity, spicy and yeasty witbier matches the flavor. Neither is very robust. It does taste better than it smells, and there are no serious flaws in the flavor. The finish and aftertaste are the best aspects, being nicely fruity (mainly orange) and modestly wheaty.

The mouthfeel is light and bit watery, even for this style. Despite the indication provided by the ample head, I felt this could use more carbonation.

This is drinkable and somewhat refreshing ale, but a beer I'll probably avoid in the future.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2011 23:10:07 | More by chinchill