Whirlwind Witbier - Victory Brewing Company

beergeek279

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served as a sample at the Penn Festival. The color was golden with a bit of sediment, and not much head for a wheat beer. The smell was of spices. The taste was wheat, and the spices (corriander) were just at the right amount. The mouthfeel was somewhat smooth. I could definitely have a couple.

Victory has made a fairly good witbier, and a good transition from people who had previously only had Blue Moon.

Serving type: on-tap

06-10-2003 17:51:27 | More by beergeek279

dsa7783

New Jersey

4.22/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

At first glance, this beer poured with minimal or no head... The aroma is a sublime citrus-scent with wheat predominating. At the initial taste, nothing fancy or over-the-top, but nonetheless a good, decent witbier that deserves some recognition. I've tried better and I've tried worse, but overall I was not dissapointed with this selection. Was able to find this in November, although this is supposed to be a summer-time beer... The taste is a little spicy but cannot compare to some other brews I've sampled... All said, worth a try and definitely an above-average sample...

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2007 23:29:30 | More by dsa7783

epicness

New York

4.22/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pale yellow and foamy. Small one finger head with quick retention.
Decent lacing.

S: The oh so typical classic smell of bananas, cloves, coriander and citrus. I love it.

T: Solid and unexpected. I didn't think this was going to be better than average when it came to witbiers... but it turned out to be one of my top 5 definitely. It has a nice full smooth taste of citrus lemon, but the yeast and wheat comes in before it. It's a very nice balance.

M: Clean aftertaste with a pleasant carbonation that enhances the flavor.

D: A very drinkable witbier. It's quality. Try it.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2009 00:18:38 | More by epicness

t00sl0w

Florida

4.22/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- yellow/pale gold, finger head that dissipates and leaves nice lacing

S- grassy, wheaty

t- wheaty, tad bit of hops.

m/d- mouthfeel was carbonated at first, but after it sits it becomes smoother. easy to drink, and stays that way when it warms up.

i like this beer, i have become partial to witbiers lately. i would recommend it for a hot day, or for when lounging and you want something simple yet enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2010 20:24:28 | More by t00sl0w

doho95fu

California

4.2/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This is a good example of the style. It pours the color of lemonade and looks more refreshing. It has an average head, and the smell is of citrus, a little spice. The taste is really great and refreshing. The beer did seem to be more carbonated? Foamy? The bubbles were shooting up the sides of my pint. Drinkable, refreshing, crisp. This style and this beer specifically are perfect for warm weekend afternoons.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2002 09:08:26 | More by doho95fu

GreatPondBrewer

Oregon

4.2/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Haven't reviewed a Victory beer in quite a while. This did not disappoint especially on a summer afternoon. Poued a super hazy yellow color with virtually no head. Smelled juicy and ripe like mellon or peach. The taste was pure pineapple taste with a slight tart citrus flavor, but not quite lemon. It was very juicy and full bodied for a witbier. The mouthfeel is perfectly tart and scratchy and full of tiny bubbles. Tastey beer and perfect for the summer.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2004 22:29:35 | More by GreatPondBrewer

medic25

Connecticut

4.2/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a hazy, golden color with a short-lived frothy white head. Great yeasty, fruity nose. Refreshing taste; very citrusy, with again a strong yeast flavor. This is a very well done example of a Belgian witbier. Mouthfeel is a little thick, but in no way heavy. I could picture downing quite a few of these on one of the hot, sticky Northeastern summer days that are headed our way in the next month or two.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2005 02:15:00 | More by medic25

wheelinshirt

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured a minimally cloudy straw color with little head and zero retention and lacing in my pint glass (wish i had a pilsner glass on hand). Smell is zesty, orange, clove, a little sour and a good bit yeasty--lots going on here, all good!

Taste is similar, very clean though. The flavors from the spices and yeast aren't very aggresive and let the body really shine through--light and crisp with lively carbonation that is just right, tremendously drinkable. I wish i was drinking this on a hot summer day, it would be extremely refreshing. Very solid offering overall from victory. Man, the more I drink it the better the yeasts start to taste. I wish there was more yeast in mine, i like em real cloudy. I also wish it looked better in the glass, but I guess you can't have everything.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2007 07:45:24 | More by wheelinshirt

WestValleyIPA

California

4.2/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into the evertrusty Zatec fluted glass. Got 2 fingers of head from an aggressive pour. Smells like classic witbier, coriander, belgian yeast, corn tortilla. Flavor is kind of citrusy, flavorful, and a bit of the aforementioned corn tortilla/enchilada. Refreshing, savory, great example of style.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2010 06:20:40 | More by WestValleyIPA

FickleBeast

New Jersey

4.2/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 oz bottle poured into a pint glass

Pours a bright yellow with chunky bits of yeast throughout. I tried to leave most of the yeast in the bottle. Very little foam, and what foam is there dissipates very quickly. Aroma is redolent of spicy Belgian yeast and some clove-like aromas.

This Wit is quite refreshing. Clove-like yeast flavors are most dominant. Carbonation is light, and this beer finishes pleasantly dry and crisp. Even though this beer is built around the yeast, it avoids the phenolic and spicy yeast flavors that I dislike. I'm enjoying this one!

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2010 04:21:20 | More by FickleBeast

twiggamortis420

Texas

4.2/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle courtesy of mgbickel. Pours a hazed, light yellow color with a fluffy, small-bubbled head. Retention is ok and leaves a nice sudsy film and collar.

Nose is cloves, lemongrass, coriander and a hint of orange. Nice, fairly classic witbier nose with a little more zest to it than some of the softer, imported versions.

Coriander has a little edge to it here, I also am still getting the lemongrass...I wonder if Victory uses it in this one? Theres also a blood orange citric presence that is cool. Nice balance of sweet and spice, neither dry nor cloying...I like it quite a bit. Im a sucker for a good wit, and this one is one of the best new ones I have tried in quite some time. Its always a good thing if my beer is empty before I can finish typing my thoughts!

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2011 18:48:04 | More by twiggamortis420

ChrisBowers

Virginia

4.18/5  rDev +13%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

One of my favorite US produced Witbiers. Pours a murky yellow with nice fluffy head. Aroma is yeasty, spicy, like a Witbier should be. Taste... crisp, refreshing, slight orange and corriander notes with a nice spiciness in the finish. Great on a hot day or to cleanse your pallete. Immensely drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2005 22:28:35 | More by ChrisBowers

JerzDevl2000

New Jersey

4.18/5  rDev +13%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Picked this up recently, since the Prima Pils was very enjoyable and I'm still on a spring beer kick. I really enjoyed this brew, even though it was a bit different than other witbiers that I've had as of late. Victory makes quality offerings and this one was exception!

The pour was wonderful - it had a beautiful goldenrod/straw color after swirling and pouring in the last third or so, a rich head, and the right amount of carbonation were all present. There wasn't any lacing to be found, but the aroma and taste more than made up for it. Floral and herbal scents dominate here, with some straw, grass, cloves, and coriander in the background. All of them worked harmoniously well together, and there wasn't any dullness or hops in the aftertaste. Just a nice residue from the wealth of flavors on top of a malty and slightly bready base. Quite an experience to enjoy, but never overhwhelming to any of the senses!

I prefer my witbiers to have more of a wheat and citrus base to them, but this was just as good in my book, even though the flavors were not what I'm normally used to. It's always a treat to expand my tastes and palate to something new and untried, and this beer accomplished those tasks quite easily. Certainly worth a shot for those who love well-crafted witbiers, a session brew, something a bit out of the ordinary, or all of the above at once!

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2006 06:10:02 | More by JerzDevl2000

AltBock

Ohio

4.18/5  rDev +13%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz. bottle with a light blue label and on this label is a funky smiling white cloud with weird hair and pumping his gun while whirling around a pint glass filled with yellow beer. There is no back label because all of the information is on the front. On the front is the Govt. warning, information about the beer, a date clearly marked on the left (Best Before Oct. 25 06), and it says it's a bottle conditioned ale. Funny but somewhat funky label.

Appearance: When poured into a Pilsener glass, the beer was a hazy bubbly light yellow color with an 1 finger head of foam. The head of foam dissipated away faster than most and left just little amount of foamy rings and just a trace of lace around the glass.

Smell: Smelled like a Witbier is suppose to smell like, to me. It had plenty of cloves sitting next to some citrus fruits and all of this was Whirling around the aroma of the yeast. What more can I ask for from an American Witbier?

Taste: I noticed that the initial taste was that of the cloves and some spices, followed by the lemons and the other varieties of citrus fruits and this all ended with a taste of yeast and sometimes bread. This tastes weren't exactly Whirling around, but it was still pretty good.

Mouthfeel: It was very light, crisp, and smooth with a slight aftertaste of yeast and bread.

Drinkability: Something that I would have to buy and try again on a hot Summers day. As of now, this would have to be one of the best Summer beers I've tried lately. Another winner from the brewery form Downingtown, PA!

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2006 19:45:32 | More by AltBock

phisig137

Virginia

4.18/5  rDev +13%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Pours a very hazy light gold color, with a one finger head that quickly falls. Ring is left around the glass. Beer catches the light, and has a wide range of gold/yellow colors up and down the glass. Looks quite nice.

Aroma is very nice. Incredibly yeasty, backed by a whirlwind of spices. Yeast esters are typical wheat notes, and heavy on the cloves and bubblegum. The spice is mostly a smooth coriander note, with only a hint of citrus. All of the traditional Wit aromas you would expect, but "turned up to eleven" in a typical American fashion. I love it.

Flavor is light and refreshing. The wheat shines through on the palate, and the citrus shows up here, along with some of the yeast spice. Light and refreshing. Aggressive carbonation gives this a light mouthfeel, and keeps it refreshing. Drinkability is excellent.

Another incredible beer from Victory. This is my quintessential summer beer. On a hot day, sitting outside, this is pretty hard to beat.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2006 02:55:24 | More by phisig137

AChamberlain

Texas

4.18/5  rDev +13%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle bought from the Park Slope Food Coop. 12oz with an experation date of 4-30-08. Poured a cloudy orange with an extremely thin head. Very effervescent. Corriander aroma. Tart and citrusy sweet. Very tasty. Fizzy fresh mouthfeel. Very drinkable, I really miss having this beer. Hopefully it will make it down here in TX soon.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2008 02:49:14 | More by AChamberlain

GatorBeerNerd

Georgia

4.18/5  rDev +13%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a wheat color yellow with an extremely thin covering of head that disappears before you put the bottle down. I thought the bottle may be old due to lack of carbonation, but there is still a month left in the enjoy by date.

S: A strong lemony citrus aroma meets your nose before it even gets close to the glass. There is some sort of spice smell that is very pronounced as well. It has a more interesting smell than most wheat beers I have had.

T: The taste closely follows the smell. Lemony citrus notes along with a some nice spicing. Like most Witbier offerings it is extremely clean and refreshing. However, this one has an interesting flavor like the best in the style.

M: The lack of carbonation in the mouth is replaced nicely by the spicing. It is extremely thin like most in the style.

D: The addition of the spicing really adds to the taste and mouthfeel, but when comparing it to others of this style its not quite as drinkable due to the spicing.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2008 23:25:39 | More by GatorBeerNerd

largadeer

California

4.18/5  rDev +13%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Best by March '09.

Appearance: Cloudy and opaque blond with surprisingly little head. The foam recedes pretty quickly here, leaving only a fizzy ring.

Smell: Floral, grassy and herbal; spicier as it warms. Mild but very nice.

Taste & mouthfeel: Fairly dry (just the right touch of malty sweetness) with a nice spicy kick (coriander I'm guessing?). Light and crisp with a clean, dry finish. I'm liking this more than a lot of authentic Belgian wits I've had.

Drinkability: Sessionable to the extreme - It'd be easy to drink a few of these without a second thought. Sadly, I've only got one.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2008 00:57:11 | More by largadeer

julian1117

Colorado

4.18/5  rDev +13%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Had this as part of 2 5-glass samplers at the Victory Brewing Company in Downingtown, PA.

I would actually rate this higher than a lot of people in that I'm in a "Belgian-phase" right now and may have rose-colored glasses. My first witbier, I thought that even though the mouthfeel was flat, this witbier had a unique taste which intrigued me. I could very well see myself ordering a few.

Serving type: on-tap

05-31-2009 01:06:27 | More by julian1117

TheDeuce

New York

4.18/5  rDev +13%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Whirlwind Witbier....on tap at Slainte in Philadelphia...

Appearance-light orange, cloudy hazy body, thin head but lots of bubbles.

Smell-normal wheat smells, hazy grain, orange spice, light fruit, fairly aromatic.

Taste/Mouthfeel-Well balanced, clean flavor, nice taste all the elements of a good wheat are there, though maybe a little subdued, still everything flows nicely and I particularly like the rush of spice at the end.

Drinkability-easy drinking wit.

Overall-nice balanced wit with good flavor, recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

08-31-2009 21:12:59 | More by TheDeuce

sublimesipping

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Aahh, this is one of my favorite summer thirst quenchers, and close to one of my favorites of the style; i think definitely the class of the amrican wit style. Pours a beautiful lemon- yellow color with a two inch+ foamy white head. Excellent clarity and glass-lacing. aroma of corriander citrus, lemon, citron, almond essence. Taste is so wonderfully refreshing, crisp lemony with a hint of anise. the memories of ocean surf and walks along the beach on the cape and at the shore linger and linger. Similar to the taste experience that rides though the palate for wholesome satisfaction. Very, very mellow, balanced and refreshing. Wonderfully satisfying happy-style beer. A "cool" beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2004 01:41:58 | More by sublimesipping

deejaydan

Michigan

4.15/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Purchased from local beer merchant, didn't realize until I got home it was about 4 months past the "best before" date. Oh well.

Pours a very pale, clear yellow, with some bubbles coming through that look like sand. Aroma is very strong, in a good way of citrus zest. Flavor is light, but there is enough there to keep you interested. The blast of orange or lemon zest hits you, and then it's wiped away by the malts and heady carbonation. This is probably one of the best American takes on this style. I'm SO happy that Victory is distributed in Michigan now.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2005 22:39:16 | More by deejaydan

tastybeer

North Carolina

4.15/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pale golden yellow, hazy with a foamy head that turns to a tiny white ring. Aroma is an explosion of peppered lemon, heavy wheat and grain, and coriander. Very fresh and aromatically uplifting. Fitting title too. Taste is abundant with deliciously fresh lemons, slightly lime as well as orange, and thoroughly spiced. The bready wheat malts have a good balancing presence and give a slight grainy texture in the slick mouthfeel. The lingering dry tangy lemon on the toungue keeps you well aware of what you're drinking, and oh how drinkable it is.

Quite a wheat beer. Has all it should, and then some.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2006 04:23:45 | More by tastybeer

Chaz

Minnesota

4.15/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5

Pours a hazey-golden in color, appears almost white (and quite opaque) in the muted light of the bar. Thin whisp of a head and minimal lacing. Light wheat malt and a hint of subtle aromatic spice on the nose . . . peppery. Tangy and zesty on the first sip, with coriander being the dominant (albeit not overpowering) spice. Lightly tangy-sour,and with just enough crystal malt sweetness to counterbalance the yeast and spice. Although this was served rather cold, it tends to open up nicely as it warms. Lighter in body and mouthfeel, Whirlwind seems almost watery at first, but the body, too, tends to develop as this warms. Ample carbonation, and combined with the zesty, spicey, yeasty aspects makes this a cleansing and almost brisk drink. Lemony (lemon rind?) aftertaste lingers and augments the light, aromatic hops used, definitely not very bitter. Insanely drinkable . . . Whirlwind Wit has been a very consistent brew over the years, and for that reason remains my favorite American rendition of the Witbier style.

Serving type: on-tap

05-23-2007 21:46:30 | More by Chaz

tone77

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

From a 12 oz. brown bottle. Pours a golden color with a 1/2 inch head. Smells of wheat, cloves, citrus, a lot going on here. Tastes like it smells. A lot of different flavors combining to a quite delicious tasting ber. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and goes down very smooth. I would definatly recommend this beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2009 23:37:27 | More by tone77