Whirlwind Witbier - Victory Brewing Company

wbickerton

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +17%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Draught.

Pours a medium-sized head that dissipates quickly. Hazy yellow color. Slight lacing. Banana and citrus aroma. Sweet citrus flavor. Reminiscent of Celis White and Hoegaarden White, but even fresher and better. Starts to lose its flavor after three weeks.

Serving type: on-tap

07-28-2004 02:18:15 | More by wbickerton

GCBrewingCo

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer arrived on the bar in a pale yellow with a slight haze. The head fell quickly to the edges of the surface.

The aroma was malty with wheat and slight coriander spice.

The flavor was coriander with slight orange and wheat. There was a slight sweetness present in the flavor.

The finish was dry and crips with slight spice lasting long into the aftertaste . The body was medium to medium light and had a nice carbonation level.

Chalice at CAH Innsbrook. One of the better American made Witbiers.

Serving type: on-tap

07-25-2004 17:33:53 | More by GCBrewingCo

mschofield

Massachusetts

3.93/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours an opaque cloudy orange-yellow topped with a two finger white head, leaves webs of lacing.
Lots of clove, some tobacco, spicy, bubblegum sweetness in the aroma.
Hay, orange, lemon zest in the taste, coriander, pie spices (nutmeg,cinnamon). Note of pit fruits (peach/apricot).
Medium bodied

Serving type: on-tap

05-26-2004 16:20:07 | More by mschofield

JackTheRipper

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Cloudy light yellow in color. Head was pretty thin with no real lacing to speak of.

S: Heavy yeast smell right up front with a nice citrusy hoppy sort of smell below.

T: Astringent, yeast-like bitterness flashes quickly by. Finish mellows out quite nicely, with a nice amount of sweetness that has just a bit of a lemony zing to it. Nice balance of flavors here.

M: Full, quite hoppy for the style. Mouthfeel is fairly sharp. Carbonation is fairly high, but I think that's ok for this style of beer. Alcohol feels stronger than the stated ABV%.

D&N: Very nice, tasty with a bit of a bite.

Serving type: on-tap

05-17-2004 01:55:28 | More by JackTheRipper

rdrummer

New Jersey

3.8/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I've never had a bad beer from Victory, and this one isn't bad, either. It is just not great. The best part about the beer is the way it looks when poured in a pint on draft. A fantastic hazy, light golden color with a good sized white head. The beer reminds me of a Hefe but lacks some of the zip and the body of a good Hefe.

Like a Hefe, the aroma is one of grain with a good deal of citrus, in this case more orange than lemon. The taste is similar to the nose, but there seems to be a bit of spiciness that may be clove. The taste was just a little less than I like in a Hefe-type beer. It compares very well to Hooegarden's, though. So, maybe they're not going for the Hefe taste.

It has a very clean and crisp feel in the mouth and is a pleasure to drink. I just would like a little more to the taste.

Serving type: on-tap

05-05-2004 00:54:43 | More by rdrummer

OldFrothingSlosh

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +17%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at the Capital Ale House Innsbrook location.

Arrived at the table sporting a cloudy pineapple juice color. Thin layer of bright white head soon fades to a edge-only circle. Some lacing of the glass is noted. Aromas are yeasty, spicy, orange zesty, and a bready/doughy note as well. Flavor is like a cross between a mild Belgian ale and a hefeweizen. There's the wheaty flavor from the hefe mixed with the zippy spices of the Belgian. Different, and it comes off well. Crisply-carbonated and slides down the gullet quite easily. Finishes with a clean palate and just a dash of "wheatness" on the palate. Superb summer beer for these soon-to-be-arriving hot and humid Richmond summer days.

Serving type: on-tap

04-29-2004 01:34:02 | More by OldFrothingSlosh

JimsArcade

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Dispensed from a tap to a 12 oz. glass, the white-colored head of the Whirlwind Wit is remarkably big: three fingers initially reduced to one finger by the time I get to drink it. It is cloudy and orange-yellow in color, typical for the style.

In the nose, the aroma is spicy with hints of orange zest and banana. The banana becomes more evident when the aroma is brought into the mouth, in addition to a very crisp sensation.

It is rather rich on the first sip. The maltiness offers hints of citrus and apple. Surprisingly, the carbonation becomes more pronounced as the beer warms mid-glass. It actually becomes more refreshing as I drink it. It finishes clean and slightly sweeter.

Serving type: on-tap

04-10-2004 04:15:28 | More by JimsArcade

ithacabaron

California

3.25/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

After having many a Victory beer in the past, I came
upon the Whirlwind this summer. I consider myself a
Witbier fan, and this isn't bad (really, nothing from
Victory is), but at the same time, I was disappointed.

The appearence was somewhat cloudy, but not where it
should have been (I don't think the establishment I
had it in properly treats the kegs of wheat-based
beers they keep, so this could be part of the problem,
and should be noted in this review). The color was
more of a golden reflected color, than a "wit white,"
and, in tasting, it had very strong lemon overtones. Coriander was
missing, as well as the orange usually found.

This is not a bad Wit, but not a great one. I will try
this again (probably in the bottle) to see if it was
the presentation and handling of the keg, or the beer
itself. For now though, not impressed.

Serving type: on-tap

09-06-2003 15:56:38 | More by ithacabaron

99bottles

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +17%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had a pint of this on tap at a local bar and must say I was very pleased with it. I had bought a case of Whirlwind bottles in May, and found them to be satisfactory, but having a freshly pulled pint was much better. The beer pours a deep golden color, with a very thin fluffy white head. Seems to have less haze/ clouds than other witbiers, but definitely unfiltered. Spice is present, but not oeverwhelming. I tasted good floral notes, and a prescence of orange, complexed by some spice. I assume it to be the typical corriander/clove mix, but it felt restrained somehow. Some sweetness, perhaps vanilla also. Because of the complexity, I found it to be incredibly drinkable, and very refreshing. A nice switch from say hoegaarden, if only for its unique spice character. A great summer beer.

Serving type: on-tap

07-11-2003 05:56:37 | More by 99bottles

Boto

Connecticut

4.6/5  rDev +24.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I had this on tap at Victory. It is a fine, cloudy yellow-golden color in the glass. Decent white, fluffy head. There is a somewhat spicy aroma. The corriander comes through. Many flavors come to the taste buds. It is very rich and full. An excellent example of the style. Not quite up to Hoegaarden or the Allagash, but still superb!

Serving type: on-tap

07-08-2003 17:13:46 | More by Boto

dwarbi

New York

4.25/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The beer is a very, very light yellow - almost white. There's no head to speak of. Smells fantastic. Spicy and lemon scented, like a good white. Tastes chewy. A very nice wit.. clean, of course. Not too complex, but simple and too the point. Very enjoyable and drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

07-04-2003 14:19:24 | More by dwarbi

nomad

Kansas

4.45/5  rDev +20.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured a cloudy straw yellow with some size-varying intermittent carbonation. Had pillowy foam head that died fast and no lace or much else to speak of. Smell iss predominantly sweet, with yeast and wheat scents that wrapp around each other as banana and vanilla esters are strong while spices are light but refreshing. Underneath is a citric core.

Taste was easy, fruity, tart, and drying. Dominant flavors are a water smooth but highly citric and tart fruitiness. The body is a tasty wheat, though they are pretty neutral, and but light lemon and sour is balanced sweet malt and Belgian-style yeast. On this, it was enough to taste the lemon and refresh your palette, but not enough to overpower other flavors - good balance. Also, a noticeable amount of clove flavor toward the end, and some sourness developed in the fairly long finish.

Came across as a thin mouthfeel but actually had some good wheat firmness to it. This is beautiful served cold from a keg. Avoid bottles unless they're super fresh.

Serving type: on-tap

06-25-2003 14:16:53 | More by nomad

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

aaronh

Pennsylvania

4.68/5  rDev +26.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A hazy, lemon-gold beer served with a fluffy white head. Head shows good retention and lacing. The aroma is a crisp coriander and wheat malt note, a touch of sweetness, and then nice cloves. The taste is a strong lemon, malt, and clove taste, reminiscent of Hoegaarden but taken to the next level. It is sweet and crisp, but then is slightly puckering on the finish. The mouthfeel is exceptionally creamy and feels like a much stronger, malty beer, but still refreshes. This beer is delicious and well balanced, making it a great summer refresher/session beer. Actually, the mouthfeel would take it well into the fall months. I've had this on tap and in bottles before, but I don't remember it being this good!

Serving type: on-tap

06-08-2003 19:11:13 | More by aaronh

oberon

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured a nice deep/hazy yellow color with real nice big rocky head.Aroma of lemon zest is most prevelant with some subtle spiciness,taste was spicey and a little smokey with a good lingering tartness to finish it off.A real nice wheat beer that is real easy to drink,well done Belgian style here.

Serving type: on-tap

05-28-2003 18:26:30 | More by oberon

far333

Connecticut

2.85/5  rDev -23%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Having never been a fan of wheat beers, but having always been a fan of Victory beers, I figured that if I was going to learn to appreciate this style, then this brewer would be the one to show me how. Although I am still not enlightened as to the delights of wheat beers, I have to say that Victory seems to have nailed this style. The color was a deep golden yellow, with cloudiness that prevents seeing through the glass. The head is bright white and lingers for a little while. The aroma is strong, reminiscent of a belgian ale. The flavor attacks the senses immediately, and delivers that big round taste that envelops the tongue. There are hints of citrus and pine, no hop to speak of. It's a big flavor, just not one that I can gravitate toward. Victory seems to have done a masterful job with this style, but I can't seem to get through the entire glass.

Serving type: on-tap

04-25-2003 03:39:47 | More by far333