Ommegang Witte - Brewery Ommegang

Guden

Maryland

3.43/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- A pretty cloudy yellow with a large head that fades into a thick layer but leaves no lacing.

S- Sweet wheat and malt blend with continental hops, peppery spice and lemon/orange citrus. There's some good stuff here but it comes off muddled. The pepperiness of the spice seems to build over time and dominates in a way it shouldn't.

T- Again the sweetness of wheat is the strongest trait with definite coriander and orange. Better than the nose, but not by much.

M- Fairly thick, as it should be, but low in carbonation which keeps it less refreshing.

O- This is just an alright wit, it's not on the level of Allagash White or even Hoegaarden, but it is drinkable

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2013 00:37:03 | More by Guden

kylehay2004

Florida

3.85/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

1.5 finger head with some lacing on a dull gold body. aroma of lemon, grain herbal hops and clove. Flavors include wheat, grains, lemon, club soda, herbal hops. Light body and moderate to high carbonation. Drinkable, not too dry. About as good as a wit can be.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 11:28:39 | More by kylehay2004

DMXLOX22

Pennsylvania

3.45/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Got a 4-pack of this for Christmas, where it was bought by a close friend directly at the brewery itself. Pretty stoked to be checking this out.

Appearance: Pours a nice hazy, lightly colored yellow that reminds you of a lemon. Nicely-styled wheat. Produces a nice 1 1/2 inch head that stuck around.

Smell: Has a aroma full of grain and sweet malts. Noticed a hint of orange and lemon extracts. Light hint of fruits possibly.

Taste: The first taste is a rush of wheat flavors. The lemon flavors stick around and no way is it overbearing. Actually balances out everything quite nice. However, I feel the only thing that may hinder it from me enjoying it more would be its somewhat grassy flavor, but nothing that would kill it. Quite enjoyable overall, but nothing that sticks out of mind.

Mouthfeel: Has quite a light body with moderate carbonation. Went down nicely

Overall: Upon first taste, to be quite honest, I wasn't expecting anything out of this world. It was a nice beer to begin with. If only I could enjoy Wheat and Witbiers more often, I think I would be quite fond of this brew. I would recommend this beer to a friend if they were looking for a nice summer beer to enjoy on a cool summers night. I guess this beer was nice to enjoy on a cold December night HaHa. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2012 02:31:35 | More by DMXLOX22

StonedTrippin

Colorado

4.03/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

classic belgian wit. the pour is cloudy and really pale yellow in color, lots of tiny bubbles rising hotly to the surface. still, the head is small and white, fades pretty quick from the bottle, but ive seen it last better from the tap. the nose is a lot of wheat malt and really farmy funked out yeast, also a fair bit of tartness, like lemon juice from concentrate. the flavor is about the same, with the wheat being really fresh and forward, which is such a rarity these days. the yeast is gold, super bright and spunky, with that lemon zest tart to sourness, almost like a sour beer or wild ale, its pretty far out there on the funk scale. epic carbonation, jivey feel, dances on the tongue, with a real light drinkable body, slammable at this low abv. a really fun beer, could be an easy transition to sours for people yet to get into them, there is so much of that barnyard stuff happening that a sour isnt too distant. overall a wonderful brew, one of ommegangs finest regulars. a treasure.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2012 01:57:04 | More by StonedTrippin

LeRose

Massachusetts

2.63/5  rDev -30.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Dragging the curve down again here... My wife is a fan of this style, I have made home brew witte, and have learned to appreciate the lightness and easy drinkability of this style. But...

Wanted to like this, but we were not happy with it at all. Seemed to lack anything to do with what we have come to expect from a witte (compared to Allagash White, for instance). Weak and watery brew that we might try again to see if it was just the bottle, but I have seen some other low scores for this product. Maybe consistency is an issue? What I tasted doesn't match with the other reviews on this site, for sure. Agree on the pour, lightly hazy, frothy head. We didn't get the citrus, fruity ester, yeasty flavors we like from this style at all. Very thin, watery mouth feel.

Reviewed from notes.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2012 20:15:49 | More by LeRose

kangarooAdam59

Pennsylvania

3.35/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle at the Huntley Taverne (Summitt, New Jersey)

In a weizen glass:

A: pale straw/light white body with no head and some light carbonation was seen rising.

S: wheat with some lemon and coriander coming through very lightly, no yeast?, ok, no worries to me at least

T: the same but added some pepper.

M: light and added some harshness on the tongue. It was very drinkable

O: this was good for the style, and perhaps a bit on average for me, though I'm not much of a witbier kind of guy, also seemed kinda weak on the yeast

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 02:22:54 | More by kangarooAdam59

bulldog91

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours with a slight head and dark yellow, banana-like color. Smell gives a touch of banana but not overpowering. Both in taste and mouthfeel, this is a solid wit. Very enjoyable and drinkable. It's a better-than-good beer that would be just right for summer or thinking of summer.

Serving type: on-tap

11-18-2012 15:29:03 | More by bulldog91

stxp

New York

3.35/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

appearance: pale straw, light white/wheaty almost no head, very minimal lacing, steady rising bubbles

smell: clean, no hops, slightly wheaty, very pils-like, fresh

taste: belgian clove upfront, a bit bland, some bubblegum notes in the finish, slight dry on the end, taste leaves very fast, leaves a bit of lemony linger

mouthfeel: somewhat thin/watery, fairly high carbonation for a wheat, not too filling

overall: easily drinkable beer, nice belgian yeast spice hints of lemon/spices, almost no traces of grain or hops, fast, refreshing

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2012 16:54:16 | More by stxp

scratch69

Missouri

3.9/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I poured a bottle into a pilsner glass.

Appearance- Pale yellow color with a fingers worth of foamy head. Fair amount of runny lacing.

Smell- Banana, coriander, wheat, and yeast.

Taste- Banana, coriander, wheat malt, and a hint of citrus.

Mouthfeel- Light bodied and crisp. Nice amount of prickly carbonation.

Overall- A very enjoyable beer. This would be great on a hot summer day.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2012 18:50:27 | More by scratch69

MadCat

New Jersey

3.83/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Very Light pale straw color, good white head that dissipates quickly, leaves some lacing

Smell: Banana, wheat, cracker, some spice and orange peel

Taste: Wheat, earthy yeast, coriander, orange, banana, some spice

Mouthfeel: Medium carbonation, crisp mouthfeel, medium thickness

Overall: A pretty good witbier. I don't notice any difference between the growler and the bottle (though its been a little while since I've had this from a bottle). Not the best from Ommegang... but still a solid choice from a great brewery.

Serving type: growler

10-10-2012 00:38:20 | More by MadCat

stalker5

New York

3.9/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a cloudy straw/pale yellow color with a big foamy head that retained well to top it off. Smell had a bit of yeast and citrus smells. Taste is about the same, wheat/yeasty taste, some citrus flavors and the coriander to top it off but a bit watery of a taste Mouthfeel is pretty carbonated yet smooth. Overall this is a solid witbier, and would drink this on occasion. Ommegang puts out a solid product.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2012 12:54:00 | More by stalker5

cbutova

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Uber pale yellow color with some haze poured into the signature Witte glass, looks nice. Foamy white cap forms to a few fingers in size and retains quite well. It all eventually falls to a frothy cloud and ring on the beer. Spotty lace around the glass.

S- Not as overpowering as many Witbiers but it delivers a nice yeast profile. Bananas, cloves and lemon zest up front with some Belgian yeast spice, wheat/grain and a small hint of bubble gum esters.

T- Lemon and citrus lead this one off with banana esters and clove notes right behind. Yeast spice like coriander and pepper adds some complexity atop the very light grainy/wheat base beer.

MF- Light as can be with a foamy, high amount of carbonation. Subtle bitterness in the finish.

Solid Witbier. In a style like this it can sometimes be hard to compare beers but this one would be just above average for me. I like how the citrus and yeast profiles play off of each other.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2012 01:48:01 | More by cbutova

CloudStrife

New York

3.9/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle poured into a tulip. PKG on 06/13/12.

A: Pours an opaque light yellow white with a 2 finger fizzy white head. Leaves some nice lacing on the glass. Head remains as a thin film throughout the glass.

S: Yeasty malts hit the nose at first, some wheat or pale malts. Background hints of orange and coriander.

T: Good balance of belgian yeast, malt, orange and coriander. None of them are too overpowering. Has a nice sort of unfiltered characteristic to it that makes it seem fresh.

M: Light on the tongue, with ample carbonation. Crisp refreshing finish. Quite the drinkable brew.

Overall an above average beer, decent wit. Well balanced and easy drinking. Wouldnt turn this down anytime.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2012 04:38:57 | More by CloudStrife

MattyG85

Minnesota

4.05/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from 12 oz. bottle into a Sam Adams "Perfect Pint" glass.

Appearance: Pours a light and very hazy yellowish golden orange. Lots of rising bubbles and a huge six fingers of white foam head with good retention. Leaves a lot of lacing sticking around the glass.

Smell: Big smell of wheat upfront with pale malts and Belgian yeast. Hints of clove and coriander spices as well as a little pepper. Good hints of fruits with some banana, lemon zest, and orange. Also a slight hint of bubblegum and hay. Somewhat tart and sweet smelling. Somewhat subdued but nice and crisp.

Taste: Like the smell implies, a sweet and light crisp wheat taste with some Belgian spice. Belgian yeast upfront with some coriander and clove spicing mixes with sweet wheat grains and malt. Tasting notes of cereal wheat grains, cracker, banana, citrus orange, lemon, and hay as well as a slight hint of bubblegum. A somewhat sweet and slightly tart taste. Crisp and refreshing.

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body with a medium to high level of carbonation. Crisp, smooth, and somewhat prickly. Somewhat drying finish.

Overall: A solid take on a Belgian Wheat Ale. Nice yeast presence and citrus flavor. A very nice summer beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2012 07:37:25 | More by MattyG85

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

4/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from bottle into glass. Pours a very light see through golden wheat color; not impressive, but great carbonation, and head. Smells of banana, clove, and belgian yeast. Nice banana and clove flavor with a hint of citrus. Really flavorfull, great mouthfeel and great flavors, just a bit weak. Nice refreshing summer wit.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2012 22:04:12 | More by DrinkSlurm

BikingDutchman

Iowa

3.28/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A - One finger white head with moderate retention. The beer is a hazy yellow/straw color.

S - Wheat malt dominates the smell with some tart fruitiness.

T - Sweet citrus flavors from the orange peel and a light spiciness from the coriander and yeast cover up the lighter wheat flavors. An almost lemony citrus flavor is dominant.

M - Lighter bodied with an almost prickly bite from the carbonation.

O - Refreshing beer, but not spectacular. Almost too tart for my taste. This would be much better on a hot day.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2012 05:13:27 | More by BikingDutchman

JEdmund

Kansas

3.93/5  rDev +4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Lighter in color than most Belgian wheats; classic haze and frothy white cap.

Smell is a little underwhelming as I get some sulfur/pils notes that I wasn’t expecting. Still, within it are notes of wheat and coriander.

Flavor is light and bright and totally thirst-quenching. The finish has a really tasty bready/sweet flavor that mingles nicely with the coriander. Body is light and effervescent. It’s so well crafted and harmonious that it would be easy to underappreciate this. But I’m not! Ommegang can make fine beers, and this is no exception. Just such a perfect beer for this miserable summer weather.

A stand-out example—minus the somewhat lacking aroma—for a Belgian wheat. I liked it so much I practically guzzled it.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2012 20:12:20 | More by JEdmund

JayQue

Virginia

3.48/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This is no St Bernadus, but it is a decent wit...just right as a summer refresher. Pours a hazy straw color with a good size bubbly white head, Head retention is about average and there is some spotty lacing.

Aroma is weak. A lot of Witbiers have a strong Belgian yeast/citrus/wheat aroma. This one is fairly weak in the aroma department

Taste is pretty good. Some wheat bitterness, lemon zest and a bit of yeast. Mouthfeel is just right. Crisp, light and refreshing.

Overall this is pretty good, but not the usual Ommegang "WOW" factor..

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2012 23:43:41 | More by JayQue

joemcgrath27

Alberta (Canada)

3.53/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - cloudy pale straw colour, tall white head dissipated fairly slowly leaving some spots of lacing
S - mild estery and citrus aromas along with some bready wheat
T - much like the nose with the bready malt taking the lead, finishes with a slightly sour note
M - light body with medium carbonation, finishes slightly dry and puckering sour
O - not bad but not outstanding, fairly easy drinking, not one of the best from this brewer but that speaks to their consistently high quality

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2012 00:38:55 | More by joemcgrath27

tdm168

North Carolina

3.6/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A - cloudy, bright yellow with with a thick cap of fizzy, pure white head that has great retention

S - lemon, wheat, faint coriander

T - wheat, lemon, very faint spiciness in the finish

M - very crisp, a bit over carbonated, light bodied

This is a decent witbier. It's heavily carbonated and very light. The flavor is simple, but it's refreshing and easy to drink. It's worth checking out for wheat fans.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2012 20:29:14 | More by tdm168

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Cloudy light yellow with a detergent-like white head of an inch-plus. Soapy and glazed. 4.0

Musty wheat grains with light lemon in the nose. Yeasty, bready, nutty, and a little tart. 4.0

Bready wit with a whole lot of wheaty flavor. Musty smooth grains with a powdery yeast and light dusty spice. Dry elements, overall. 3.5

Sudsy and smooth. Refreshing feel. Solid body. 4.0

Favorable beer. Stands out amongst other witbiers. 3.5

Serving type: on-tap

06-28-2012 03:57:15 | More by thecheapies

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

3.1/5  rDev -18%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12 oz. bottle poured into an Ommegang tulip.

A: Pours a cloudy golden color with very low clarity, especially after the yeast is poured in the glass. The head is a rather feeble one finger color with thick bubbles and poor retention. Very strong carbonation trails, which may help explain the poor showing from the head.

S: Quite fruity with a slight hint of milk chocolate, which isn't quite what I'm used to in a wit (actually, it seems to be Ommegang's yeast strain dominating the smell). Coriander and spices can be hinted at only after concentrating. Good, but unusual.

T: Again, dark fruit and a hint of chocolate - I know this is an oldish bottle, but the fruit esters are really strong in this one. Just like in the smell, spices can only be found via concentration.There are also smooth flavor transitions from the oats (possibly) used. Fine enough, just not what I look for in a wit.

M: Quite dry from the yeast astringency, but not overly heavy. Not as drinkable as it could be, though. Healthy carbonation.

O: It's alright. I'll give it benefit of the doubt that I had this in sub-optimal conditions, but either way, I'm not exactly impressed with it.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2012 23:52:56 | More by ThisWangsChung

tlazaroff

Virginia

3.45/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On the nose, Witte comes across as more of an orange-peel-forward beer than coriander, which isn't what you would normally find. Don't get me wrong, the coriander is there, but it's not in the forefront. The beer smells yeasty, in a break-like way. Not bad over-all, but not blowing my skirt up.

It's easy on the eyes, a pale straw color with a touch of haze on the first pour. I imagine it gets quite cloudy in subsequent pours. The head was a crisp frothy white, but it fell into the beer rather fast. Head retention along with lacing was non-existant.

Nice flavor bringing the coriander, a hint of pith which is a tad tart (but only a tad), and sourdough bread. It's full in flavor, but somewhat pedestrian. It's in the belgian tradition, and I like it, but I'd like to see a bit more oomph!

light bodied and highly carbonated with a touch of a puckering sensation on the dry finish. It's a great session beer if you are going on the higher end of that definition. This would pair easily with many savory dishes.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2012 01:38:19 | More by tlazaroff

merc7186

New York

3.7/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this beer poured on tap at Ommegang, into a glass mug.

A: Hazy Light Golden Straw Hue, Passes Most Light, Thin White Head, Great Lacing

S: Lemons, Yeast, Corriander

T: Lemons, Corriander, Mild Yeast

M: Great Carbonation, Light Bodied, Semi Bitter

Overall, a nice summer beer and fresh from the source seems better.

Serving type: on-tap

06-12-2012 18:44:46 | More by merc7186

UCLABrewN84

California

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

On tap at The Surly Goat in West Hollywood, CA.

Pours a murky light yellow with a white head that settles to a thin cap on top of the beer. A foamy curtain of lace forms around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of grain, spices, yeast, and some chalky aromas. Taste is much the same with a spice finish that lingers with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer but it smells better than it tastes in my opinion.

Serving type: on-tap

06-10-2012 04:47:35 | More by UCLABrewN84