Witch Hunt Spiced Harvest Ale - BridgePort Brewing Co. / Brewpub

vkv822

Oregon

3.9/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz : tulip

Pours clear amber red/brown with a foamy, off white head.

Light floral/grassy hoppiness backed by caramel malt and very faint spice.

More floral hops blend nicely into caramel malt and a light spice finish.

Medium body, fizzy, average carbonation.

Probably one of my favorite beers I have tried from Bridgeport in a long time. Starts hoppy, but well balanced overall. Definitely something I will enjoy having a 6-pack of.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2012 08:44:38 | More by vkv822

Kenzie

Utah

4/5  rDev +17.3%

05-17-2013 04:59:23 | More by Kenzie

mfnmbvp

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle, no apparent bottled on date present. I did enjoy a number of these last autumn when the Halloween fever was on me, and the beer was probably fresh, but I found more of this on the mix a six pack shelf at the local beer store, so I grabbed one to review.

Poured into a Firestone Walker pint glass.

A - An overly aggressive pour on my behalf yields about three fingers of doughy fluffy tan head on top of a beautiful bright blood orange colored body; almost verging on chestnut. Scattered, fluffy lacing.

S - Smell is of sweet green apple skins, and some caramelized malt presence. Some cola-like carbonation & aroma drifting out of this one also. Perhaps some faded spice cabinet smell, but it is unclear what kind of smell it is. No cinnamon or nutmeg detectable.

T - Again, more sweet caramel malts, green apple skin sweetness, and faded hops. No real cinnamon or nutmeg flavor that I am able to detect. Faint metallic / coppery aftertaste. A light, balanced, easy-drinking bodied beer. Not so much a spiced ale, as it is a tame, lightly hopped red ale, or a brown ale as it is listed on BeerAdvocate. Highly enjoyable and palatable, nonetheless.

M - Feel is fruity, sugary, sticky, sweet, with a dry finish.

Overall, this is a beer I really enjoy. Although, it is definitely more malt-forward and hoppy than it is a cinnamon & nutmeg spiced beer. Still, of the four beers I have had from Bridgeport so far, they have all impressed me, and I am looking forward to many more. And the Bridgeport Witch Hunt will definitely be a Halloween mainstay in my fridge.

Bridgeport Witch Hunt Spiced Harvest Ale ---4/5.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 02:11:55 | More by mfnmbvp

dpage27

Ohio

3.25/5  rDev -4.7%

03-22-2013 22:20:34 | More by dpage27

Ssilvey

California

3.25/5  rDev -4.7%

03-10-2013 06:31:33 | More by Ssilvey

Skyjmpr

Missouri

3.75/5  rDev +10%

02-28-2013 19:48:13 | More by Skyjmpr

bathtubeer

Illinois

4/5  rDev +17.3%

02-13-2013 03:21:17 | More by bathtubeer

QuamLaetus

Oklahoma

2.5/5  rDev -26.7%

01-04-2013 19:29:56 | More by QuamLaetus

ScorpyX

Colorado

4.5/5  rDev +32%

12-27-2012 07:54:20 | More by ScorpyX

TX-Badger

Texas

2/5  rDev -41.3%

12-17-2012 23:26:05 | More by TX-Badger

tubeyes

Texas

3.75/5  rDev +10%

12-02-2012 23:26:57 | More by tubeyes

Kahlerbock

Kansas

3/5  rDev -12%

11-26-2012 03:40:57 | More by Kahlerbock

Braz

Washington

4.25/5  rDev +24.6%

11-25-2012 03:58:05 | More by Braz

Vancoubeer

Washington

3.5/5  rDev +2.6%

11-17-2012 04:44:11 | More by Vancoubeer

TMoney2591

Illinois

2.45/5  rDev -28.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

Served in a Lagunitas mason jar.

Some day, I'm gonna pair this beer with a viewing of The Crucible... Anyway, this stuff pours a clear orange-amber topped by a solid finger of light cream froth. The nose comprises iceberg lettuce, very light orange rind, light cinnamon, and a touch of what I believe to be jasmine (if I remember my scented candles and potpourri well enough). The taste holds notes of jasmine-y (or whatever that is) soap, light orange rind, a pinch of clove, a half-pinch of cinnamon, and straight potato root (just let the eyes grow out in a fit of grotesque horticultural artistry). Wow, this stuff really doesn't taste very good at all... The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a fluid feel. Overall, a pretty damn sad beer, one that proclaims its spiciness yet delivers nothing close. This must be a politician's recipe...

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2012 06:32:21 | More by TMoney2591

leprechaunandfatman

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev -4.7%

11-12-2012 00:13:12 | More by leprechaunandfatman

soonerlight

Oklahoma

2/5  rDev -41.3%

11-04-2012 04:25:19 | More by soonerlight

LJWalker

Alabama

3.75/5  rDev +10%

11-03-2012 03:17:55 | More by LJWalker

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

3.95/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into a Sierra Nevada imperial pint.
5.8% ABV, no date.

A - Like a crisp autumn afternoon, the beer pours a clear burnt sienna color with a towering plume of light beige foam. Gnarled branches of lace wrap around the glass creating a picturesque scene to behold.

S - Witch Hunt, contrary to, say, witch capture, does not smell like smoke or burning flesh. Instead, this Halloween-themed beer suggests a familiar aroma from this time of year; pumpkin brew! With it's spiced aroma of nutmeg and cinnamon this brown ale is smooth and simply malted with sweet Munich and caramel with crisp Vienna toast finish. No hops can be found here but the beer does end on an oddly sterile note.

T - The cauldron of flavor melds together nicely as the sweet malt features layers of caramel, bread, toast, and tootsie rolls counteracted by nutmeg and cinnamon spice. Earthy hops which steer clear of the nose insert faint wood and dried leaf characteristics on the finish.

M - From start to finish Witch Hunt is smooth like a broom ride without turbulence. Sweet malt lingers on the tongue but not without some balance. While void of bitterness a dry, spiced finish cuts the sweetness down a notch.

O - I wonder if the brewers cast a spell on this beer as they boiled the wort; a spell of deliciousness! Suggestions of the season's pumpkin-brewed beers enter the mind, but the beer doesn't feel incomplete. Instead, the spice nicely plays off the sweet malt for a drinkable harvest ale that stands out from the crowd without being green. Or burned at the stake.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2012 22:14:42 | More by BeerFMAndy

OldTime

Georgia

4/5  rDev +17.3%

10-29-2012 21:17:13 | More by OldTime

nheinzie57

Illinois

3/5  rDev -12%

10-27-2012 00:50:01 | More by nheinzie57

StaveHooks

Oklahoma

3.75/5  rDev +10%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours a dark amber with a fleeting head. Average lacing.

S - Sweet caramel malt, yeasty spice bead, some ginger, mushy apples, very bready.

T - Spicy hops upfront with underlying caramel malt backbone, some apple, getting a good amount of nutmeg but the cinnamon is faint. The middle is dry and spicy. Bitter pecans come out on the finish making it pretty dry.

M - Medium wet body that does a 180 in the middle turning very dry. Lower carbonation.

It's pretty spicy but it's a spiced beer. It's not a watered down afterthought like most of it's kind. The nose tells a sweeter story than the flavor for sure. This would be a great beer around the holidays.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2012 23:34:15 | More by StaveHooks

sendbeer

Georgia

3.75/5  rDev +10%

10-23-2012 21:12:14 | More by sendbeer

blawjr

2.5/5  rDev -26.7%

10-21-2012 21:15:02 | More by blawjr

bigbear2g19

Kansas

5/5  rDev +46.6%

10-18-2012 03:18:13 | More by bigbear2g19