Victory Whirlwind Witbier

Why I tried this: A few days prior I had received a text message from WOB UCF that they were going to have a brewery night with Victory brewery on Tuesday night. Brewery nights are exciting because you get to try beers that you may otherwise never see in your region, so of course I had to go. I was hanging out near the bar talking to Bobby a bit about football (soccer), and ordered the first Victory beer listed on tap, the Whirlwind Witbier.

Smell: Pretty typical for a wheat beer. This being a white wheat, it was a bit lighter, but still had your familiar wheats and oats scent, plus a little lingering spice.

Taste: I got a lot of very clean wheats, coupled with a bit of citrus. Not too sweet, just right. The nice thing about it was that although it seemed simple, the flavors all blended very well and were of extremely high quality. The cleanness of the beer made it very drinkable, and not in a watery adjunct kind of way. Awesome.

Overall, I'd have to give the Victory Whirlwind Witbier a quarter empty glass. This was probably one of the better white wheats I've had, which is pretty high praise coming from me, as I love any and all wheat beers. It's not a strong beer by any means, but it's quality and is simply a pleasure to drink. I'd definitely recommend this beer if you like a good hefeweizen, or especially white wheats. Wouldn't mind getting it again now and then.

--Jeff

Lost Coast Great White

Why I tried this: I had had the Lost Coast Downtown Brown on tap quite a while back. So, when I saw this brew on tap, I recognized the brewer name, and thought I'd give them another shot. Their brown ale was fairly decent, and I was in the mood for something lighter after my porter binge.

Smell: Had a scent of citrus, but mostly smelled of wheat grains. Moderately pleasant, not very strong.

Taste: This one was interesting. In addition to the usual wheat flavor, I detected a bit of oatmeal as well. To top it off, a note of orange peel hits you as you finish your sip. The flavors were a bit lacking and left me wanting more.

Overall, I wasn't very impressed with this beer. I wasn't sure whether to give it a quarter full or half empty beer award, but I've leaned towards the half full award. It's just too forgettable a beer. The taste just isn't bold enough, and what's in there doesn't really make for that great of a mix. Would likely stick to Lost Coast's Downtown Brown, if anything.

--Jeff