Cisco Grey Lady

Brewed by Cisco Brewers
Style: Belgian White (Witbier)
Nantucket, Massachusetts USA

22 oz. bottle served in tumbler- poured a murky yellow with heavy orange tints when held to a light source, thin head disappeared within one minute, hearty carbonation of tiny bubbles. Aroma of oranges, yeast, wheat, malt, and notes of coriander and pepper- very, VERY, interesting! Hits the mouth with a high-thin-body, malt is there but you are taken for a journey to the land of sweet fruit (young pineapple and mangos come to mind), middle continues that journey just fine, finish thanks you for the sip you have just taken and gives you a token to take another sip along with a note of lavender (that’s harder than HELL to create, trust me) along with a solid, crisp finish. The Granholm and OBAMA voters give it a 5, but I give it a 9 !!! It is near perfect for the style, if you don’t agree, please ship one in the top 10 to me. Thank you. You will get nothing back.

Pours hazy gold into a tumbler. Bright white micro head with good retention recedes to skim surface. Mild citrus and spice aromas. Crisp and funky with a lasting, slightly watered spiced orange finish. Best I’ve had from Cisco so far.

22 ounce bottle from the Beverage Warehouse in Winooski, VT (July 2008), sampled a few minutes out of the fridge from a Duvel glass. Immense perfectly snowy, smooth head recedes slowly with little lacing above the very cloudy deep gold body....musty, earthy aroma with floral (jasmine) and light citrus (lemon) hints, somewhat dusty and old -- in a good way -- seeming....earthy, lightly tart, somewhat mineralic body, very crisp and quaffable, a little on the full side, clean and bright and extremely refreshing, drier than most....no world-beater, but at this moment on a very hot and humid night, just what I want in a witbier.

Hazy pale yellow pour with a white head. Sourness on the nose. Citrus and spices on the nose as well. Lemon and orange peel in flavor along with coriander and the sourness come through a bit as well.

Gosh, this has little to indicate it as a Belgian white. It’s earthy like a saison, it’s bright like an imperial pils, and it has the delicacy of a tripel. That said, this beer really brings a lot of coriander, orange peel, black pepper, and nutmeg. Palate is not quite sturdy enough to support all of those spices, but the finish isn’t slick with alcohol and the weight of the beer is surprisingly light. Really good with a toffee or caramel sweet to complement it.

MN Ratebeer Winter Gathering, January 10, 2009. Courtesy of Beastiefan2k. Hazy yellow color with no head. Aroma of coriander and orange. Very wheaty. Strong coriander, light orange. A bit watery. Quite good.

En fût. Verre de dégustation directement à la brasserie. Arôme: Odeur d’ananas, de coriandre et de camomille. Apparence: La couleur est paille voilée avec une moyenne densité de bulle. Présence d’un moyen col mousseux et d’une fine dentelle sur le verre. Saveur: Goût d’ananas et de citron. Durée moyenne de l’arrière goût. Palette: Le corps est moyen avec une texture légèrement onctueuse. Faible effervescence en bouche. Légère présence de citron en arrière goût. (Rating #1110)

Appearance: Pours a clear, pale yellow body and, even with a heavy pour, I still can’t get a head going. Smell: Spicy nose smelling of clove, coriander, and orange peel layed across some Belgian maltiness. Taste: Seemingly Belgian malts with a sugary sweetness followed by a big kick of spices, including clove, ginger, coriander, citrus peel, and star anise. Spicy hops are accentuated by the high degree of carbonation present. A touch of honey on the finish with a lingering spiciness. Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Well carbonated. Drinkability: Not altogether bad. Let’s just leave it at that, huh?