Judge’s Review: 85 Rating – Stargazer White by Highland Brewing Co.

Stargazer White by Highland Brewing Co. is being evaluated as a Witbier (Category 24A) from the 2015 BJCP guidelines. 

The beer poured hazy, straw yellow in color with a large, thick, moussy white head that persisted for a very long time. It also showed a big effervescent quality.

A moderate amount of wheat malt aroma comes through with a malty sweet, nearly bready in nature, and spicy phenolic character coming from the yeast. The hops are spicy-floral, with a light vegetal note that seems out of place but not offensive; slight DMS like. The clove-like esters round off the aroma.

The flavor hits all the right notes of the style. Moderate wheat malt, cloves and Belgian yeast esters that become spicy. The malt turns maltier and ends short and dry on subsequent sips. The aftertaste has a salty character, not sure where it could be coming from. The finish is very dry, perhaps too much, and there’s also an unwanted sulfur note detected. Very bitter, possibly from the added grapefruit peel.

This beer is medium-bodied with a moderately high amount of carbonation and soft alcoholic note. The beer has a pleasant mouthfeel and a light creaminess.

A Witbier that is tasty but has some off-putting qualities. For example, the bitterness and sulfur notes are too high for the style. The flavors seem compartmentalized and not in harmony. May benefit from using sweet orange peels (no pith) instead of grapefruit peel.