Tennessee Brew Works Southern Wit

I picked up two cold Tennessee Brew Works beers the last time I hit the store. The first beer was, admittedly, not that great. That doesn't mean that this one will be as bad. I mean, these guys (gender neutral, as I have no special insight into their brewery) clearly got enough momentum to start a brewery and even distribute the beer (which is one aspect that CSB had and lost). Let's bring the awesome!

Another sticky head tops this pale yellow beer with a very grainy and lemony aroma that seems almost to be just this side of skunked. I'd have checked the date this was brewed, but they didn't decide to include the brew date on the bottle at all. It's okay, because it seems to just be flirting with the possibility of skunk, and it might just be me for all I know.

First sip is certainly not mild, but it's also not actually hitting me in the face. It's heavy on grains, and all other tastes are just there as dressing. There is a sour note in there that may very well go away as the beer warms a bit, and I certainly hope it does. I don't like sour beers very much, and I hope they didn't do that to a wit - these white wheat beers have enough obstacles to overcome on their own. Let's gulp this sucker down and see what's what.

Tip-in is lemongrass, earth, and five grain bread with just a tickle of carbonation. The middle cranks up the grains a lot, and they are quite harsh. Carbonation raises the bar with even more with a crack of burn that doesn't stop until the middle stops. It only stops for the finish, and that means we get lemon peel and wheat smacking the tongue.

Bottom Line: In the pantheon of beers, this is one that doesn't need to be made. It breaks no new ground, and it doesn't adequately copy its contemporaries.

0.5/5