As soon as I could get my hands on some of the new 2008 Beer Lover's Choice Award winner I picked some up. Blackberry Witbier is another great concoction from Jim Koch. It was up against Coffee Stout. Pouring a slightly cloudy dark straw this beer has little to no head retention. The aroma is an unfamiliar berry-esque. It's the Marion blackberries from Oregon located in the foothills of the Oregon Trail where some families ahev been growing the world's best blackberries for centuries. The taste is a bittersweet berry profile and even though it is a new twist leaves a little more to be desired for me. This follows other winner like Nut Brown Ale, Irish Red, and Honey Porter. This is a great marketing gimmick that is used to somewhat track the taste of the populus. By throwing out 2 totally different recipes, SA can keep their finger on the pulse of the changes in tastebuds. 5.5%abv. Made with 2-row Harrington and Metcalf and of course malted wheat then hopped with Spalt Spalter, 60 percent of the popular vote (30,957 total votes) of 52,000 put this one in year round rotation.
