On Tap.

3 Nations Takes The Witbier Style And Distorts It As Is Pleases.

Welcome to On Tap! Each week in this recurring feature, we’ll take an in-depth look at one of the many beers now available in the suddenly crowded North Texas brew scene. The goal here is to look at these area beers without our local goggles on and to wonder aloud, “Is this beer good or do I just like it because it’s local?” Should be a fun experiment, no? Cheers to that!

This week, we sipped on 3 Nations Brewing’s American Wit.Fast Facts on 3 Nations American Wit.
Style: Witbier.
ABV: 5.5 percent.
International Bitterness Units (IBUs): 15.
Color: Medium gold.
Availability: Cans.

Overview.
3 Nations Brewing Co. kegged its first beer in 2015 and made a rather delicious splash in to the Dallas beer scene, notably with its GPA, a delicious and also sessionable pale ale with a German nod. Since then, it seems that its focus has remained fixed on a stable of flagship beers. So while it’s not out there making a bunch of variations on its beers, the ones that it has released have all been solid thus far. With a fickle and sometimes flighty drinker base constantly distracted by new shit, it’s refreshing to see a brewery whose focus is on a smaller base of beers.

Background on Witbier.
In a previous post, we spent a little bit of time on what the Wit style is supposed to be like. For that primer, check out our review on Noble Rey’s Golden Rey with Raspberries and Ginger. Wits are a classic Belgian style brewed toward the lower end of the alcohol spectrum. The traditional wit will be a cloudy beer due to a hefty amount of wheat in the grain bill. The wheat can also provide some extra foam for enhanced head retention. Sometimes, a wit will keep it’s foam all the way to the end of the pour like a traditional Weissbier. Aromas should contain that classic Belgian character, along with faint peppery notes from spice additions like coriander, and some sweet notes like vanilla, honey or orange peel. Hop usage in Witbier should be minimal at best, and neither the hop aroma nor bittering additions should overpower the aroma or flavor.Appearance.
American Wit pours clean. Its bright gold color is a tiny bit hazy at first, but then it clears in no time at all. Traditional Witbiers are known to be a hazy bunch due to the large amount of wheat malt found in their grain bills. But that’s not the case here with American Wit. The brewers are putting an American spin on the classic style. So while the appearance is a bit out of style for the classic Witbier style, we won’t knock 3 Nations too much on this point because this is, no doubt, a beautiful beer.

Aroma.
The aroma seems to fall back in line with what I think of when I drink a wit. I sense a warm pallet of malty grain, with a tiny bit of sweetness. I also get that classic Belgian scent provided by the yeast profile and the spices added to this beer–namely a coriander sort of aroma. It’s spicy, but just a tiny bit of pepper sort of thing. There’s a roundness on the sweet sensation I get, almost like vanilla. I also get a tiny bit of citrus, sort of a juicy orange kind of aroma hanging around in the back of the aroma profile.Flavor.
The flavor here is mostly in-style, but pops in a little bit of extra hopping. 3 Nations says that it uses Mosaic hops in this beer, but they’re sort of tough for me to pick out. That’s a good thing though, I guess, because the hops are certainly not supposed to be the showcase item in a Witbier. Behind this hop bitterness is a nice orange sweetness that plays well with the bits of spice present here.

Mouthfeel.
The mouthfeel is decidedly bright and crisp. It feels a tad thin, but it is a lower-ABV beer in the end. Wits with a higher amount of wheat in the grain bill drink a bit smoother or creamier, but I don’t get so much of that here. This beer drinks nice and bright like a kolsch, but with more residual sweetness after the swallow.Overall Impression.
I’m a fan of this beer. While some of its traits seem to live a bit out of style, it’s enjoyable, crisp and easy-drinking. 3 Nations labels this beer as a Belgian-American Witbier, a sign that it doesn’t intend for this beer to take on all of the responsibilities and obligations of the Witbier style. The Belgian yeast flavor shines in this beer, the spice additions are just right, and the finish leaves me wanting to have another sip.

Score.
On a scale of 1 to 10, I’d give 3 Nations American Wit a 7.75.What’s happening in the area brew scene?
• Saturday, November 5. Festicle at BrainDead Brewing.
• Saturday, November 5. Five Years of Beers at Deep Ellum Brewing Co.
• Saturday, November 5. Twelfth Anniversary Tour & Tasting at Rahr & Sons.
• Friday, November 11 through Sunday, November 20. North Texas Beer Week.
• Saturday, November 12. Untapped: Dallas at Fair Park.
• Friday, November 18. NTX Beer Week Brewer’s Ball at Omni Dallas.

Previous On Tap Reviews:
• Revolver’s Sangre y Miel: 10.
• Peticolas’ Royal Scandal: 10.
• Community’s Mosaic IPA: 10.
• Peticolas’ Velvet Hammer: 10.
• Community’s Barrel-Aged Legion: 10.
• Community’s Legion: 10.
• BrainDead’s Fill in the Blancs: 9.5.
• Oak Highlands’ Freaky Deaky: 9.5.
• Deep Ellum’s Barrel Aged Four Swords: 9.5.
• Lakewood’s Saint Dymphna: 9.5.
• Peticolas’ Lost Epic: 9.5.
• Community’s Ascension Porter: 9.5.
• Lakewood’s Temptress: 9.5.
• Lakewood’s Goatman: 9.5.
• Community’s Public Ale: 9.5.
• Peticolas’ Thrilla in Brazilla: 9.5.
• On Rotation’s Jalapeno Saison: 9.
• Woodcreek’s Bourbon Barrel Bock: 9.
• Lakewood’s Wild Manimal: 9.
• Revolver’s Blood & Honey: 9.
• Martin House’s Imperial Texan: 9.
• Community’s Trinity Tripel: 9.
• Peticolas’ Irish Goodbye: 9.
• Four Corners’ Block Party Porter: 9.
• Cedar Creek’s Belgian Dubbel: 9.
• Small Brewpub’s Black Pepper Pils: 8.5.
• Peticolas’ Ghost Of Alfred Brown: 8.5.
• Deep Ellum’s Easy Peasy IPA: 8.5.
• Deep Ellum’s Oak Cliff Coffee Ale: 8.5.
• Lakewood’s Rock Ryder: 8.5.
• Rahr’s Bourbon Barrel Aged Winter Warmer: 8.5.
• Lakewood’s Raspberry Temptress: 8.5.
• Peticolas’ Prime Minister: 8.25.
• Texas Ale Project 50 Ft. Jackrabbit: 8.
• Texas Ale Project’s Payne Pils: 8.
• Noble Rey’s Bridesmaid’s Tears: 8.
• Collective Brewing’s Urban Funk House: 8.
• Lakewood’s On Call: 8.
• Oak Highlands’ Golden Mustache: 8.
• 903 Brewers’ Crackin’ Up: 8.
• Deep Ellum’s Play Date: 8.
• Rahr & Sons Brewing Company’s 11th Anniversary Russian Imperial Stout: 8.
• Bitter Sisters’ Belgian Tripel: 8.
• Noble Rey’s SteamPunk: 8.
• 903 Brewers’ Citra On Top: 8.
• Bitter Sisters’ Hissy Fit: 8.
• BrainDead’s Gritz: 8.
• Community’s Barrel-Aged Inspiration : 8.
• Cedar Creek’s Fisticuffs: 8.
• Lakewood’s Punkel: 8.
• Four Corners’ El Chingon IPA: 8.
• Martin House’s Day Break: 8.
• Deep Ellum’s GOURDzilla: 8.
• Peticolas’ The Duke (Aged 12 Months): 8.
• Deep Ellum’s Pale Ale: 8.
• Revolver’s Bock: 8.
• 903 Brewers’ Sasquatch: 8.
• Peticolas’ Wintervention: 8.
• Armadillo Ale Works’ Brunch Money: 8.
• Martin House’s Salsa Verde: 8.
• Cedar Creek’s Spinning Mule Robust Porter: 8.
• Lakewood’s Holiday Bonus: 8.
• Lakewood’s Hop Trapp: 8.
• Legal Draft’s Accused Amber Lager: 7.5.
• Grapevine’s Reserve Tart Cherry Berliner Weisse: 7.5.
• Martin House’s Stars Above: 7.5.
• Grapevine’s Prickly Pear Wheat Ale: 7.5.
• Bitter Sisters’ Knock Out: 7.5.
• Four Corners’ Notorious O.A.T.: 7.5.
• Noble Rey Golden Rey With Raspberries and Ginger: 7.5.
• On Rotation Saved By The Belma: 7.5.
• True Vine’s Unicorn’s Revenge: 7.5.
• Deep Ellum’s Hop Seeker: 7.5.
• Four Corners’ El Super Bee: 7.5.
• Lakewood’s Hopochondria: 7.5.
• Three Nations GPA: 7.5.
• Martin House’s Rubberneck Red: 7.5.
• Lakewood’s Antigoon’s Revenge: 7.5.
• Community’s Texas Pils: 7.5.
• Lakewood’s Zomer Pils: 7.5.
• Cedar Creek’s Dankosaurus: 7.5.
• Oak Highlands Brewery’s Oktoberfest.: 7.25.
• Backcountry’s Double IPA: 7.
• Rahr’s Visionary: 7.
• Shannon Brewing’s Irish Cream Ale: 7.
• Oak Highlands’ Guava Good: 7.
• TUPPS Brewery’ Northbound 75: 7.
• Rahr & Sons’ Iron Joe: 7.
• BrainDead’s I Like Harvey IPA: 7.
• Martin House’s Turtle Power: 7.
• Collective’s Petite Golden Sour: 7.
• Shannon’s Chocolate Stout: 7.
• BrainDead’s Red Ale: 7.
• Community’s Razzy Raspberry Witbier: 7.
• Martin House’s Gateway Blonde Ale: 7.
• Bearded Eel’s Purple Unicorn: 7.
• Noble Rey’s Off The Leash: 7.
• Shannon Brewing Company’s Irish Red: 7.
• Texas Ale Project’s Somethin’ Shady: 7.
• Deep Ellum IPA: 7.
• Cedar Creek’s The Lawn Ranger: 7.
• Martin House Brewing Company’s Cellarman’s Reserve IPA (Amarillo).: 7.
• Lakewood’s Till & Toil: 7.
• 903 Brewers’ The Chosen One: 7.
• 903 Brewers’ Sugar On Top: 7.
• Martin House’s Gateway XPA: 7.
• Armadillo Ale Work’s Quakertown Stout: 7.
• Revolver’s High Brass: 7.
• Community’s Pale Ale: 7.
• Oak Highlands’ Chump Change: 7.
• Martin House’s River House: 7.
• Grapevine Craft Brewery’s Sir William’s Brown Ale: 7.
• Community’s Funnel Cake Ale: 7.
• Audacity’s Boss Raptor IPA: 7.
• Martin House’s Queen of the Mist (Prickly Pear): 6.75.
• Martin House’s The Juice: 6.5.
• Collective Brewing Project’s Mom Azacca: 6.5.
• Four Corners’ La Lechuza: 6.5.
• Revolver’s Ironhead IPA: 6.5.
• 903 Brewers’ Trot Line: 6.5.
• Peticolas’ Operation Collaboration: 6.5.
• Grapevine Craft Brewery’s Nightwatch: 6.5.
• Peticolas’ The Duke: 6.5.
• Deep Ellum’s Double Brown Stout : 6.5.
• Wild Acre’s Tarantula Hawk: 6.
• Martin House’s Kafkaesque: 6.
• TUPPS’ Cotton Mill Gold: 6.
• Rabbit Hole’s Tweedleyum: 6.
• Rabbit Hole’s Off With Your Red: 6.
• Cedar Creek’s Elliott’s Phoned Home Pale Ale: 6
• Grapevine Craft Brewery’s Lakefire: 6
• Armadillo Ale Works’ WunderMelon: 6
• Deep Ellum Pale Ale: 6
• Lakewood’s Troll Toll: 5.5.
• Martin House’s Hell Below: 5.5.
• Lakewood’s La Dame Du Lac: 5.5.
• Martin House Cuvee Pumpkin Latte: 5.
• Intrinsic’s Crunktoberfest: 5.
• Martin House’s Mind On My Money: 5.
• 903 Brewers’ The Land Of Milk And Honey: 5.
• Deep Ellum’s Numb Comfort: 5.
• Four Bullets’ Black Jack Brown: 4.5.
• Audacity’s Checkered Past: 4.
• Four Corners Heart O’ Texas: 4.
• Audacity’s Sunset Boulevard: 4.
• Shannon Brewing Company’s IPA: 4.
• Grapevine’s Monarch: 4.
• Twin Peaks’ Dirty Blonde: 3.
• Franconia Wheat: 3.
• Miller Lite: 1.