Have you seen the Netflix series “Orange is the New Black”? We just got finished with the third season, and it was a bit of a letdown over the first two I have to say. Be that as it may, the series has inspired a beer (or at the very least, the name of a beer). Black is the New Wit is a collaboration beer between the Terrapin Brewery of Georgia and New Belgium of Colorado.
There’s just one thing, though. Black is really not the new wit. In fact, the idea of brewing a Belgian-style witbier with dark malts is nothing new at all. Anybody remember Black Wit!? That was a popular dark witbier in the 90s from a brewer I can’t recall. There have been a few others since then, too.
Terrapin and New Belgium say this about Black is the New Wit on the label:
Showing their true colors of creativity, New Belgium Brewing and Terrapin Beer Company have teamed up to bring you this unorthodox style of beer. “Black is the New Wit” gets its absence of color from intensely roasted wheat and dehusked roasted barley. Components of rye and both malted and unmalted wheat complete the mouthfeel while coriander, orange peel, and sassafras wood aging give this beer its distinctive flavor.
Terrapin New Belgium Black is the New Wit has an alcohol content of 8.2% by volume with 20 IBUs. I paid $7.99 for a 22-ounce bomber bottle. My bottle was brewed at the Terrapin brewery in Athens, Georgia. New Belgium makes a version in Colorado that appears to be slightly different in strength than the Terrapin-brewed batch.
Ingredients from the website:
MALTS: 2-Row Pale, Torrified Wheat, Malted Wheat, Malted Rye, Midnight Wheat, DH Carafa III
HOPS: Sorachi Ace, Lemon Drop, Mandarina Bavaria
OTHER: Coriander, Orange Peel, Sassafras Wood
Terrapin Black is the New Wit pours to a, well, more very dark brown than black color with a thick creamy tan head and a spicy nose of licorice, roast and coriander. Taking a sip, the beer is medium bodied with a delicious light roastiness to it, and hints of licorice and grainy spicy rye. The coriander pokes through all that (it’s a pungent spice after all) and the zesty citric orange peel, too. A soft woodiness is apparent as well, though I think it’s one of the more subtle aspects here. The beer finishes roasty and dry.
This is an extremely interesting beer, one of the better ones I’ve had from Terrapin in a while. The rye really comes through, and I love that! Not really what I would call a witbier, it’s just too strong and has too much else going on. I’ll peg it as such all the same.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft