Name: Quantum Brewing Co Witness the Fitness

Style: Witbier/Berliner Weisse

Country: England 

ABV: 6%

Beer description: Quantum Brewing Company is a very small brewery (less than 1000 litres) located just outside Manchester; in Stockport to be precise. They pride themselves on being very hands on and making very very crafty beers. This one is no exception.

Quantum Brewing’s Witness the Fitness is described as a “chokeberry and lavender Witbier blended with Berliner Weisse.” Yeah, lots going on there. For those unfamiliar with the chokeberry, it’s also called the aronia, and most will probably know them when they see them, even if they haven’t tried one. They’re known to be very sour and are not uncommon in a variety of different foods.

So, the beer… with the weird combination of styles and ingredients, who knows where this one is going to go. But (spoiler alert), it turned out very good.

The sourness of the Berliner Weisse and the chokeberry take over the aroma with a little bit of sweetness and coriander from the Witbier base. While there’s hints of lavender in the aroma, it very much is a distant second to the more familiar smells found in the combined styles; that is, sour, coriander, and a hint of sweetness and honey. It’s a battle between the opposing sour and coriander smells; both very power nostril openers, but both on the opposite end of the spectrum. It’s a great start to this beer.

As the beer goes down, it has the distinct body of a well made Witbier but with the taste of a Berliner Weisse that’s more on the sour side. However, this is where the lavender really comes into its own. Lavender is always a subtle flavour that’s not there until you notice it, and then often darts away just as quickly. It pays to concentrate on the lavender and savour it before the sour of the Berliner Weisse addition pushes it aside.

Once again, the two powerful flavours in this beer – sour and spice – push each other about to find which is dominant, and depending on how the drinker has this beer, two very different experiences can be had. Dancing amongst this is a slight floral sweetness brought on by the lavender, which makes it difficult to concentrate on one or the other, and forces the the drinker to jump back and forth.

This beer will be sure to please lots of people, as it combines two different styles very well. Neither the Berliner Weisse or the Witbier is pushed aside for the other, and they’re both there prominently. The one downside is that while the beer itself is not confused, it’s a confusing beer. Concentrating too hard on Quantum’s Witness the Fitness leaves the palate trying to figure out what’s dominant, when neither style actually is. However, this is a great, refreshing beverage that can go down very easily, and, while this may help avoid the confusion, would be a waste of a very good beer.

In summary, the Quantum Brewing Co Witness the Fitness is not an easy drink by any means, but it’s well worth the effort. What you put into this beer will be given back twice, because it’s really two beers in one: a lovely Witbier, and a refreshing Berliner Weisse.

Check out all Witbier reviews here.

Check out all Berliner Weisse reviews here.

Check out all Quantum Brewing Co reviews.

This beer was purchased during our Beer Adventure to England. Check it out!