Style: Witbier | ABV: 5.2% | VIC, Australia

I think it’s pretty nifty when a small-time brewer tries something new, past the scope of their stalwart drops. For the small Yarraville brewer, Two Birds, their flight of fancy is with a novelty wheat beer inspired by Mexican cuisine, the aptly named Taco. It’s with this spirit of experimentation that I secured myself a bottle when this first came onto my radar.

Appearance (6/10):

Taco is much darker than other wheat beers I’ve sampled before, which is in fact, not many if truth be told. The deep tan is reminiscent of ginger ale. It pours a humongous billowy head with sudsy lacing. It’s actually not a bad looking beverage all-in-all, it just seems a little off style.

Smell (8/10):

This is where the beer really delivers on the taco essence. On the nose I detect lime, jalapeño, coriander initially, with light grain aromas backing the overall package. The only thing missing is tomato and garlic… actually on second thoughts it’s probably fine as is.

Taste (7/10):

Similar tastes are mirrored again, especially the muted yet distinct pepper spice. Coriander and citrus are there and I like to fancy there is a corn component to the grain undertones. Taco does not provide much complexity to the palate but it is pleasant enough.

Mouthfeel (5/10):

Taco manages to be quite light and refreshing at the considerable price of being thin and watery. To boot, the carbonation is too aggressive.

Overall (6/10):

This is an interesting concept and honestly a gutsy move by a fledgling brewer. Unfortunately, I am left feeling a little under whelmed, I think I was hoping for something more bold, yet the final impression left after the last sip was its wateriness and quickly evaporating Mexican after-tastes. I also have to question a winter release of a beer that would of been vastly more appreciated on a hot summers night. Although the execution was slightly botched in my opinion, I’d love to see Two Birds release this again with a new bolder recipe.