Old Wye Wit Review: Cushwa Brewing Co.’s Belgian-Style Wheat Ale

Old Wye Wit is Cushwa Brewing Co.’s take on a classic Belgian witbier, a 5.3% unfiltered wheat ale brewed with coriander and orange peel. The community rating sits at 3.77 stars from 206 ratings, a solid mark for a style that a lot of American hazy-IPA drinkers overlook. This is the Williamsport, Maryland brewery’s quiet, easy-drinking side, built for a hot Chesapeake-region afternoon rather than a hop showcase.

Old Wye Wit at a glance

I like to get the numbers out of the way first, because witbiers get lumped together more than almost any other style. At 5.3% ABV, Old Wye Wit sits right in the middle of the traditional witbier range, a little stronger than Hoegaarden’s 4.9% but well short of an imperial version. Cushwa does not publish an IBU figure, and I have not found one on any third-party beer database either, which tracks: witbiers lean on spice and wheat character rather than hop bitterness, so a missing IBU number is a style quirk, not a red flag. For background on what that number actually measures, my IBU explainer breaks down why it matters more for some styles than others.

What does Old Wye Wit taste like?

Cushwa describes Old Wye Wit as a Belgian-style wheat ale that is unfiltered, refreshing, and medium in body, brewed with coriander and orange peel for a taste the brewery says has layers of depth and comes out remarkably smooth. That matches what I would expect from the style: a hazy, pale straw-to-gold pour, a soft wheat backbone, and a spice-and-citrus character that leans more savory-herbal than sweet-orange-soda. Coriander seed brings a light peppery, slightly floral note, and the orange peel used in a proper witbier is traditionally the bitter Curacao variety rather than a sweet fresh orange, which keeps the beer from tasting like a shandy. For more on how that spice pairing works across the style, my Weissbier vs. Hefeweizen guide is a useful companion read since German wheat beers get their character from yeast esters instead of added spice.

The unmalted wheat and (in most witbiers) a portion of oats give the beer its cloudy appearance and a soft, almost creamy mouthfeel without much bitterness to speak of. Carbonation tends to run a bit higher in this style, which helps keep a beer this light from feeling flat on the palate. If you have had Hoegaarden, Blue Moon Belgian White, or Allagash White, Old Wye Wit sits in that same family: easy, a little citrusy, built to be sessionable rather than a sipper.

Appearance, aroma, body, and finish

Appearance: A hazy, pale gold to straw-yellow pour with a thin white head, unfiltered in keeping with the style. Expect real sediment in the glass; that cloudiness is intentional, not a flaw.

Aroma: Coriander spice up front, backed by a light citrus lift from the orange peel. Witbiers typically carry a soft, slightly doughy wheat note underneath the spice, more bakery than hoppy.

Body: Medium-light and smooth, with the wheat and any oats in the grist providing a rounded texture rather than a thin, watery one. Carbonation keeps it feeling lively rather than heavy.

Finish: Clean and fairly dry for a spiced beer, with the coriander and citrus fading quickly rather than lingering. That dryness is what keeps a good witbier drinkable in the heat instead of turning cloying.

Who should drink Old Wye Wit?

I would point Old Wye Wit at anyone who wants a change of pace from hop-forward beer without giving up flavor entirely. It is a good fit if you like Hoegaarden, Allagash White, or Blue Moon Belgian White and want to try a small-brewery version of the same idea, or if you are looking for a lighter option to hand a friend who finds hazy IPAs too intense. For a primer on that contrast, see my hazy IPA explainer, which covers why haze and hop aroma get conflated with witbier’s very different kind of haze.

It is less suited to someone chasing a big hop hit or a heavy, high-ABV beer. This is a sessionable, warm-weather beer first, and it does that job well rather than trying to be something bigger. Serve it cold, in a proper witbier glass or a wide-mouth tumbler if you have one, and consider a fresh orange wedge on the rim (the way it is often poured at Cushwa’s own taproom) if you want to lean into the citrus side even more.

Food pairings for Old Wye Wit

Witbier’s light body and citrus-and-spice profile make it one of the most food-friendly styles around. Classic pairings lean toward seafood: steamed Maryland blue crabs, mussels, or a simple grilled fish all work well, since the coriander echoes seafood seasoning and the carbonation cuts through richness. Given Cushwa’s own home turf along the Potomac, a crab feast is the obvious local match.

Salads with citrus vinaigrette, fresh goat cheese, and light Belgian-style dishes like moules-frites also pair naturally. If you want something more substantial, grilled chicken or pork with a fruit-based glaze plays well with the orange peel note. For spicier fare, the beer’s low bitterness and light body take the edge off chile heat without fighting it; see my beer and BBQ pairing guide for more on matching lighter beers to grilled and smoked food.

Cushwa Brewing Co. and its C&O Canal roots

Cushwa Brewing Co. opened in January 2017 in Williamsport, Maryland, founded by three equal partners: Garrett Chambers, Marcus Thomas, and Scott Coleman. Thomas and Coleman are high school friends from nearby Greencastle, Pennsylvania, and all three had been homebrewing for years before deciding to open a commercial brewery in Washington County. The name comes from the Cushwa Basin, a stretch of the C&O Canal near Williamsport that historically served as one of the only points along the 187-mile canal where cargo boats could turn around, a natural resting point during the canal’s 19th-century commercial heyday.

The brewery moved to its current, larger location in the Bowman Business Park in May 2020 and opened a second taproom in Columbia, Maryland in 2023. Cushwa has built most of its reputation on New England-style hazy IPAs, with beers like Cush and Big Cush drawing thousands of ratings and regular mentions in regional craft beer coverage. Old Wye Wit is a quieter release by comparison: a well-executed style exercise from a brewery that could easily coast on hazy IPA hype alone. If a trip to western Maryland is on your radar, my guide to great beer cities is worth a look when planning a wider regional tasting run.

Where to buy Old Wye Wit

Old Wye Wit is primarily a taproom pour at Cushwa’s Williamsport and Columbia, Maryland locations, with occasional limited packaged releases through regional Maryland retail. As a smaller-batch style release from a two-taproom brewery, it does not have wide national distribution, and it was not showing up in Saucey’s live product search when I checked.

Rather than send you to a dead link, here are five real, currently available witbiers with a similar citrus-and-spice profile, all with active Saucey listings. For more of my full reviews in and around this family of beers, browse my guide to Belgian beer names or my Shock Top Belgian White review.

Five witbier alternatives to try

If you want the closest thing to Old Wye Wit itself, start with Allagash White or Hoegaarden for a classic, well-balanced version of the style. Blue Moon Belgian White and Shock Top are the easiest to find at a regular grocery store, while Ommegang Witte is a good pick if you want a slightly bigger, more assertive spice character. None of these are made by Cushwa, they are simply the closest available versions of the same style while you wait for a chance to visit the taproom in person.

My verdict on Old Wye Wit

Old Wye Wit earns its 3.77-star rating by doing exactly what a witbier should: pouring hazy and pale, leading with coriander and orange peel, and finishing dry and refreshing rather than heavy or sweet. It is proof that Cushwa’s brewing chops extend well beyond the hazy IPAs that built the brewery’s reputation. As a style, witbier rarely gets the same online buzz as a big fruited IPA or a barrel-aged stout, and that shows up in the ratings count too: 206 ratings is modest next to the tens of thousands logged for Cushwa’s flagship Cush IPA.

The honest caveat: this is a small-batch, mostly taproom-only release, so I cannot point you to a guaranteed retail shelf, and Cushwa does not publish an IBU figure or a full grain bill for it. If you are near Williamsport or Columbia, Maryland, it is worth seeking out on draft. If not, the five witbiers above will get you close to the same idea. For a refresher on how ABV numbers like this one stack up across styles, see my ABV explainer.

FAQs

What style of beer is Old Wye Wit?

Old Wye Wit is a Belgian-style witbier, an unfiltered wheat ale brewed with coriander and orange peel, made by Cushwa Brewing Co. in Williamsport, Maryland.

How strong is Old Wye Wit?

It is 5.3% ABV, per the brewery’s own beer description as listed on third-party beer database and retailer pages.

What ingredients give Old Wye Wit its flavor?

Coriander and orange peel are the two flavoring ingredients the brewery lists, on top of a wheat-based malt bill typical of the witbier style.

How many calories are in Old Wye Wit?

A third-party listing estimates about 150 calories per 12-ounce serving. Cushwa does not publish an official nutrition label, so treat this as an estimate.

Where can I buy Old Wye Wit?

It is primarily available on draft at Cushwa’s Williamsport and Columbia, Maryland taprooms, with occasional limited packaged releases through regional Maryland retail. It was not listed on Saucey when checked; five similar witbiers are listed above as alternatives.

What does Old Wye Wit taste like compared to Hoegaarden or Allagash White?

It follows the same template: hazy, pale gold, coriander-and-citrus spiced, medium-light body, and a dry finish. Differences come down to small-batch variation rather than a fundamentally different approach to the style.