Wheat/Hefeweizen

August Beer Club

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Today was beer club! Due to various factors, the variety of beer was somewhat limited this month, but there was still plenty of merriment to be had, and when we got to the BYOB restaurant, we saw this sign out front:

Free Beer!

Certainly a good omen! Apparently the restaurant had some Lager, but since they had no liquor license, they were just giving it away for free. Score! There was no real theme for the month, but we did end up with about 7 different beers (not including the free Yuengling) as well as some wine, cider and homemade Limoncello (unpictured, but it was very sweet and incredibly alcoholic!) Here’s a quick picture of what we had:

August Beer Club

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As usual, tasting conditions were less than ideal, so take the following with a grain of salt (beers listed below are basically in order from left to right in the picture, not necessarily the order in which we drank them):

  • Victory Sunrise Weissbier – Hey, I’ve actually reviewed this before! A friend had been at the brewery lately, so they had picked up a growler of the stuff. It struck me as being somewhat better than the last time I had it, but I’ll leave it at a B-. Solid hefeweizen style beer, but not particularly special either.
  • My Homebrewed Saison – I know I mentioned this last time, but this is definitely my best homebrew yet, and the first that I think is truly good. Sweet, spicy, well carbonated and easy to drink, it came out really well. Indeed, I’d probably give this a B+ or maybe even an A-. I should really review my other homebrews, which I’d probably rate much lower.
  • Lancaster Milk Stout – Yep, I just reviewed this one too. I think the coffee flavors were more prominent this time around, but otherwise it’s pretty much the same. B+
  • Founders Dirty Bastard – Yet another beer I’ve reviewed before. Indeed, I’ve had a few of this since I originally reviewed it, and I do believe I like it better now than I did that first time. I had originally noted that there wasn’t any fruitiness in the flavor, but in the recent tastings, I’ve definitely gotten a really nice fruity quality out of this. Tonight I could also really taste the alcohol as well. It certainly wasn’t unpleasant, but I think it might have been a reflection of the other relatively low ABV beers of the night. B+
  • Samuel Adams Rustic Saison – A very light example of the style, though still very flavorful and smooth (looking at it now, I’m surprised it’s only 4.35% ABV), featuring a nice twang in the nose and taste that I couldn’t place, but which someone had mentioned might be honey. It’s not a beer that will melt your face or anything, but it’s definitely a quality brew and well worth a drink. At 4.35%, it would probably be a decent session beer as well. B
  • Samuel Adams East-West Kölsch – Not a style that typically fares well here at Kaedrin (or at beer club, for that matter), but this one was apparently brewed with Jasmine, and that addition really does make this a much more interesting beer than it would have otherwise been. Again, not setting the world on fire, but a quality brew that’s worth trying. B-
  • Cave Creek Chili Beer – When I first saw Aaron’s awesome video review of this beer, I thought he had to be exaggerating, but that first swig of this beer gave me that same, out-of-breath, it’s so spicy feeling. It was a really weird experience too – the spiciness seems to really hit at the back of your throat and tongue, but the rest of my mouth/tongue didn’t really pick anything up. And that spicy hot aftertaste didn’t go away either (I’m glad we opened this last). It was really, truly horrible. When you open the beer, it almost smells like you’ve opened one of those pepper bottles with the brine in it – overpowering chili pepper aromas and not much else. I can’t imagine drinking an entire bottle, and indeed, I could only really take a few sips of it. Unanimously the worst beer club beer ever. In some ways, I’m glad I got to try this, as it certainly is an experience. In another way, I really hope I don’t burp this up later tonight. F

Despite the fact that I’d had/reviewed half these beers before, I think it was another successful outing for the beer club. It’s looking like we might get a bonus beer club meet at The Whip in addition to our normal meetup next month. Score!

Julytful Beer Club

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Get it? Julytful, like delightful! Eh, so yeah, good beer puns are sometimes hard to come by. Consider yourselves lucky, as a British attendee to this month’s beer club contributed this one, which superceded my initial thought of Brewly Beer Club (which isn’t the worst possible beer pun, but still pretty terrible). For the uninitiated, the beer club is basically just a bunch of folks from my work who get together once a month to enjoy a nice dinner together… along with lots of different beers and wines and other alcoholic wonders. A relatively small group of people this month, but lots of beer (thanks mostly to a club member who was just on vacation in Ohio recently, and thus was able to bring a bunch of beers we’ve never seen or heard of before!). Here’s what we had:

July Beer Club Beers

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For reference, here are some brief thoughts on each. As usual, this isn’t exactly ideal tasting conditions, so take them with a grain of salt, but still… From left to right in the picture:

  • Troegs Dead Reckoning – Very nice porter. Roasty and smooth, but not overpowering. I’m not normally a huge fan of porters, but this one’s pretty decent. Not something that’s lighting the world on fire, but good in it’s own way. Unfortunately, it was probably overshadowed by a couple of stouts we had later in the tasting… I’ll give it a B
  • Ohio Brewing Verich Gold – A kolsch style ale that’s not particularly good. It reminded me of a typical Bud/Miller/Coors style beer, with a bit of a twang. It’s a beer that might be ok on its own, but when drank side-by-side with a bunch of other good beers, it just pales in comparison. I suppose it just ain’t my style of beer.. but then, it was also pretty much the unanimous worst beer of the night among beer club peeps. D
  • Thirsty Dog 12 Dogs of Christmas Ale – Probably the worst time of the year to drink a winter warmer style beer, but I quite enjoyed this spicy beer. It’s relatively dark, but not roasty. Very spicy with a full malt backbone. Some folks thought it was almost too spicy ,but I quite enjoyed this beer. B+
  • Great Lakes Holy Moses White Ale – Seriously one of the best Belgian wit beers I’ve ever had, rivaling the likes of Victory’s Whirlwind Wit and Ommegange’s Witte. Very effervescent, almost lemony, but with lots of balancing spiciness of the light variety (coriander, orange peel, etc..) Right up there at the top of the list for wheat beers. B+
  • Thirsty Dog Cerberus Belgian Tripel – Nice fancy foil packaging, with a beer to match. Extremely sweet and boozy, it’s a bit hot for the style, but very good. There was a bit of a twang to it that I could place, but which differentiated it from other examples of the style. Quite good. B+
  • Great Lakes Commodore Perry IPA – I’ve had this beer a few times before… and have never really enjoyed it. It’s not particularly bad, but it’s definitely a victim of circumstances, as I always find myself trying one when I’ve already had much better beers. By the time I got to this tonight, it just wasn’t doing it for me. Again, not a bad IPA, but not particularly accomplished either. C+
  • Hoppin’ Frog B.O.R.I.S. The Crusher Oatmeal-Imperial Stout – We tried to drink the beers listed here from lightest to darkest, and this one ended up being the last beer of the night… and the best! Dark as night and seemingly thick, with a nice brownish head. Very sweet, chocolaty, and roasty, with a nice booziness apparent. A wonderful imperial stout. The name of the bear stands for “Bodacious Oatmeal Russian Imperial Stout”, and it’s well worth the moniker. A-
  • Hoppin’ Frog Turbo Shandy – A shandy is normally a beer mixed with a citrus flavored soda like 7up or Sprite. Usually this is something that happens after the fact – a beer coctail, as it were. But some breweries release shandies right in the bottle… and in this case, the beer really does taste like a 7up/Sprite… Extremely sweet and crispt, maybe some lemony/lime feeling to it, and you can’t really even detect the relatively strong 7% ABV. Would perhaps make a good lawnmower beer, but not particularly something I’m all that interested in… C+
  • Rogue Shakespeare Stout – Another oatmeal stout, this one was second to last in the drinking order, and quite a solid example of the stile. Very chocolately, but with a surprising earthy feel to it. This is quite good, but not great. B+
  • Red’s Rye Pale Ale – I know next to nothing about Rye beer, but I have a few more of these in the fridge, so expect a full review in the nearish future. Initial impressions are quite positive.
  • My Homebrewed Saison – This actually turned out far better than I was expecting. It seemed to be a general success with the folks of beer club, and it’s the first beer I’ve made so far that I really enjoy drinking from start to finish. It’s very light in its way, but it makes up for that with some Belgian yeast spiciness and a nice hoppy aproma/taste character (though it’s not particularly bitter). My favorite batch so far. Makes me want to pour my last batch down the drain!

And that covers all the beer we had… Someone did bring a bottle of Australian wine, but they said they were a bit disappointed by it (no idea what it was called). Good times, as always, and I’m already looking forward to the next meetup.

Double Feature: Wrong Turn Wheat

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So the Wrong Turn movies kinda suck. They’re like a second-rate The Hills Have Eyes, which is, in itself, a third rate imitation of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Oh, and the second movie? It stars Henry Rollins. Somehow, all of this is ok.

Beerwise, things were a little better. I picked up both of Victory’s wheat beer offerings. Thematically, wheat beers don’t really match with bad horror, but being able to say “Wrong Turn Wheat” was good enough for me.

Victory Sunrise Weiss

Victory Sunrise Weissbier – Pours a cloudy golden color with lots of white head. Nose is typical hefeweizen banana and clove. Taste is also quite straightforward, but well crafted. Light bodied, crisp and refreshing. I have to admit, I was expecting a bit more out of this. A solid example of the style, but not a front-runner. B-

Beer Nerd Details: 5.4% bottled (12 oz.) Drank out of a shaker pint glass on 6/24/11.

Victory Whirlwind Wit

Victory Whirlwind Wit – Pours a cloudy yellow color with a finger of white head. Smell is full of light spices and wheat. Taste is also quite spicy, anchored by a strong wheat flavor. Again, light bodied, crisp and refreshing. This one’s more complex and interesting than the Sunrise, and it’s tastier too! Ultimately not a face-melter, but very well balanced and one of my favorites in the style. It hits the spot on a hot day, or, as now, after a long day at work. B+

Beer Nerd Details: 5.0% bottled (12 oz.) Drank out of a shaker pint glass on 6/24/11.

I tend to like German-style wheat beers more than Belgian-style varieties, but of these two Victory varieties, I have to go with the Belgian Wit.

Double Wit

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It’s summer! On a recent beer run, I stocked up on various wheat beers and whatnot, and when I saw this particular beer, I was intrigued. Most wheat beers tend to be relatively light, crisp and refreshing. As such, they tend to be somewhat low in alcohol and a little thin in terms of body (but, you know, in a good way). So the concept of a souped-up Belgian-style wit beer sounded intriguing to me.

Great Divide Double Wit

Great Divide Double Wit – Pours a cloudy gold color with a finger of bubbly white head. Aroma is fruity and spicy. It’s definitely a unique aroma, not like anything I can think of, though there similarities. The taste starts off very sweet and bready, with some spiciness thrown in there (apparently coriander and orange peel). There’s some fruitiness apparent as well, but I can’t quite pick out the specific flavors. The finish is just a bit sticky with booze – the alcohol is noticeable and makes for something of a weird aftertaste. The body is strange. It seems to start out full bodied, but then it thins considerably by the finish. This is something I associate with wheat beers, but it’s not usually this prominent (no doubt a result of the high alcohol) and it doesn’t entirely work. I can’t quite decide how much I like it. It’s certainly an interesting brew, but it’s poorly balanced and definitely not one of my favorites. I’ll give it a B-.

Beer Nerd Details: 8.1% ABV bottled (22 oz bomber). Drank out of a tulip glass on 6/10/11.

Strangely, Great Divide has nothing about this beer on their website. Also, I have no idea why there is a two headed… monster? Kid? on the label (presumably a play on the “double” nature of the beer, but still), and yet, I rather like it and want to watch a movie documenting its rampaging exploits. Unfortunately, you can’t drink labels.

Vegas Beer Update Part 2: Vegas Harder!

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While my last update covered some fantastic beers, I was a little disappointed by the variety of good beers available to me in Vegas. I’m sure that if I actually sought out some beer bars, I would find something new and interesting, but it seemed that most places stocked the standard Macros and maybe one or two interesting beers. Fortunately, I did managed to have a few other beers, even some that I’d never had before:

  • Moretti La Rossa – At some point we ended up at an Italian restaurant for a sponsored junket/open bar and they actually managed to have a few Italian beers available. I picked one that I hadn’t heard of (because most of what I have heard of from Italy is not so good, like Peroni) and it turned out to be pretty good. It’s technically a Doppelbock, a style I’m not terribly familiar with, but which I should probably check out more often. It was a darkish red/brown color with a finger or two of head, and the smell was much fruitier than I was expecting. It’s also got some roastiness and maybe caramel sweetness in the nose. The taste went along with that. Medium bodied with high carbonation, it was quite drinkable and the alcohol was well hidden (I had no idea it was as strong as it was). As doppelbocks go, I understand this one is a bit thin, but it worked well enough for me, and was a welcome diversion from the typical macro selections. I have no idea if Moretti is part of the burgeoning Italian Craft beer scene, but my gut says it isn’t, even though I enjoyed this. More research needed… B+ (Beer Nerd Details: 7.2% ABV bottled (12 oz). Drank from a plastic cup (yeah, no good beer geek glasses to be had – hard to complain about then when I’m getting free beer though))
  • Sin City Stout – Walking around the maze that is the Venetian shops, I spied this little hole in the wall:

    Sin City Brewing Logo

    In talking with the bartender, I learned that this is an uber-local brewery, only distributing to Las Vegas. Their lineup seemed rather standard (though I should note that their “seasonal”, apparently some sort of IPA, was out when I was there), but I wanted to try something new and different, so I ordered up a stout:

    Sin City Stout

    It was on a nitro tap, so I got one of them gorgeous pours, even if it had to be in a plastic cup. Indeed, it took forever for the nitro foam to subside, which wasn’t really a problem for me, as I do enjoy a good nitro pour every now and again. The beer itself was actually a pretty solid stout. Nothing particularly special about it, save for the nitro pour, but it holds its own against the other nitro stouts I’ve had, including Guinness. Dark, roasty, and tasty, I would probably order this before a Guiness, actually. Not a huge flavor-bomb or anything, but a really solid standard entry in the style. B+ (Beer Nerd Details: 6% ABV on nitro tap. Drank from a plastic cup.)

  • Sin City Weiss – I stopped back into the bar to try this one out, and what I got was another solid example of a rather standard style. When I ordered it, the bartender told me that it had a “banana clove” taste to it, as if it was a bad thing (apparently lots of people order it without realizing what wheat beers taste like), but that’s music to my ears. Again, very good beer, but not really exceptional or the best of its kind. Still, I really enjoyed it and if my upcoming homebrewed attempt at a wheat beer turns out this good, I’ll be quite happy. B (Beer Nerd Details: 4.5% ABV on nitro tap. Drank from a plastic cup.)
  • Chimay Grand Reserve (Blue): Chimay seems to the be the Fancy restaurant’s go to beer in Vegas, as it was available in a lot of the nice restaurants. So ordered one of these, probably my favorite Chimay variety, to go along with a really good steak I was having. As usual, it’s fantastic. Deep, dark brown color, sweet and fruity in the nose, and a taste to go along with the aromas. Fruity sweet, full bodied, and complex, it’s a classic. A

Of course, I had quite a few other beers during the course of the week, but nothing particularly interesting or that I could do a good review of… As noted in the comments to my previous post, Vegas isn’t quite a real place. Somehow the laws of the universe don’t seem to function properly there. It’s a good time, but after a few days, it wears on you pretty quickly. Still, from an alcohol-scared state like PA, it’s nice to be able to walk around outside with a drink. But that’s not really enough. I’m glad I’m back.

Update: Removed La Rossa picture. Because it’s a bad picture, that’s why.

Double Feature: German Hefeweizens

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As the weather warms and I begin to consider my next homebrew, I thought I should look into brewing something appropriate for summer, and of course the first thing that came to mind was wheat beers. Given my Belgian tendencies, you’d think I would gravitate towards a Belgian Witbier, but I also wanted to check out some Hefeweizens, as I’ve noticed that German beers are somewhat underrepresented on this blog.

Breaking down the style’s name, “Hefe” is translated as “with yeast”, meaning that the beer is unfiltered and will contain yeast (in fact, the spicy and unique yeast is key to the style), and “weizen” means “wheat”. The difference between the Hefeweizen and the Belgian Witbier is that those wacky Belgians are always adding spices (like coriander and orange peel, amongst other, stranger, spices) whilst the Germans are very rigid in their brewing process. The original German Beer Purity Law (aka Reinheitsgebot or Bavarian Purity Law) limited the ingredients in beer to water, barley, and hops. This was later expanded to include wheat and, once it was discovered, yeast. The law was repealed over 20 years ago, but most German brewers are proud of their traditions and claim to still abide by it, even using it for marketing purposes. So no spices for the Germans.

I always find this sort of thing interesting though. Sometimes working within the box can be more rewarding or impressive than thinking outside the box. Using only the 4 annointed ingredients, the Germans are able to brew some really fantastic beer with a wide range of flavors and aromas. In a historical sense, this sort of purity law no doubt forced a lot of innovation within its boundaries while still retaining quality and consistency (two things that were much more difficult in the 16th century than they are today), and that’s admirable. There’s also something comforting and awe-inspiring about drinking a beer that is brewed in essentially the same way it was hundreds of years ago.

Of course, this isn’t to say that thinking outside the box is a bad thing either, and indeed, I think that German brewers’ lack of experimentation may be hurting them now that craft brewing has exploded in America. Indeed, even mainstream publications are catching on that German beer culture is in decline. As Charles Houston Decker notes: “…it’s hard to look at a thriving American beer culture, a dying German one, and not pay attention to the obvious major difference between the two.” It seems obvious to me that German beer culture won’t vanish, and in some ways I kinda like that they’re sticking to their guns and producing high quality beer according to their proud traditions. I think there’s a lot of value in the basic fundamentals of beer brewing, and I’m glad someone has a different take on it than crazy Americans and Belgians. I’m always intrigued by these sorts of tensions: Oil and water, Democrat and Republican, John and Paul, American beer innovation and German tradition, and so on. It’s important to have a variety of approaches to something like brewing, and while I probably prefer my crazy American beers to traditional German varieties, I’m glad both still exist.

Indeed, these traditional beers fit rather well with my recent “regular” beer kick, so here’s a pair that I had a couple of weeks ago:

Weihenstephaner Hefe Weissbier

Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier – Pours a cloudy yellowish gold with ample, fluffy head that laces like crazy as I drink. Smells of citrus and wheat, with lots of spicy yeastiness in there as well (cloves?). It’s an almost Belgian style yeastiness, actually. Taste features a light wheaty sweetness with lots of spiciness and citrus thrown in for good measure. Mouthfeel is crisp, clean and well carbonated. Very refreshing. I can see why this is among the best wheat beers. While not exactly a face-melting brew, it’s a pretty good example of what you can accomplish while working within the boundaries of the Reinheitsgebot. A-

Beer Nerd Details: 5.4% ABV bottled (12 oz). Drank out of a shaker pint glass. Drank on 3/18/11.

Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse

Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse: The name “Franziskaner” always conjures Young Frankenstein for me (along with the need to use weird emphasis in the pronunciation of the beer). It’s almost identical in appearance to the Weihenstephaner, maybe a little darker. Definitely less head, and what is there doesn’t last as long either. Smells very similar. Perhaps a little more in the spiciness realm, but it’s very close. Taste is a little deeper. More sweet, less of what I’d call the wheat flavor, though it’s still obviously a wheat beer. It’s got a fuller body and more carbonation. It’s still got the crisp and clean refreshing feel to it, but perhaps not as much as the Weistephaner. Very good, but not as well balanced as the Weihenstephaner. B+

Beer Nerd Details: 5% ABV bottled (500 ml). Drank out of a shaker pint glass. Drank on 3/18/11.

I have to admit that I enjoyed both of these better than my recent Belgian Witbiers, so it looks like my next homebrew will most likely be a Hefeweizen. It looks like Norther Brewer has a nice Bavarian Hefeweizen extract kit, though the OG is perhaps a bit lower than what I was looking for (that should be easily remedied though). Interestingly, it looks like the brewing process is a lot simpler than my previous beers: no specialty grains, only one hops addition, and ready to drink within 4 weeks.

St. Bernardus Witbier

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A little while ago, I mentioned the St. Berndardus variety pack that I got my hands on, but until now, I hadn’t actually cracked it open. I’m not an expert of beer and food pairings, but I was having some Sushi the other night and I had recently run across this Beer Sommelier, which matches meals with beer styles. When I looked up Sushi (just FYI, it’s under seafood, not fish), it recommended various kinds of wheat beers and in consulting my cellar (i.e. my fridge), I saw that the St. Bernardus variety pack indeed included a Belgian style witbier. I would not call myself a huge fan of wheat beers, but I’ve had a few good ones in my time, and I was hoping for a lot from St. Bernardus.

St. Bernardus Wit

St. Bernardus Witbier – Pours a cloudy yellow color, with lots of head and lacing as I drank. Smell features wheat and a prominent Belgian yeast character, with a little citrus apparent as well. Taste is clean and crisp, a little thin compared to the monsters I’ve been drinking lately, but refreshing. Lots of wheaty flavors, with less citrus or yeasty spiciness/fruitiness present than I would like, but it is there if you look for it. As Wheat beers go, this one is probably near the top of my experience, but it’s not the best (a distinction that still belongs Unibroue’s excellent Blanche De Chambly). It’s got a delicate complexity that’s a good match for the sushi though, and it’s certainly something I’d love to drink in summer (I probably should have waited!) B

Not an overwhelming start to the variety pack, but it’s an enjoyable brew and I can guarantee that some of the others in the pack will wow me.

Flying Dog

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A little while ago I picked up Flying Dog’s variety pack and in between all of the holiday beers and whatnot, I’ve been working my way through them and their awesome Ralph Steadman artwork.

Flying Dog Logo
  • In Heat Wheat: Sweet, light, crisp and wheaty – a rather typical wheat beer. More details here. B-
  • Tire Bite Golden Ale: Light and crisp, perhaps a small step above crappy “fizzy yellow stuff”, but not by much. C-
  • Old Scratch Amber Lager: Nice amber color, medium body, a little sticky and overall, it’s a very drinkable session beer along the lines of Yuengling lager (maybe even a little better, but that’s hard for me to admit!). B
  • Snake Dog India Pale Ale: A nice west-coast style hoppy, earthy IPA. It does well on its own, but pales (pun intended!) when compared to other good IPAs (including Flying Dog’s own Raging Bitch Belgian-style IPA). B
  • Doggie Style Classic Pale Ale: Solid hoppy pale ale, a little darker than the IPA, but a nice quality session beer and maybe the best overall beer in this pack. B
  • Road Dog Porter: Dark and a bit roasty, it wasn’t quite as complex as I’d have hoped. I’ve never been a big fan of the style though, so that’s probably part of my distaste. It’s not bad, but definitely not my thing. C+

Overall, while most of them are quite drinkable and solid beers, none are really all that exceptional. This isn’t to say that they don’t make exceptional beers though: Raging Bitch IPA is actually a big step up from the Snake Dog IPA, and I’ve heard good things about the Gonzo Imperial Porter.

The Session: Wheat Beers

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On the first Friday of every month, there’s a beer blog roundup called The Sessions. Started by Stan Hieronymus and hosted by a rotating group of bloggers, each Session has a chosen topic, and this month’s is being hosted by BeerTasters.ca and covers the general topic of Wheat Beers:

Feel free to take this topic in any direction you like, specific reviews, historical information, or any other twist you’d like to use. Wheat beers are a pretty wide topic and actually cover German style Weizen, Heffe Weizen, etc. along with Belgian style Witbier and even Flavoured Wheat beers.

There are very few guidelines here, just have some fun drinking Wheat Beers in the fall instead of the summer.

So there. I’m no expert on the style, but I’ve had plenty of wheat beers over the years. One of the reasons I wanted to start this blog was so that I’d gain a better understanding of beer, and while I’ve had a few great wheat beers lately (notably, Unibroue’s Blanche De Chambly, a great beer I didn’t even realize was a wheat beer, and Dogfish Head’s Namaste, which is also pretty good, in a more traditional wheat beery way), I’ve found that having to write about beer makes me think differently about beer. While I’ve been drinking lots of craft beer over the past couple of years, I’ve only been blogging about it for a few weeks, so I’m not sure if I can trust my memory on the beers I just mentioned. So tonight I tried out a semi-local Hefeweizen:

Flying Dog In-Heat Wheat

Flying Dog In-Heat Wheat – I’ve had several Flying Dog beers, while they’re eminently drinkable, they’re rarely exceptional (the one exception might be the Raging Bitch IPA, which was pretty great). This shouldn’t really matter, but Flying Dog also has amazing labels on their bottles. Apparently the owner of Flying Dog was good friends with Hunter S. Thompson, and through that connection came artist Ralph Steadman. He’s got a distinctive art style, and the labels on all of Flying Dog’s beers are awesome. Anyway, I found myself in a beer distributer the other day, and the Flying Dog variety case seemed like a pretty good idea, and among the variety was this Hefeweizen. It pours a light orange/yellow color. There’s a bit of a haze too it, but I could still see my hand through it pretty easily. Smells a little yeasty with some citrus thrown in. Sweet, light, crisp wheaty/yeasty taste with a finish that’s a little more tart than bitter. A little bit of citrus flavor, but the character of this beer isn’t especially strong. It’s light and refreshing, but it’s not lighting the world on fire either. Like most of Flying Fish’s offerings, it’s quite drinkable and would make a nice summer session beer, but it’s not exactly the best wheat beer I’ve had or anything. I’ll give it a solid B-. Not something I’d seek out regularly, but it’s still pretty good.

Beer Nerd Details: 4.7% ABV bottled (12 oz). Drank out of a pint glass.

Later in the night, I had a few IPAs, which I must admit, put this one to shame. Part of that might be that wheat beers aren’t often meant to be huge flavor bombs, but I do like the wheat beer style, and there are many that I’m looking forward to trying. So here’s a list of other Wheat beers I’d like to try (that I’ve never had before):

  • Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier (duh)
  • St. Bernardus Witbier
  • Victory Whirlwind Witbier (pretty sure I’ve had several of these one night, but it’s been a while)
  • Victory Sunrise Weissbier

Any other recommendations?