Tag Archives: wheat ale

Spicy Mango Cart by Golden Road Brewing

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Rating: 6/6

Spicy Mango Cart by Golden Road Brewing is a 3.2% ABV American Pale Wheat Ale brewed with Mangos with Tajin Habanero added

One of the best mango beers ever, this beer was inspired by the fruit cart vendors that sell the fruits with chile like tajin and chamoy. Of all the mango beers I have tried, none have come close to how ridiculously this taste like natural mango. I had yet to bring this one the site so when my friend brought it to an impromptu tasting, I had to take a picture and do an anime pairing. This pairing was with one of my favorite characters, Temari Sabakuno from the Naruto series. Her colors were the best for this pairing as she goes well with the yellows and oranges.

 

Renewal by 4th Tap

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14500767_10103605765174650_8295745635483505654_oRating: 4.5/5

Renewal by 4th Tap is a 5.8% ABV American Pale Wheat Ale brewed with Tamarind

Label:
Tart, energizing, curious, and refreshing.

==Introduction==

I cannot recall the last time I had a beer with Tamarind other than the Jolly Pumpkin Forgotten Tales of the Last Gypsy Blender Series 1 Volume one which had both Mango and Tamarind. Thanks to my friend Aaron Mendiola at BeerMetalDude.com, we bring forth the next brew in the line from 4th tap. A rare ingredient in beer but a major ingredient in Mexican drinks, candy and cuisine. I love tamarind and definitely worth a try for a home brew. This is the second brew from 4th tap that I have had while the Sorghum one was interesting, I cannot pass judgment on a brewery unless I try more. With this one however, I think I can very well say that I will be able to tell how good this is in terms of tamarind. Cheers!!

Aromas:
Tamarind, sugar cane, mild dark fruit raisins, stone fruit hints, pecan hints, citrus, lemon, peppercorns and coriander hints.

Flavors:
Rich tamarind, dark fruit raisins, figs, dates, plums, toffee, Cane sugar, biscuit bread, rye bread, coriander hints, citrus, lemon peel, lemon grass, stone fruit mango, peach, musty grapes, agave nectar, raspberry hints, cranberry hints, pecan pie hints, cinnamon hints, ginger ale, peppercorn, clove spice hints, tropical fruit papaya hints, passion fruit hints and dragon fruit hints.

Aftertaste:
Finishes sweet and slightly tart with hints of tamarind and vanilla. No alcohol in the taste, honey colored clear body, crisp, clean and refreshing mouthfeel with an easy drinkability.

Overall:
Very delicious brew. Super-duper refreshing and the type you can have several for the summer. This one definitely shined with tamarind. The tamarind wasn’t over powering in terms of being the dominant flavor but the combination with the style of beer its surely gave way to other complex flavors that I could try to find. I highly recommend this one for sure and get several if you can find it. Definitely a gate way for those that love Agua Fresca de Tamarindo.

Anime Corner:
Mei Terumi from Naruto was chosen for this pairing as I wanted not only to pair with the tamarind colors but the color of the label tool. Her laying down next to the waterfall goes well with the label. Some people use waterfalls to meditate or relax as the sounds definitely become a form of therapy for many. So renewal is definitely a them with the art pairing. Her brown hair is for the tamarind.

Sources:
http://anime-pictures.net/pictures/get_image/332362-4000×2248-naruto-studio+pierrot-mei+terumi+%28mizukage%29-rikamello-single-highres.jpg

Limited Edition Shock Top Spiced Banana by Anheuser-Busch

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12628379_10103030124877420_6803492142093299791_oRating: 4/5

Limited Edition Shock Top Spiced Banana by Anheuser-Busch is a 5.5% ABV Belgian-Style Wheat Ale brewed with citrus peels, honey, spice and banana and With Artificial Flavor added.

Label:
None

==Introduction==

So often, crafty beer gets a bad rap for being produced by macrobreweries in order to take up shelf space at the supermarket in place of microbrews. While I do not often review these beers as I prefer local and microbreweries, sometimes I do get free stuff from friends at parties. This one, since I liked it, my friend gave me a bottle. I found this one to be, pretty tasty. Check it out!

Aromas:
Bananas, clove spice, vanilla, caramel, apple pie notes, biscuit bread, cereal grains, hazelnut hints, coriander spice, orange peel, peppercorn, cinnamon, honey, strawberry yogurt hints and brown sugar.

Flavors:
Bananas, coriander spice, orange peel, peppercorn, cinnamon, honey, strawberry yogurt hints, ginger, clove spice, vanilla, caramel, biscuit bread, cereal grains, hazelnut hints, brown sugar, apple pie, pecan pie hints, cane sugar and apples.

Aftertaste:
Finishes with Coriander spice, cinnamon, ginger, banana and strawberry hints. No alcohol in the taste, hazy honey colored body, crisp and refreshing mouthfeel with an easy to moderate drinkability.

Overall:
A very good wheat beer. Despite this one being from a macro, they made a consistent product. The Banana and strawberry yogurt flavors are delicious on this one. I feel while it is a well-made beer, people may not want to try it since it is from a Macro. This one, like the ShockLate are some of my favorites even if they are from Macros. I don’t agree with what they do for the shelve space nor would I go out to buy it but when I like something, I am sure to put it here. So if you like wheat brews you may or may not like this one.

Anime Corner:
Tomoe Mami from Madoka Magica was used in this pairing since I wanted to find a piece of artwork that would go with the colors of the label but also the whole banana them of the beer mainly.

Sources:
http://livedoor.blogimg.jp/moebutasokuho/imgs/c/a/cae75065-s.jpg

Shock Top Chocolate Wheat and Choc’ Top by Anheuser-Busch

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1524663_10101588096264320_530313006_n 1524976_10101588096563720_412938172_n 1512593_10101588105016780_230145779_nRating: 4.5/5 *Chocolate Wheat

Rating: 4.6/5 *Choc’ Top

Shock Top Chocolate Wheat by Anheuser-Busch is a 4.3% ABV Belgian-Style Wheat Ale brewed with spices, cocoa nibs and vanilla beans

Label:
Belgian style wheat ale brewed with spice, aged on cocoa and vanilla beans, and with natural flavors.
Pour down side of glass until 1/2″ is left in bottle. Swirl &pour remaining brew to properly blend spices & release the aroma & flavor. Enjoy!
___

There is 2 beers to review here. The chocolate Wheat on its own and the “Black & Tan” version or Choc’ Top which includes pouring a portion of the Chocolate wheat and topping it off with the regular shock top. These beers come in a 6 pack with 3 being chocolate and 3 being shock top. In this review I will talk mainly about the chocolate wheat on its own but also describe how the addition of regular shock top may make or break the beer as it becomes, Choc’ Top

Aromas:
Impressive milk stout qualities, dark chocolate, vanilla, waffle cone, mild rocky road ice cream, caramel, marshmallow notes, earthy spice, brown sugar and peanut butter

Flavors:
Chocolate and vanilla are there and they do seem to mask some of the graininess. The wheat combination works great as the flavors come out like waffle cone, marshmallow, peanut butter hints and rocky road ice cream. It also has flavors of caramel, toffee, brown sugar, coriander spice and earthy grainy bitterness.

Aftertaste:
Finishes a bit dry but some of the vanilla, chocolate and waffle cone character linger slightly. Easy to drink, no alcohol in the taste but the mouthfeel is watery at times.

Overall:
Probably the best Shock Top beer I have ever had and that is swaying a lot since normally they are average but this one is very good

Anime Corner:
I chose Muramas from Full Metal Daemon to represent the chocolate and vanilla aspects of the beer but also show the winter and Christmas aspect of the new release. It is very good. As for the Choc’ Top I chose and original artwork from artist sigma99 which shows the chocolate embracing the original shock top flavors but the final outcome being a chocolate and orange infusion as shown in the last artwork which the character and the artist are unknown as I was unable to find an original source other than http://anime-pictures.net/pictures/view_post/133565?lang=en 

Choc’ Top:
This is what you make when you do a Black and Tan with the regular Shock Top and the Chocolate Wheat. The only difference in the Aromas and flavors is that you increase the wheat and coriander making it taste more like chocolate covered oranges. It makes it slightly better but does take away more from the vanilla and chocolate. So either way, good stuff

Hell or High Watermelon Wheat by 21st Amendment

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971970_10101391541606430_139708255_nRating: 2.85/5

Hell or High Watermelon Wheat by 21st Amendment is a 4.9% ABV Wheat Ale brewed with watermelons

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION
Unfiltered, American-style wheat beer. Brewed with 400 pounds of fresh watermelons.
____

This beer was a gift by one of my friends who went down to Lake Tahoe in Nevada. I have never heard of a wheat beer made with watermelon. I have tried this one before but this is the first I give it a shot a review.

Aromas are of wheat bread, cereal, pilsner grains, coriander, hint of plant and watermelon

The flavors are of wheat, cereal grains, coriander, watermelon notes, biscuit bread, honey, citrus, lemon and almost like red bean paste notes

The after taste is malty, grainy and sweet. The beer is refreshing though and easy to drink.

Overall it was a decent beer. Seems closer to a lager with watermelon flavor. Nothing complex or overpowering. This is probably worth trying once.

Jaded (Import Series Vol. 3) by Stillwater Artisanal

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521656_10101298380287460_1036522167_n 1069250_10101298375187680_684462962_nRating: 4.8/5

Jaded (Import Series Vol. 3) by Stillwater Artisanal is a 9% ABV Dark Wheat Ale brewed with Rose, Violet and Jasmine

Commercial Description: 
Brewed with good friend, Urbain Coutteau of De Struise Brouwers. Urbain describes this work as “Dark chess-nut coloured ale with a nice steady off-white head. Aroma is all about finesse, loads of blossoms and spring flowers. The mouth-feel is refined, playful and complex with Saison like peppery flavours. Soft nutty after taste with a bite.”
___

This beer is quite elusive. Especially in the west coast. It has been 2 years since I have been looking for this beer. Lucky for me, it was released again this year. Ever still, quite the elusive one. Now that I have found it, I spend time no more to bring this review to you in hopes that maybe you too will try it, IF you can find it. (www.thepartysource.com)

Aromas of this beer are of lots of rich caramel and phenols, toffee, pecans, flowers, biscuit bread, honey, apples, coriander, chocolate notes, roasted barley notes, pineapple, raisins, prunes, hints of banana, clove spice, candi sugars, peppercorns, citrus and rye

Flavors are of hibiscus, grapes, rose petals, pineapple, plums, raisins, dates, caramel, toffee, banana, peppercorns, cloves, coriander, dried apricot, candi sugars, citrus, floral hops, honey, biscuit bread, chocolate notes and minor wine notes like a nice port but only near the end.

The after taste leaves a nice bready, flowery, caramel sweet residue with a bit of like an earthy hop bitterness.

Essentially, this is a Belgian Strong Dark Wheat Ale, the brethren of the Dunkelweissen style except made with Belgian yeast instead of Bavarian but closer to a dark saison. Really crafty I should say. I would expect nothing less from the awesome Stillwater beers I have reviewed so far. I have not found one I didn’t like and I would definitely recommend this one. It was definitely worth the wait, but luckily I have tried something similar. Although the flowers added to the mix is what really drives this beer.

Polycot by Hangar 24

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1013407_10101219869548610_686532914_nRating: 4/5

Polycot by Hangar 24 is 7.2% ABV Local Fields Series Wheat-Wine Ale brewed with Apricots.

Label: 
Apricots are the first fresh fruit of summer which makes Polycot the perfect way to welcome the season. This wheat ale is brewed with hundreds of pounds of organic apricots grown in Southern California’s high desert. The mellow wheat balances perfectly with the natural apricot flavors and aromas to create a fresh, pleasantly tart summertime treat.
___

Summertime is here and this beer is one that I have been meaning to try since I first started trying the different Local Fields Series Ales. This is actually the last one of the series so far. It starts again with Essense.

Aromas are of citrus, oranges, peaches, apricots, lemon, grassy notes, pears, slight peppercorn honey fragrances, biscuit bread and coriander.

Flavors are directly of honey, peaches, apricot and oranges followed by biscuit bread, coriander, lemon peel, pears, tangy and tart fruits with like a minor grape sourness but not funky sour just tart. The beer finishes dry so it make you want to sip more. A decent beer none the less and worth the try for the summer. The other good thing about it is that it is crisp and refreshing too. Not the best in the series but still a good beer. Especially one made with apricots. 

The other day I got some ideas for mixing beers to make like black and tan styles. One that they serve in the local brewery near my house is called “Chocolate covered Cherries” which includes a chocolate stout and a cherry wheat beer. This would be nice to make something similar. Peaches or Apricots in Chocolate. Just a thought 😀

A Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ by Lagunitas

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!970556_10101174680817190_954908160_nRating: 4.8/5

A Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ by Lagunitas is a 7.5% ABV American Pale Wheat Ale

Label: 
So, we’re all on collective disability. That’s cool. Let’s put some ice on it and keep ourselves elevated for a while. So, what’s on the tube..? Honey..? Get me a beer from the fridge… Will ya..? Sweetie..? Pleeease..?”
___

I had this beer a couple of times in the past. Haven’t had a chance to review it until as I was able to snag some left over bottles from my friend’s house, he wanted me to keep them. 

First aromas you get right off the bat are piney, grassy, herbal and grapefruit hops, honey, pineapple, biscuit bread, apricot, wheat, citrus and a touch of mango.

The flavors are of honey, grassy, herbal, floral, piney and grapefruit hops, caramel, pineapple, wheat, biscuit bread, orange juice, coriander spice, lemon, apricot, mango, candi sugars and some papaya notes.

This is not a very common style, however, with the flavors similar to an IPA but with a lot of tropics and moving into the realms of wheat beer, I say this has got a lot of good tropical stuff going on. It is a very nice beer with well hidden alcohol and great tropical flavor.

Blue Moon Agave Nectar Ale by Coors Brewing

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400625_10101146738608600_700180079_nRating: 3.25/5

Blue Moon Agave Nectar Ale by Coors Brewing is a 5.6%ABV American Pale Wheat Ale

Label: 
Inspired by our brewmaster’s travels through Mexico, our limited summer release is crafted with agave nectar for a subtle sweetness and a smooth, crisp finish.
___

Growing up I used to drink non-alcoholic agave juice. It was basically a sugary juice that was made from the extract of the agave plant. That stuff was very good. When you try Tequila, its that sugary plant flavor that is the agave. So when I saw this I wanted to see what it was all about. The fragrance is very mild. Adjunct grains, almost wheat, sweet agave notes, minor notes of wheat, orange, corn, cereal and sugar. What can be said, it is definitely close to a lager. The flavors are a little more interesting. You do get that sugary plant flavor of the agave (not sure how much is artificial), cereal grains, touch of wheat, cane sugar sweetness, citrus orange, mild hop and grain bitterness, that sweet corn flavor mixed in with agave, Wasn’t the best Agave beer I’ve ever had, (The best being the Tequila Barrel Aged Barley Wine from Cucapa of Mexicali), but still brings some of that minor agave sugary flavor I remember as a kid. Agave beers aren’t that common. So to find something like this which is at least decent is pretty good in my book. Blue Moon for many is faux craft, but for me it is a great way to introduce craft beer to people. A craft gateway. Blue Moon has been trying out different ideas and even if it does come from macros, I’ll still give it a shot. Blue Moon, Shocktop and New Belgium’s Fat Tire were craft gateways for me. So why wouldn’t I recommend some :P. In terms of this beer, some people that are not into craft beer may like this. Now I am wondering how this will mix with a Tequila mixed drink as it is light enough to probably mix with something :P.

Shock Top Honeycrisp Apple Wheat by Anheuser-Busch, Inc.

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181064_10101089983680930_1872732502_n 733939_10101089982857580_1593195364_nRating: 3.75/5

Shock Top Honeycrisp Apple Wheat by Anheuser-Busch, Inc. is a 5.8% Witbier brewed with cider and spices with natural honeycrisp apple flavor and other natural flavors.

Description:
Shock Top Honeycrisp Apple Wheat is a unique, hand crafted brewed hybrid of Belgian wheat beer and sweet cider, with natural Honeycrisp flavor added to produce an innovative new brew that is crisp, refreshing and flavorful. This unfiltered brew is the perfect beer to welcome the warming Spring days.
___

Other natural flavors? Hmm I wonder what it could be. Anything could be a natural flavor. Like grass or dirt. However I am sure that is not what they mean. The fragrance is very fruity all the way. Apples, Jolly ranchers green apple candy, cinnamon, slight apple pie crust, citrus, cherry fruit juice and pilsner, a good amount of pilsner. The flavors are of Green Apple and Jolly ranchers candy, slight citrus, very slight Belgian bready esters here and there like a wheat but hardly noted, some hidden grain and pilsner flavor (it is well hidden by the sweet candy apple flavor at first but it comes in later), some slight cinnamon and brown sugar, honey, good amount of cider and maybe a slight hint of peach. I’m pretty impressed. Despite how many of the other shock tops are pretty average, this is the best scoring one. It mainly swings to a cider side more than a beer side. The beer side is there to keep it alittle balanced, although it doesn’t keep it balanced well. Still, the sweetness is pretty good and lots an lots of apple flavors are noted well. I say give this a try. Who knows, you may like this one

Leinenkugel’s Sunset Wheat by Jacob Leinenkugel brewing

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196223_10101000888273840_2141615468_nRating: 4/5

Leinenkugel’s Sunset Wheat by Jacob Leinenkugel brewing is a 4.9% Witbier (Belgian Style Wheat Ale)

Description:
If you’ve ever experienced a Northwoods sunset, you know it’s a moment unlike any other. So instead of putting it into words, we captured the Northwoods’ finest moment in every batch of our all-new Leinenkugel’s Sunset Wheat. Brewed with malted wheat, Cluster hops and natural coriander, Sunset Wheat has a soothing taste that will leave you speechless. It’s like your very own sunset in a bottle.
___

I’ve tried this beer several times and every time I try it it reminds me of one thing… Fruity Pebbles cereal. The fragrance is simply fruit pebbles. Citrus, blueberries, raspberries, cherries, coriander, wheat cereal and flowers somewhat. The flavors are of ….you guessed it.. fruity pebbles cereal. Some light flavors of lemon, orange, blueberry, grape, cherry, raspberry, wheat bread, coriander spice and grain cereal. There is this tiny off putting fruity alcohol in the after taste but it doesn’t detract too much from the cereal and fruity pebbles. A pretty good beer to try if you are into sweet fruit beers or just fruity pebbles in general. Crisp and refreshing for like a summer type of beer.

2011 Review:
All I have to say about this beer is…FRUITY PEBBLES IN A BOTTLE!!. The extra sweetness of the beer and flavor complexity make the unfiltered wheat and coriander taste just like fruity pebbles. A must try !!

Cellar Door by Stilwater Artisanal

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60756_10100953684909760_557966199_n18719_10100953678547510_785513984_n224886_10100953677714180_1615555740_n
Rating: 5/5

Cellar Door by Gypsy/Gangster brewer, Stilwater Artisanal is a 6.6%ABV Farmhouse ale/Saison wheat ale brewed with White Sage. It is actually closer to a witbier (Belgian White). Perhaps, a fusion of a saison and a Belgian white

Description:
over the ages the term ’cellar door’ has numerously been referred to as the most beautiful term in the English language. upon setting out to create the first summer addition to the Stateside line up of ales; the feeling that almost instantly came to me was that of beauty & cleansing. many summer offerings tend to lack the complexity of their bigger, colder season counterparts; so my goal was to craft an ale of extreme balance with a delicate complexity that allows for contemplation while also providing quaffable refreshment. Starting with a base of German wheat & pale malts this crisp slightly hazy foundation was then accented with a blend of Sterling & Citra hops providing a intricate blend of herbal grass & tangerine citrus flavors and aroma. to pull this all together and to complete the ’cleansing’ aspect of my vision i gently finished the ale off with a touch of white sage, lending a mild earthy spice character to the blend. of course let’s not forget our house saison yeast that brought all the elements together leaving a dry yet intricate finish. enjoy, b.
—-

Upon opening the Cellar Door of this fine ale, we are exposed to sweet Belgian and saison aromas. On one hand you have floral and some peppercorn notes but you can also smell the fragrance of tangerine, lemon, coriander spice, some mango, almost like a tang orange sweetness. The flavors go in many directions. We have Belgian wheat brad, sweet bread, orange, honey, minor grassy, pine and grapfruit hops in order to establish a minor Belgian Pale feel without compromising the sweet flavor for bitterness. There are some flavors or caramel, white grapes, mango, apples, peaches, pears, sage, coriander spice, banana cloves, peppercorn, oak wood and biscuit. It is kind of crazy as you get a load of tropical like fruit flavors, with rich Saison and bready goodness along with the way a Belgian White tastes. Quite the awesome blend of flavors here. Saison, Belgian White and some Belgian Pale Ale lovers will love this one. It is quite the exquisite beer and a must pick up if you can find it 😀

Solace by Firestone Walker

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Rating: 4/5

Solace by Firestone Walker is a 4.8%ABV Pale Unfiltered Wheat Ale. A summer seasonal release only. This is quite interesting. A mix of grassy hops and banana clove flavors like a German Heff. Some Bavarian yeast is there for sure. Leans more towards a heffeweizen for sure and a borderline Saison as it does have great fragrance. Flavors of lemon, pine, grapefruit, banana bread, faint bubble gum after taste, and sweet pineapple. Crisp and refreshing taste with sweetness and spice all over. Definitely a summer beer. This is my second time trying this beer and definitely a pick up for summer :P.

2011 Review:
This delicious brew is a mix of unfiltered wheat like a heffeweizen and the fruityness provided by the bavarian yeast…tangy,smooth, sweet and filling. A definite summer ale 😛