Magic Hat Brewing Company - Circus Boy - The Hefeweizen

Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a plastic cup

This wheat ale from Magic Hat pours a hazy, unfiltered yellowy-orange body. A thin white head of slick foam adorns the top of the beer. The nose is extremely feint and almost lagery. Wheat malts are not overly apparent and only a hint of minor banana phenols can be detected.

The beer is very lagery up front with a crisp, biting carbonation. Wheat malts come through fairly spicy on the mid-palate and drop definite banana flavors. The beer is very sweet with almost no hops perceptible. Spice seems to add the only contrast to the highly sweet malt base. The finish is feint with a light grassiness, mild spice, and a lingering sweetness.

Final Verdict: C+

"Blue Moon Brewing Company" a/k/a Coors Brewing Company - Blue Moon Belgian White

Brewed In: Boulder, CO
Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a plastic cup

Blue Moon is an entry by Coors Brewing into the "craft beer" market. It's got nothing to do with craft beer except for the fact that the idea behind it is to try to win customers over who might otherwise go for a craft beer. Either way, it is a welcomed departure from the other macro adjunct lagers produced by Coors and its counterparts.

The beer pours a hazy, almost milky, orange with yeast flakes that float freely in the unfiltered body. The off-white head is fairly small with a creamy consistency. The retention is moderate and leaves small rings of lace. The nose is mildly spicy with a huge orange component. A slightly medicinal sweetness tops the thinnish wheat malt.

The body of the beer is very light with a high carbonation that approaches lagery crispness. Malt flavor is mild with a moderate sweetness. The beer's graininess turns a bit sour on the mid-palate, but is tamped down by the impact of mighty orange flavoring. On the finish the beer is dry with a slight astringency.

Final Verdict: C

Mercury Brewing Company - Clown Shoes - Clementine White Ale

Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a plastic cup

Clementine by Clown Shoes, brewed by Mercury (which also brews Ipswich), pours a light glowing orange body with steadily rising carbonation. The beer appears very cloudy, approaching opaque. The head is a thin white airy light foam with moderate retention. The head does not leave much lace behind. The dry nose is vaguely cellary with a minor sour-like funk. Orangy citrus on the nose sweetens the aroma and lends a light astringency.

Up front a grassy freshness meets light flavorful malts. Orange favor accents light citrusy hops. Mild coriander and white pepper notes mix with an almost ginger-like spiciness. The bold sweetness and spice culminate with a dry finish and a mild tartness. A lasting sweetness and spice profile persist on the slowly fading aftertaste.

Final Verdict: B+

Sebago Brewing Company - Hefeweizen

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a Pilsner glass posing as a Weizen glass

This Summery hefeweizen from Sebago Brewing Company pours a yeast-clouded light yellow body. The medium sized white foam head is light and airy. Moderate retention keeps the head around just long enough to produce light wisps of lace at the top of the glass. A fresh and grassy nose is packed with wheat malts that are featured prominently. Matching the malts is a classic wheat beer spice profile. Light clove, coriander and a citric orange peel create the beer's aroma.

Crisp carbonation takes up the wheat malts nicely and produces an airy body. Wheat malts are sweet and pleasant without much weight. The beer's buoyant body leaves it incredibly easy to drink. Grassiness is moderate throughout and meets up with the spices on the mid-palate. The flavor is semi-fleeting. It is not quite, but almost leans toward inconsequential in this featherweight of a beer. The finish is mildly earthy with a somewhat meaty component, but very light overall. The beer leaves the tongue slightly dry.

Final Verdict: C+

Anheuser-Busch - Shock Top Brewing Company - Pumpkin Wheat

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 12 oz. twist-off bottle, poured into a Pilsner glass posing as a weizen glass

Pumpkin Wheat from the supposed "Shock Top Brewing Company" is brewed by Anheuser-Busch, owned by InBev, and is one of the companies many (many) brands of beer. Originally under AB's Michelob lineup, the brand has been a fairly successful competitor to Coors' Blue Moon in the macro-posing-as-micro market segment.

The beer pours an attractive hazy orange body with long wisps of floating sediment. The large, yellowed off-white head is fairly creamy and boasts solid retention. The nose is dry with a minor astringency. Mild pumpkin is present, but the emphasis is on spiciness with nutmeg and cinnamon as the standouts. The nose finishes on a semi-medicinal note.

Matched to a velveteen carbonation the silkiness of the wheat malts pairs with pumpkin flavor for an interesting combination. The bottle claims real pumpkin, but it's unclear what exactly that means and I'm skeptical if that means that real pumpkin chunks pass within a mile of the brew process. Dry spices round out the beer. Clove, cinnamon, and nutmeg give the beer a traditional pumpkin pie edge. The finish has a tinge of citrus and makes for a strange pairing with the nutmeg. The aftertaste is astringent and slightly medicinal, but the beer is surprising okay overall.

Final Verdict: C+

Boulder Beer Company - Kinda Blue

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a Pilsner glass

Following yesterday's Double IPA from Boulder comes a blueberry infused wheat beer. Kinda Blue pours a moderate purply tinted pale amber body with a reddish glow. The large fluffy head is light tan, but also features minor red tint. The retention is solid and the lacing is light. The nose is dry and dusty with a mild astringency and very feint blueberry aromas. A slight sweetness lingers, but the nose does not seem candied or cloying.

What this beer does right, off the bat, is that it seems to start with a competent wheat beer. Mildly spicy wheat is apparent in this mixed-malt brew. Satiny carbonation mixed with a gristly malt body give the beer some additional texture. The blueberry flavor is semi-sweet and almost slightly tart. This "with blueberries added" beer does not seem candied, cloying or artificial. The fruit flavor is more of an accent, not overbearing. The aftertaste has a moderate sweetness and seems fresh, which contrasts some of the dry elements and the cracked malt texture.

Final Verdict: B-

Hacker-Pschorr Bräu - Hefe Weisse Natürtrub

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 11.2 oz. bottle, poured into a Pilsner glass, posing as a weizen glass

This traditional Bavarian wheat beer pours a muted orange-brown with long stringy suspensions of yeast. The massive, creamy, off-white head is stiff with massive peaks of foam. The retention of the head is excellent and leaves large, thick chunks of lacing. Spicy wheat malts on the nose are adorned with light hints of coriander and mild cinnamon. As is common, big clove notes play nicely with laid back banana phenols.

Creamy and full-bodies, the beer boasts a velvet carbonation that accentuates the big bready malt. Banana bread flavor is rich and satisfying with hints of vanilla and undertones of traditional wheat beer spices and minor cocoa notes. The finish produces a lasting and lightly fruity aftertaste. Vague cinnamon, mild all spice and hints of walnut linger.

This beer, like many Bavarian brews boasts that it is brewed under the Reinheitsgebot or "German Purity Laws." I've complained about this marketing tactic before, but I'll mention again, that according to the Reinheitsgebot, only barley could be used in the production of beer. Therefore, a wheat beer, such as this (and as good as it is) cannot possibly adhere to the long outmoded restrictions.

What's more, the Reinheitsgebot, now championed (for marketing purposes) as a beer quality standard, was actually instated to protect bread production. The law was designed to protect the best bread-making grains (wheat, rye, etc.) from being used in beer production, therefore adversely affecting food production.

Final Verdict: A-

Southern Tier Brewing Company - Hop Sun

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a pint glass

This mixed-malt Summer Seasonal from Southern Tier pours a pale golden straw with a slight chilled haziness. The head is a thin off-white foam with modest retention. The sweet wheat malt nose packs a dusting of tight hops with an orangey citrus edge. Minor pine notes compliment the bouquet.

Tight carbonation accents the very light biscuity malts. The added wheat gives a bit of extra sweet graininess that plays off the hops. The hops seem fresh and grassy, but not much in the way of bittering. There's a slight bitterness to the finish and the hopping lends a sturdy dryness to the mouthfeel.

Final Verdict: B

Sierra Nevada - Best of Beer Camp 2011 - Weizenbock

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a fluted glass

Third in the Best of Beer Camp series, the Weizenbock Camp #37 pours a hazy, almost opaque, golden orange with a silky stream of floating yeast. The large, lightly yellowed head is great on retention and produces chunky thick lacing on the glass. Very sweet wheat malts envelop the aroma and carry a mild astringency. The beer has defined orangey notes with a mild bread on the end of the nose with some mild spice notes.

Clove spice is  huge and majorly pronounced on the foretaste, followed by a considerable banana sweetness. This is a total classic for a wheat beer. The crisp carbonation keeps the beer light, but the wheat malts give the texture a silky smoothness. The beer is delicious and sweet. It's like dessert, a treat in a glass. It's just out of the sessionable range, but very drinkable. Slight heat on the finish adds a hint of dryness to the sweet breadiness and keeps it in check.

Final Verdict: A

Flying Dog Brewery - Woody Creek White

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a mug

Woody Creek White, from Maryland-based Flying Dog, is an American take on the classic Belgian witbier style. The beer pours a cloudy mild yellow with tons of floating sediment that turns the color flat and opaque. The small wispy white head musters commendable retention and modest lacing. The nose has a mild sweetness with a clear spiciness. Big coriander with a hint of clove is buttressed by a lemony citrus aroma. A mild astringency sneaks in around the edges.

The beer is somewhat herbal with a clear refreshing edge of clean wheat malts. Mild lemon flavoring plays well with a distinct grassiness. The beer seems slightly medicinal on the mid-palate, but wears it well. The fresh grainy finish is sweet, but subdued. A mild spice note lasts nicely on the aftertaste.

Final Verdict: B

Smuttynose Brewing Company - Summer Weizen Ale

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a Pilsner glass, posing as a weizen glass

Smuttynose's Summer Weizen Ale pours an orangey golden straw with a hovering cloud of wispy yeast that floats just below the lightly specked white head. The retention on the foam is great with moderate lacing at the top of the glass. The nose is characterized by a sweet, but subdued, wheat malt. Slight spicy and herbal elements play in with a moderate orange peel citrus aroma as well.

The mouthfeel is light and airy, complementing the refreshingly sweet wheat malts. There's a considerable grassy component that lends both freshness and a very mild earthiness. Hints of coriander are melded nicely with the floral addition of chamomile blossoms. The finish is clean and refreshing, giving this beer all the trappings of a choice Summer seasonal.

Final Verdict: B

Anchor Brewing Company - Anchor Summer Beer

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a mug

Anchor Summer Beer, brewing in San Francisco, is a pale wheat ale that pours a very-clear moderate straw body with a golden glow. The huge fluffy head is a craterous white foam with large carbonation bubbles. The retention on the head is excellent and the lacing is light. The nose is dry and bready reminiscent of a fresh pizza crust with a light basily herbal component. There's a lightly fruity edge and seemingly leafy vegetation.

This beer is all malt with a mélange of barley and wheat malts. It's lightly sweet, but even without hops the beer remains balanced. The different malt flavors play off each other, but seem to turn a bit sour. The beer is crisp and full-bodied with a refreshing texture, but is a bit more filling that expected. The beer has herbal and dry notes, but finishes with a lasting malty sweetness.

Final Verdict: B-*

* - I've never had an 'all malt' beer before, so my rating might be naïve (in either direction). If you've had Anchor Summer Beer before and have an opinion, let me know. Also, if you've had and enjoyed a malt-only beer before, please recommend it so I can expand my palate.

Widmer Brothers Brewing Company - Hefeweizen

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a pilsner glass, posing as a weizen glass

This Oregonian hefeweizen from Widmer Brothers pours a hazy, unfiltered, yeast-infused orange with a yellowy glow. The large off-white head is a creamy consistency with great retention and moderate lacing. The nose is light with somewhat feint dusty wheat malts. A mild spiciness accents the sweet edge and adds a dry characteristic.

The mouthfeel is fairly velvety, but flirts with wateriness. The wheat malts are sweet and find an accompaniment of standard coriander fare. Light citrus notes illuminate the beer near the finish and mix with a clear graininess. Some lasting lemon flavor develops in the aftertaste.

Final Verdict: C+

Berkshire Brewing Company - River Ale

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 650 mL 'bomber' bottle, poured into a weizen glass

River Ale is a Dark American Wheat Ale, which is an Americanized version of the traditional European dunkelweizen. The beer pours a deep mahogany brown with a light orange glow. The unfiltered beer also carries a considerable haze and moderate active carbonation. The light tan head is generous in size with huge retention and excellent lacing. The musty nose has a minor hint of clove atop a dry breadiness. There's a bit of sweetness, but it has a tiny cloying edge to it.

There's a big toasted malt character with a cracked grain texture. The dark wheat comes through spicy with a hint of caramelized sugar. There's an edge of dark fruit sweetness and a slight kiss of hops that help produce a dry finish. Finally, the beer wraps up with a dry somewhat woody aftertaste.

Final Verdict: A-

Long Trail Brewing Co. - Blackbeary Wheat

Purchased From: Sam's Club
Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a pint glass

Blackbeary Wheat is a mixed wheat and barley malt beer with a supposed 'hint' of blackberry flavor. The beer is extremely light and pale. While pouring it, it appeared more like water than beer at all. In the glass, however, the crystal clear pale straw stands proud. It pours with a medium frothy white head that has moderate retention. The active carbonation is abundant.

The nose is dominated by candy sweet artificial-seeming blackberry scent. There's malt in there somewhere but its difficult to discern on the nose. The sweetness comes straight from the nose and dominates the front of this beer. The malts push their way through in the middle, but they're thin and seem sour in comparison to the flavor attack. It also seems as if the wheat malts get lost in translation here. Finally, the beer finishes up with a mildly unpleasant sugar-coated feeling for your teeth.

This seems to be one of the many flavored/fruit beers that I just don't like very much. Abita's Pecan Harvest was a major bust for me and I've been similarly dismayed by Hooker's Watermelon Ale and Magic Hat's #9 and Wacko beers. I've heard many good things about this beer, so if you're into flavored beers, definitely give it a try. I'll continue to look for a flavored beer I can get behind, but it may be a while. The next, and more promising candidates will probably be some fruit flavored Lambics like Kriek.

Final Verdict: D+

Southampton Publick House - Double White

Southampton Publick House - Double White

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits

Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a mug

The yeast sediment turns Southampton’s take on a witbier from a medium straw to a radiant hazy yellow, with an orangey glow. The medium, creamy white head has great retention and lacing. The nose carries a bready wheat, huge coriander, big citrus, and a mild astringency. Southampton mentions the use of additional unmalted wheat in their brew process. The bready nose was especially noticeable, but I haven’t had enough opportunity to realize all of the differences that this process may add to a beer.

The malts and wheat is big, but sticky citrus seems to go right for the tongue with a biting dry touch. It isn’t surprising that the citrus factor here is significant, given the addition of both orange and lemon rind to the brew process. Alcohol comes rushing in in the middle and adds a considerable sweetness.

The big coriander from the nose seems to get a bit lost in the mix as far as taste goes. The finish is grainy and comes with some heat in the chest. Southampton’s stated mission with the Double White was to make a ‘big’ witbier. It certainly seems that they doubled up on wheat, citrus, and alcohol.

The Double Wheat goes for big, hits it, but doesn’t own it.

Final Verdict: B-

Wolaver’s - Ben Gleason’s White Ale

Wolaver’s - Ben Gleason’s White Ale

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits

Serving Type: 12 oz. twist-off bottle, poured into a mug

This White Ale is certified organic and comes from Vermont. The wheat used is organic and grown near the brewery by a small farmer, Ben Gleason, who has his name immortalized in the title of this brew. In addition to the wheat malts come organic rolled oats, which provide pleasant smoothness, and organic two-row barley malts. All together, this is a great beer, produced with care, from the Green Mountain State.

The body is a hazy light straw with wispy floating yeast. The head is a medium size with a creamy white complexion. The retention is good and the head holds up nicely against the solid active carbonation. The lacing is nice, but somewhat light.

The aroma is a typical white ale scent with spices, orange citrus, and sweet wheat malts. The wheat is very bready and reminds me of a good sandwich on fresh crusty bread. The flavor is defined primarily by the spices. Coriander for days. The wheat malts are sweet and the beer is very crisp. There’s a slightly sour component, like that of a fresh apple. Very pleasing. The finish is great and very tight. The aftertaste is long-lasting and carries a mildly astringent component.

Final Verdict: B+

Samuel Adams - White Ale

Samuel Adams - White Ale

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits

Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a mug

Samuel Adams White Ale is the Boston Beer Company’s take on a traditional Belgian witbier. It pours the requisite light yellow body, but comes with plenty of orange tones and a moderate haze. This one doesn’t cloud quite as well as Hoegaarden or Allagash White. The medium head is slightly creamy and carries a medium retention. The slightly astringent malt nose also packs an orangey citrus aroma and mild hops, clove and white pepper.

Unlike some other Belgian-style ales, the foam doesn’t impart a ton of flavor here. Wheat malts are vibrant and very citrusy. The sweetness is pleasant and clean. Unfortunately, the mouthfeel and the finish are both a tad too watery for my taste. The spices come through in the end, to the rescue of this beer. The salvation is a bit short-lived as the spices meet a blandish aftertaste.

Final Verdict: B-

Allagash - White

Allagash - White

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits

Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a mug

Allagash White is an excellent example of a Belgian White Ale, except that it is from Maine! One quick note, make sure to give this beer a proper pour for full effect and flavor. Pour about four fifths into the glass then give the last fifth a vigorous swirl in the bottle and top off your glass. This adds to the appearance considerably and rounds off the taste nicely.

The body is extremely yellow, nearly florescent, but with a silky and milky complexion. There’s plenty of frothy white foam head with solid retention. Not a whole lot in the way of lacing here, but still a pleasant looking beer. The nose is spicy and malty. It’s at once refreshing and complex.

The wheat malt is sweet and mildy tart. Before topping off the beer with the last bit of yeast and sediment the tartness is much more pronounced. Not off-putting, but not as nicely mellowed. There are citrus fruit notes to be picked up as well. The spices, which seem to include coriander, clove, and pepper make up a considerable amount of the flavor here and complete this beer very well. 

Final Verdict: A-

Hoegaarden

Hoegaarden

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits

Serving Type: 11.2 oz. curved bottle, poured into mug

Hoegaarden is a classic example of a Belgian witbier, or white beer, and perhaps the most well known. It’s got a serious nostalgia factor for me, and it has potential for non-beer-drinkers as well. It isn’t a perfect beer, but for someone who’s used to American lagers, this could be beer in a way they’ve never known.

The body is a very light yellow, cloudy with high carbonation. The moderate white foam head is slightly audible, has decent retention, but produces no lacing. The nose is spice heavy. Tons of coriander coming through. There’s also a mild yeasty must to the floral aroma.

This beer is extremely crisp and refreshing. The light wheat malts add a delicious sweetness and balance very well with coriander and other spices. Notes of citrusy lemon zest also accent the flavor. The finish is clean with a slight dryness, but the mouthfeel goes south at the last second. What is initially perceived as high carbonation seems to vanish and leaves a watery finish.

Final Verdict: B+