Beer Review of the Week: Whitsun Ale by Arcadia Brewery

Whitsun is a good wheat beer, with a pronounced wheat body and notes of coriander. This beer reminds of Oberon, but with a much a stronger wheat flavor to it. I really enjoy this stronger base flavor, because this is wheat beer that does not need anything added, which is commonly done with Oberon. It poured out with dark golden color and gave off aroma notes of wheat and orange. One of the drawbacks I found to this ale was the lack of head and lacing, I prefer my ales to have a slight head to them because this keeps the beer colder a bit longer than those with no head, as is the case with Whitsun. Nevertheless, in the end a very tasty beer would be paired well with a nice porterhouse steak, baked potato and some sautéed beans to make a great summer or deep winter comfort food meal.

Rating:

• Drinkability – 4 out of 5
• Flavor – 4 out of 5
• Refreshness – 3 out of 5
• Smell – 3 out of 5
• Overall – 10 out of 20
• Price – $8.99
• ABV – 6.2%
• Style – Wheat Ale

Monday Beer Review of The Week: Goose Island 312 Urban Wheat

I have had a couple of different beers and ales by the folks over at Chicago based Goose Island Brewery. They produce a wide variety of ales from their Urban line to heavier stouts, all of the distinct and signature qualities about them that make them stand on their own. 312 Urban Wheat Ale is a very smooth ale with clean distinct wheat base with a aroma of hops and crispy fruit notes. I always enjoy the first sip of this ale as the pungent aromas give you a much fruitier flavor at the beginning, which then transforms to the smooth creamier flavors as progress through the drink. Given the smoothness of this drink, it is a great beer to enjoy by friends sitting around an outdoor dinner and can then progress into the evening. With an ABV of 4.2%, this isn’t a beer that is going to leave feeling heavy or tipsy at the end of the night, but will allow you drink a couple over the course of the night. During the summer and fall months, this would be excellent ale to enjoy with friends with a nice bonfire burning in the background.

Rating:

• Drinkability – 5 out of 5
• Flavor – 4 out of 5
• Refreshness – 4 out of 5
• Smell – 5 out of 5
• Overall – 18 out of 20
• Price – $8.99 per six-pack
• ABV – 4.2%
• Style – Wheat Ale, Summer English Ale

Weinhenstephaner Hefe Weiss Bier

Weinhenstephaner, The World’s Oldest Brewery, Est. 1040

Hefe Weiss Bier

(Yeast) (Wheat) (Ale)

This is a great beer! Upon drinking this ale (I know, it contradicts the name Bier, but it is indeed an Ale), I realized exactly why the brewery has been in operation for 970 years!!! Compared to Budweiser’s establishment of 1876…. Well, 134 years pales in comparison… no pun intended.

This brew threw my taste buds for a loop at first. When I poured it into my glass, it had a nice, fluffy head and dark color. I was truly expecting the dark brew to taste like a dark brew, i.e. porter, nut brown ale, etc. So was I ever surprised when it turned into an exceptionally smooth and light on the palette, not heavy, smoky or sweet. In fact, it was more like a summer wheat ale than a dark ale. According to one of my favorite brew reference sites, Beer Advocate, Weiss Beers are:

“A south German style of wheat beer (weissbier) made with a typical ratio of 50:50, or even higher, wheat. A yeast that produces a unique phenolic flavors of banana and cloves with an often dry and tart edge, some spiciness, bubblegum or notes of apples. Little hop bitterness, and a moderate level of alcohol. The “Hefe” prefix means “with yeast”, hence the beers unfiltered and cloudy appearance. Poured into a traditional Weizen glass, the Hefeweizen can be one sexy looking beer.  Often served with a lemon wedge (popularized by Americans), to either cut the wheat or yeast edge, which many either find to be a flavorful snap … or an insult and something that damages the beer’s taste and head retention.”

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/style/89

I agree whole heartedly on the lemon (or lime) wedge: Either it’s done to cover up the wheat/yeast flavor (such as when one puts an orange slice in a Bell’s Oberon… For Shame!) OR it’s to GIVE the beer flavor, such as Corona or even (dare I? OK!) Blue Moon.

Weinhenstephaner is most definitely one of those beers that, regardless of the size of the bottle, you ALWAYS pour into a glass; and NEVER, under ANY CIRCUMSTANCES serve it (or consume it) with a fruit garnish.

Drinkability: 10/10

Taste: 10/10 (Yes! That damn good!)

Smell: 9/10

Color: 8/10

Refreshment: 8/10

Smoothness: 10/10

Overall: 9/10