wheat

New Beer Blog Cheboygan Brewery Blood Orange Wheat

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In this beer blog, we are going to sample the second brew from Cheboygan Brewery.  It is their Blood Orange Wheat.  If you read my beer blog posts on their Lemongrass Wheat a few days ago, you know the history of this Michigan craft brewery.  If you have not, please, read to get to know Cheboygan Brewery.  Let us get into this wheat.

It has a cloudy straw to a light golden color with a semi white head.  The aroma has a heavy orange notes.  The taste profile of this light to medium body has a wheat orange notes with a nice orange aftertaste.  It is pretty drinkable beer.

Here is a description from their website (www.cheboyganbrewingcompany.com):

A unique twist on a great American-style wheat beer, with the addition of fresh local wildflower honey mixed with blood orange zest, and blood orange puree. The result is a medium bodied beer that is very smooth with a residual sweetness, and creaminess from the honey, and an exhilierating nose of citrus from the orange. Ahh, summertime. 5.7% ABV

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.cheboyganbrewingcompany.com

Twitter:  @CheboyganBrew

Closing, compare to the Lemongrass Wheat, this is not as good but it is still a solid beer.  It is a great beer.  I did not like this beer as much as I enjoyed their Lemongrass Wheat.  I am not a huge fan of oranges and there is nothing wrong with it.  This is why we have several different beer styles in the market.  The orange notes are not overpowering the wheat ale.  It is a nice refreshing beer.  I highly recommend this beer.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

Instagram:  @djweiser13

New Beer Blog Maui Brewing Mana Wheat

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In this beer blog, we are going to try another beer from Maui Brewing and the beer is called Mana Wheat.  If you read my earlier beer blogs on their beers, you know the history of this great Hawaii Brewery.  If you have not read that beer blog post,  please, read that post to get to know this great brewery.  Let us get into the beer.

This beer has a cloudy golden color without a head on the beer. The smell is a slight pineapple to the beer. The taste of this light body is a wheat to pineapple without an aftertaste. It is an extremely drinkable beer.

Here is a description from the beer can:

Mana Wheat is a fresh handcrafted American wheat ale brewed with malted barley, white wheat and fresh local Maui Gold Pineapple.

Here is a description from their website (www.mauibrewingco.com):

An unfiltered, freshly handcrafted American-style wheat ale infused with Maui Gold Pineapple.  Our crisp and refreshing wheat ale is lighty hopped to allow the fruity sweetness of the pineapple to shine.  The yeast stays in suspension making the ale traditionally cloudy.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.mauibrewingco.com

Twitter:  @MauiBrewingCo

In the end, I am not a wheat fan but this beer I did enjoy.  It also gave me hope that there are some good wheat ales out on the market.  I am a fan of pineapple and I believe that is reason why I love this beer.  The pineapple makes this beer unique and different.  If you do not like wheat ales, you still need to try this beer because of how unique it is.  I highly recommend you trying this beer if you are a fan of wheat ales.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weise

Email:   djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Blog New Glarus Laughing Fox

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In this beer blog, we are going to get into the fourth of seven beers from New Glarus Brewing Company.  The beer is called Laughing Fox.  I love the graphics from the beer bottle, which you can see in the photo above.  If you read my earlier blog on their Fat Squirrel Ale, you are up to speed on this brewery.  If you have not, please, go back and read the first part of that beer blog post.  Let us get into this beer.

It has a dark clear copper color without a head on the beer.  It has a heavy banana to clove to the beer. It has sweet malty banana taste without an aftertaste.  It is really drinkable beer.

Here is a description from their website (www.newglarusbrewing.com) and beer bottle:

In playful pursuit of butterflies a Red Fox danced across the brewery hill. His joy so pure it bubbled through our hearts and into this beer. Laughing Fox is a sparkling Kristal Weizen brewed in the Bavarian tradition with 50% Wisconsin wheat in our open top fermenters.  Tickle your nose notes of spicy clove and cinnamon abound. Dan’s inspired Weizen interpretation reflects the deep bittersweet color of our Fox’s red coat.

Expect this beer to pour a lively effervescent glass thick with creamy foam and bursting with luscious fruity notes on your pallet. This is easy drinking beer perfect for a friendly Wisconsin evening. Relax, this is God’s Country, here we have the strength to reach for the stars and change the world. Best Wishes, Daniel & Deborah Carey

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.newglarusbrewing.com

Twitter:  @newglarusbeer

In closing, I was a little stun when drinking this beer.  My friend gave me the wrong bottle.  I was looking to try their bock and here is a wheat.  It happens and I glad she pick this up by mistake.  I am not a fan of any of their weizen, white, or wheat beers.  This beer has a lot going on in it.  There is really depth in this beer.  There are some nice cinnamon to banana notes in it.  I recommend this beer and I might have to think about putting it in my regular line up of beers if it was available to myself in Chicago.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Blot Samuel Adams Dunkelweizen

In this next beer blog, we are going to take another look at a beer from the Samuel Adams Fall Sampler Pack.  The beer is their Samuel Adams Dunkelweizen.  If you read my earlier blog on their beers, you know about this brewery.  Samuel Adams is pretty well know so you might already know them before reading this blog.  If you do not know this brewery, please, go back and read the first part of that blog.  Let us get into the beer.

Samuel Adams Dunkelweizen is only available in their Fall Sampler. It has an amber color without a head on the beer.  It has a malty and yeast smell. It has malty wheaty taste with a malty aftertaste. This Dunkelweizen is pretty drinkable beer.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

This unflitred dark wheat beer is brewed with a traditional Bavarian yeast that createsa wide spectrum of flavors and aromas from clove and nutmeg to tropical fruit and banana.  This is complemented by malted wheat for a crisp finish.  Cheers!  Jim Koch

Here is a description from their website (www.samueladams.com):

Samuel Adams® Dunkelweizen,literally translated as “dark wheat” beer, is a darker version of the traditional Bavarian wheat beers dating back to the 15th century.  Dark amber-brown in color, this brew is coarse filtered, leaving a notable haze and offering a dense, white rocky head.

Samuel Adams Dunkelweizen is brewed with authentic Bavarian wheat beer yeast, which imparts a wide spectrum of flavors and aromas from spicy clove and nutmeg to tropical fruit and banana. This traditional yeast is rarely used by American brewers so the flavors it creates are often unfamiliar, even to craft beer drinkers.  The yeast character is complemented by the taste of the malted wheat that adds a cereal note. The result is a beer that, although quite complex and flavorful, is medium in body, with a crisp finish.

Dunkelweizen is a variation on the “weizen” or wheat style that originated in Bavaria around the 15th century.  Both hefeweizens and dunkelweizens are often staples of Southern German breweries’ repertoires.  Dunkel simply refers to the darkness of the beer derived from the malt.  Often smooth and rich with complex malt flavors, dunkelweizens still carry the distinct flavors imparted from the yeast that are common in traditional southern German wheat beers.  This array of flavors ranges from clove and nutmeg to tropical fruit and banana.  The crisp cereal note of the wheat remains making it a flavorful and refreshing beer.

In creating Samuel Adams Dunkelweizen, we were inspired by the long history of this classic German style that’s difficult to find in the US today.  Our version of the style is authentic to the Bavarian tradition with its combination of slight tartness from the wheat and full flavor from its dark malts as well as the notable yeast character.  The traditional Bavarian yeast imparts a wide spectrum of flavors that make the beer unique.

Flavor: Caramel and toasted malt notes integrated with the traditional German weizen beer fermentation aromas of clove and banana.
Color: Dark amber brown, 20 SRM
Original Gravity: 12.6° Plato
Alcohol by Vol/Wt: 5.1%ABV – 4.0%ABW
Calories/12 oz.: 168
IBUs: 13
Malt Varieties:Samuel Adams two-row pale malt blend, malted wheat,  Carawheat® malt, and Carafa® malt
*Carafa® and Carawheat® are registered trademarks of Weyermann Malt, Bamburg, Germany
Hop Variety: Hallertau Mittelfrueh Noble hops
Yeast Strain: W-68 ale yeast
Availability: Seasonal (Aug. – Oct) in the Harvest Collection Variety Pack
First Brewed: 2009

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.samueladams.com

Twitter:  @samueladamsbeer

In closing, as you know I am not a huge fan of wheat beers but I love the German style.  I was looking forward to trying this beer since it was a Dunkelweizen.  I have to say I was kind of disappointed.  I am learning pretty quickly that American Craft Breweries can not make a good German Style Hefeweizen nor Dunkelweizen.  It is not a really bad beer but I just did not enjoy drinking it.  I am not going to love everything that Boston Beer Company, Dogfish Brewery or any other brewery.  If you love wheat beer, please, go try this beer.  I have a feeling if you love this style.  I believe you will love it.  Please, let me know.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Blog 21st Amendment Brewery Hell Or High Watermelon Wheat Beer

In this blog, we are going to take a look at 21st Amendment Brewery’s summer seasonal, which is called Hell Or High Watermelon Wheat Beer.  If you read my earlier blog on this brewery, you know a little bit about this brewery.  Let us get into the beer.

It has a white light golden cloudy color without a head on the beer. Hell or High Watermelon Wheat Beer has a heavy watermelon smell to the beer. This wheat ale has a nice watermelon with a smooth wheat aftertaste to this beer. This beer is very drinkable beer and perfect beer for summer.

Here is a description from their website (www.21st-amendment.com):

Like Lady Liberty, we stand for independence and perseverance. In the pursuit of innovative beer, there is no obstacle too great. No journey too long. No fruit too gigantic. This American wheat beer is brewed with real watermelon, for a flavor that’s surprisingly crisp, dry and refreshing—summer in a can.

Hell or High Watermelon Wheat is our summer seasonal beer available from April through September in six pack cans and on draft. We start by brewing a classic American wheat beer, which undergoes a traditional secondary fermentation using fresh watermelon. A straw-colored, refreshing beer with a kiss of watermelon aroma and flavor.

Here is website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.21st-amendment.com

Twitter:  @21stamendment

In closing, I wish this brewery was in the Chicagoland area.  I am not a wheat beer fan at all but I really did enjoy this beer.  I was stun on how it smells and taste like watermelon.  I really want to know how they were able to pull that off without having the beer taste really bad.  This brewery has pushed the limits of brewing.  I am glad because the craft beer world needs a new influence to push for better beers.   It is drinkable and with a ton of flavor.  If you can find, go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Blog Lake Placid Craft Brewing Hefeweizen

In this blog, we are going to get into the second beer that I received from my Beer of the Month.  This brew is called Lake Placid Craft Brewing Hefeweizen Wheat Ale.  If you read my earlier blog on their Barkeater Amber Ale, you know a little bit of this brewery.  Let us get into this all year-long beer.

This beer ia a nice cloudy golden color with a little constant head to it.  You can smell lemon to citrus in the beer. The taste is a little citrus and a lot of banana clove in it. This beer is very drinkable and stays true to the German Beer Style.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

Lake Placid Hefeweizen is brewed with German wheat and barley as well as authentic German yeast, resulting in tasty esters, a touch of clove spiciness, and a cloudy, golden appearance.  It’s a perfect complement to sunny, summer days and cool, Adirondack nights.  Here’s to summer!

Here is a description from their website (www.ubuale.com), which I believe this is the right beer:

5.0% ABV

High Peaks Hefewiezen is a German Style Wheat Beer. It is yellow/pale orange in color and is cloudy in appearance. It is a very unique beer that is fermented with an ale yeast from Weihenstephan, Germany (pronounced Vine-Schte-fawn). Hefewiezen (pronounced Hefay-vite-zen) actually means “wheat beer with yeast”, which is why we do not clarify this beer. The thick cloudiness is actually the yeast suspended in the beer. The yeast contributes a unique flavor with a strong banana and clove character.  It has a very spicy aroma with hints of banana and clove in the aroma as well. It is brewed with 50% malted wheat, in place of malted barley, and hopped with noble hop varieties originating in Germany. It is not a bitter beer style, therefore letting the wheat flavors and yeast flavors dominate.  Traditionally, this beer is often served with a lemon in it, however, we do not recommend it. This beer will be on tap throughout the summer until roughly mid September.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.ubuale.com

Twitter:  @ubuman

In closing, just like their Barkeater Amber ale, this beer style is not my flavorite out in the market.  I HATE this beer style along with whites, and wheat ales.  I realize that “hate” is a very strong word to use but that is how I feel about this classic beer styles.  If you read any of my blogs, I am very honest about the beers but I will tell you if it is a good beer or not.  Plus, just because I say the beer is not good that does not mean you will not like it.  With that all said, this beer is pretty good but I canot see myself drinking this in my regular lineup.  They did a very good job keeping it to true to the German Beer Style with a little twist.  With the huge growth of Wheat Ale, I believe this beer should be doing very good right now. I know the ones in my market, which is Chicago, are doing very well.  I have to say this brew has to be one of the best one in the Craft Beer market.  Good job on this brew!  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser