Monday, March 19, 2012

Shock Top Raspberry Wheat

Tasted for the first time Sunday night while making goose stroganoff for the company we had over. I had just arrived back from a day trip to Galena to visit my mom. Reviewed Monday afternoon while packing some stuff up, doing taxes and selling some homebrew equipment.
5.2% ABV

Appearance: Pour was bright yellow and cloudy. In the glass it appeared the same, with a straw color about. Carbonation is persistent and plentiful. The head is strong to start, but dissipation is quick to take over, diminishing its presence into a thin white layer of foamy bubbles. Prominent haze, but still some visibility.
Aroma: A burst of raspberry syrup and fruitiness erupts from the glass as the nostrils approach. Wheat undertones, but nothing as optimally aggressive as the raspberry flavor that takes center stage. I could have guessed coriander from the scent, as there remains a subtle hint of zest beneath.
Taste: Raspberry dominates, though it still is supported by a rich wheat character. Some grainy wheat husk is present, but expected. I find the Belgian yeast is a helpful component to the overall beer and supports the parallel between grain based malt and the addition of berry fruit. The finish leaves the mouth with a Belgian wheat yeast flavor, while still remaining refreshing and fruity.
Mouthfeel: The carbonation and the body of the beer are two different things. The carbonation is high, but the body is interestingly both soft/light but with a oily heaviness. The two combined leave a texture of frothy richness and a smooth complexion. The finish is lightly dry but with a glutiness cloy on the roof of the mouth.
Overall Impression: I was suspicious at first, but commemorative after the first cold sips. Certainly a beer for the fruit lovers, wheat lovers and, well, mostly women and those needing that one beer to enter the craft tasting world. Bubbly and refreshing while still packing a fruitiness that resembles and extract, but does well against its Reinheitsgebot ingredients.

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