Trout Slayer Wheat Ale

A second tasting of one of the new taps that 8th St. Grille has to offer. I don't have to be at work until a lot later in the afternoon due to boiler problems, so why not get some mid-day tasting done at my favorite bar!
Shout out to Lucas Westblade for acknowledging over a year and a half ago that it was absurd I never tried this beer...Lucas, the Michigan Native.
AND ironically, right as I finish this post, Chad, the Big Sky marketing manager walks in with Dennis, 8th St. Grille's and West MI distribution sales rep.
4.7% ABV

Appearance: Bright golden blonde in color with an absolute clarity, paralleled but only the...well...best filtered beers out there. The head is white, and soft and foamy, though dissipation is rather quick, leaving a thin white ring around the inner perimeter of the glass. The beer itself shows very little signs of activity, with the appearance of carbonation almost negligible.
Aroma: Grain comes through most prominently in the scent followed by a faint peppery aroma contributed from the hops. A bit green and floral too, but otherwise very limited in the smell.
Taste: Wheat and biscuit malt are my first sensations, with the wheat and grain husk bitterness falling into the second half of the beer. The front is mild and again, biscuity recollection a flavor of basic 2-row. There is a definitive mid point where the carbonation draws the line. Nothing too fantastic happens in the front, but the second half holds two characteristics: that grain flavor that was noted earlier, and the hops, specifically Mt. Hood with a peppery burst of bitterness to balance. As the beer warms, more of a tannic outdoorsy flavor develops.

Mouthfeel: Light and bubbly with a foamy texture to give a perception of more of a body. Very easy to drink and crisp. Bitterness is on the higher side to make for that refreshing bite at the end, but almost over drys the mouth, more than one would typically want when going for a beer of its stature (namely, color)
Overall Impression: Definitely a difference to the typical heat ale category, where this beer actually a) retains hop character b) is extremely bright and clear and c) limits its yeasty, phenolic and wheat-grain based citrus. Filtering must be a bitch! In the end, one could draw a subtle hint of lemon when acknowledging all flavors holistically.