Sunset Wheat

Thanks to Valerie Bustle for being a gracious guest and bringing this beer by on one of her trips to Augustana and "The Dump" aka Tim's house... Tasted before my (Jen) first official Augie track meet!

Appearance: Extremely cloudy with what looks to be clumps of yeast floating in throughout the beer. Hue is of a deep golden yellow with a tint of orange. Foamy, thick and creamy looking head of a slight flesh color. Lacing appears on the side

Aroma: Very very sweet aroma, strong presence of candied sugars and sweet orange pulp. There is also an overwhelming flowery and perfume like aroma. Smell is definitely heavy and leads me to think it is artificial.

Taste: Although the aroma is quite strong, the flavors are less powerful. Mellow malted flavors are overpowered by the blueberries and oranges. Takes a few sips to detect hop flavors which are helpful to balancing out the sweetness from the fruit. For a wheat beer however there is not much of a wheat taste.

Mouthfeel: Light body that makes it very drinkable. Does not have very overpowering carbonation, yet I don't feel like the bubbles reveal any underlying flavors to the palate. Has a sort of creamy texture. Not much of an aftertaste either.
Overall Impression: Nothing outstanding about this beer. Other critics mention how it resembles "Fruity Pebbles" in the aroma which in turn gives me the impression of artificial flavors. Sadly, the fruitiness overpowers any flavor of wheat which kinda defeats the purpose of a "wheat beer." If you want a truly interesting and refreshing wheat beer, I would skip this and go with Three Floyd's Gumball Head instead.


Jen: 70/100
Tim: 68/100

Fireside Nut Brown

Thanks to Greg Maggio for donating this to the blog! Tasted at the Misewicz residence following a fifteen mile run in soggy conditions.

Appearance: Very pretty color resembling a bronze/orange/amber hue. Robust appearance with minimally sustained head. Entirely clear with visible carbonation.

Aroma: Smoked spruce and toasted malt barley scent. Slight hint of fruit possibly simmering raisins and dates with a brown sugar addition. Smells a lot boozier than the 4.9% lets on... And sure why not, nuts.

Taste: Starts thin in flavor, once the carbonation rushes over the palate it brings with it a roasted nutty flavor. Less of a malt flavor and more of a dark fruit taste with brown sugar. Taste does not linger in mouth or in back of throat which gives it a very clean flavor. Definitely some cara smoked barley and other contributive adjuncts. Still some uniqueness to the finish as I find a soft malt flavor hazelnut and perhaps some maple syrup
Mouthfeel: Thin light body with active carbonation that helps distinguish the flavors. Very drinkable and refreshing, the most common element of all Leinenkugels beers
Overall Impression: It's interesting how the malt sugars are not as apparent in the taste although they come across strong in the aroma. Typical of a Leinenkugel's product, the flavor emerges mid to aftertaste. I think this beer appeals to so many people because the light body makes it easily drinkable and keeps you from feeling full after. Since this beer does have a strong interesting flavor that seems less artificial than Berryweiss, it's probably the best out of the Leinenkugul lineup.

79/100

Berry Weiss

The package was sitting in the fridge, and I remember my sister explaining to me how some people may want me to blog my feelings about basic domestic beers. I could only muster to try leinenkugel's. Having previously vowed to keep this blog restricted to the 7$+/6 pack, everyone changes. Thanks to Matthew Bowman and his strange girly taste (mikes hard and Smirnoff Raspberry Ice included) for fruity alcoholic beverages, I was able to try this.

Appearance: Pale pink color with an apparent haziness. Minimal head retention, but only leaving a sticky foamed lace behind it. Little if any visible carbonation. Medium clarity

Aroma: Fruity tartness jumps out of the glass, without any effort to smell. Nevertheless the aroma is reminiscent of candied raspberries and strawberries. Tartness is highly present.

Taste: An absurdly sweet and tart flavor that is equally comparable to a fruity grape juice. Somewhat of an alka-seltzer finish flavor and some synthetic-ness as well. Aside from that the fruitiness and tartness of the berry adjuncts mask all potential and classic flavors of a Weiss beer. I'd consider this more in the category of a Lambic Framboise.

Mouthfeel: Light and generally forgiving with an ending carbonated spike that hits mid tongue. Blossoms into a frothy consistency as it flushes down the throat. Lighter body. Stick and tacky texture to both the lips an tongue.
Overall Impression: I'm surprised at the amount of tart character presented in this beer. As a child I'd totally be down for this beer, especially with my artificial-bubbaliscous-fruit-warhead palate. But now? not a chance. Sure the grapiness is fine but the finish is really the tell tale sign of something strange going down. I wasn't really a fan of the overtly sour Lambic, and this goes the same, as the American version. Nevertheless, the palatability and flavor administers an attractive taste that may or may not be conducive to the average beer drinker. I am personally not a fan of the under attenuated sugar tartness, but I can certainly see that there is an audience out there that is.


71/100