Sunshine Wheat

Variety is one of the many things that make beer such an awesome drink. Pale lager may be the de facto beer of summer, it's not the only brew that should find its way into your mouth. A few select dark lagers and lighter ales have the capability to bring the flavor with minimal heft to help you enjoy the summer season. One of the absolute best at combining robust flavors with light beer characteristics is wheat beer.

Most wheat beers are either German or Belgian in origin and use top fermenting yeasts. Anything that has "weiss" in its name is likely of German stock (Weizn is German for wheat). Weissbier, Kristalweizen, Hefeweizen, Weizenbock are all examples of German wheat beer. Belgian wheat is a little trickier to spot. Witbier or beers mentioning "white", Lambic, and Gueuze are all made with wheat malt.

American breweries have had great success copying these European styles. So much so that even the macro-breweries are cashing in on wheat brews. Some look to recreate the traditional styles while others merely use them for inspiration. I thought I would kick off my wheat beers with something a little different. A modern take on Belgian spiced ale. The light and enjoyable Sunshine Wheat from New Belgium.

Congrats to New Belgium for celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Keep up the good work. Back to the beer. It is absolutely crucial that you pour this beer into a glass. The flavors and aromas will stay trapped in the bottle creating a not as enjoyable experience. It's a filtered wheat with no sediment yeast so no need to "mix it". The clear Post-it yellow pour grows a fluffy off white head. Lots of bubbles! The orange peel and citrus combine with the spicy light wheat and tender biscuity malts. Little coriander on the nose. The 50/50 combo of barley and wheat give this beer a lot of character. Its like a fresh spiced dinner roll. Smooth honey hits the tongue first. Not too sweet with the careful balance of spicy malts and citrus. Coriander picks up nicely in the middle. Very light and refreshing. Very light hop in the finish with a mellow mix of spice and malt. 24 hay bales out of 16. A very interesting take on a Belgian Witbier classic.

cheers