Orange is the New Pink

Orange is the New Pink is a 6% alcohol, 20 IBU wheat ale from the gang at Ottawa’s Beyond the Pale Brewing. Brewed as an orange answer to BTP’s grapefruit wheat beer, Pink Fuzz, the beer comes in spiffy 473mL cans.

OitNP pours with a hazy golden hue and a thin layer of off-white head. The beer has a juicy orange nose. The mouthfeel is pretty crisp, if a bit wispy, and the flavour kicks off with the sweetness of a Valencia orange, but closes more akin to a tangy OJ. Along the way, there is a orange zest bitterness that adds a bit of balance.

OitNP is juicy and agreeable. It is a bit too thin, but the beer is undeniably refreshing. Probably a nice hot weather beer that I quaffed in early January, I enjoyed the beer despite my seasonal faux pas.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

People's Pint Pit-Stop: Wheat the North

An ode to, in my opinion, Toronto’s raddest professional sports team and their “We the North” slogan, Wheat the North comes from People’s Pint Brewing Company. A 5.1% dry-hopped American wheat ale, WtN comes in PP’s generic 500mL bottles. The beer is a hazy, dull orange, and it pours with some off-white suds.

WtN has a nose that is, at the same time, sweet, juicy, and a wee bit hoppy. The flavour has some citrus and berry sweetness up front and then it shifts into a bitterness more reminiscent of a pale ale than a wheaty brew, though there is some characteristic smoothness to the finish.

If you like your wheat beers well-hopped, Wheat the North could be for you. As for me, I certainly thought it was pretty good, though not nearly as well executed as some of the other People’s Pint offerings I’ve been sipping recently.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.

Éphémère Fraise & Rhubarbe

My review of Éphémère Fraise & Rhubarbe definitely has to go out to my father-in-law, the rhubarb eatin-est dude I’ve ever known.

A wheat beer, brewed by Unibroue in Chambly, Québec, E.F.R. is a 5.5% alcohol, 11 IBU ale on lees. A Belgian-style wheat, this beer joins together the two flavours that combine to form my very favourite pie. Plus, it comes in mighty 750mL bottles with lovely labels. 

 

The beer is cloudy and highly carbonated, with a thick cloud of suds on its noggin. There is a sweet and agreeable strawberry aroma backed against a fortification of slightly funky yeast. The rhubarb elements are understated and don’t really come to the fore until the beer hits the tongue. Even then, juicy strawberry is the dominant note and rhubarb is present only in a supporting role. The back end is characterized by wheat and yeast.

This beer is primarily sweet, which gives it a pleasant, after dinner vibe reminiscent of the pie. However, it should be said that I was pulling for a bit more of that classic rhubarb tartness to give it a bit more balance. Still and all, it was a nice tasting ale with some effervescence and a playful vibe. I’d gladly have another sometime soon. It’s a dandy autumn ale.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Northern Maverick Hefeweizen

When I uncapped a frosty 500mL bottle of hefeweizen from Toronto's Nothern Maverick Brewing Co., I was immediately struck by a waft of banana scent. Upon decanting my 500mL bottle of the 5% alcohol wheat beer, that initial impression was confirmed, and joined by some spice notes and a yeasty quality.

The beer was cloudy amber (a bit darker than I expected) with a thick fog of bright white head. Banana and orange were the executive flavour notes, over a mild yeast workforce. Hops were only barely evident as a slight crackle at the finish.

My first experience with a Northern Marverick brew, I found their Hefeweizen to be quite well executed, if not anything to garner effusive praise. The only shortcoming of this beer, described on the bottle as a "classic Bavarian hefeweizen", is an underwhelming mouthfeel. It was a bit thin and would have benefited from a bit of crispness. Still, on an unseasonably warm September day, this summery ale was a welcome bit of refreshment. I wouldn't have minded a second.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Wheat Kings

During a recent visit to Descendant Pizza, a place in Toronto's Leslieville that came highly recommended and lived up to the hype, I found myself with some time to kill before the Bitter Wife was due to arrive. Fortunately for me, directly across the street was Radical Road Brewing Co. While I didn't have time to sample anything while I was there, I did pick up a couple of offerings from RR's small bottle shop. One of these was Wheat Kings, a wheat pale ale sold in 330mL bottles. At 5.5%, WK has enough puissance to take the edge off, but certainly isn't strong. It's a hazy golden brew--amply carbonated--and topped with a mountainous white head. Pour gently!

As far as my nose could detect, this beer had a subtle and faint aroma with a slightly fruity quality and a touch of grain. The flavour, thankfully, had considerably more heft. It started sweet, peachy note, but ended with some pretty respectable hops static.

 

Wheat Kings was a very refreshing summer ale. I'm a fan of hopping up wheat beers (less so of wheating out hoppy beers), and I thought that this did the former pretty well. It was crisp to the end, but started with a juicy quality that I found inviting. For a better rating, I'd need a richer aroma and something a touch more assertive. However, the head had staying power that was worth mentioning; by the time my glass was "empty" there was still an inch of foam at the bottom.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Fake Plastic Trees

In a 473mL can bearing the silhouette of the City of Charlotte, NC (one of my favourite places), comes Fake Plastic Trees. This "hoppy wheat ale" came to me by way of an exchange with MM, a real friend to the Bitter World, and a classy lass, too. FPT is brewed in the Queen City, by the folks at Birdsong Brewing Co. It contains a respectable 6.4% alcohol and pours hazy, almost milky, and golden, beneath a very fluffy covering of bright white foam. 

 

To my nose, this beer came off with a rowdy lemon aroma, and featured a healthy dose of citrus hops. With a thin but crisp mouthfeel, this beer was both refreshing and deceptively strong. The can told me to expect lemongrass, and that's just what I got in the flavour, which was slightly spicy, coupled with citrusy hops and a bit of yeastiness.

Fake Plastic Trees is both a solid rock song and a tasty wheat ale. Refreshing, yet punchy, with a decently hoppy finish. My only real beef with this one was its too thin mouthfeel.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Home Sweet Home

Brewed with honey malt and vanilla beans and packed into a 650mL bottle, Home Sweet Home fairly jumped off the shelf and into my arms. This wheat ale, from Whitby, Ontario's 5 Paddles Brewing Co., contains 5.5% alcohol.

Home Sweet Home is a very pretty beer--brassy, slightly hazy, and topped with a blanket of white head. It is possessed of a sweet and smooth nose that blends honey with fresh grains. Notes of vanilla become more evident in the flavour, which is extremely sweet and a bit syrupy.

This beer is unique, particularly as a flagship brew. It has a nice, mellow vibe that is complimented by its appearance and folksy name. My biggest complaint has to do with over-sweetness, but really, when you're dealing with a vanilla-honey ale, sweetness is probably to be expected. The beer tasted fresh and pleasant. It's worth a trip to a local beer vendor.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Collective Project: Hefeweizen

My second brush with the Collective Arts Brewing Collective Project was their 5.5% alcohol Hefeweizen. Born in Hamilton, Ontario, this heffy was orange-gold, cloudy, and effervescent, but decanted from its 355mL bottle with very little head.

To the nose, I picked up the classic notes of banana and spice, as well as a slight orange peel flourish. The flavour contained those same fruit notes, as well as some yeasty fluff. As well, there were some clove or all spice notes particularly evident as the beer warmed.

 

In some ways, this was a classic Hefeweizen. The banana notes screamed wheat beer, as did the faint spiciness. The downsides were the limited head and a too sweet finish. This beer could have been more refreshing, but it still delivered a nice summer feel.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.

Mojo Citra Rhubarb Wheat Ale

When I first started to pour Mojo Citra Rhubarb Wheat Ale, I remarked upon how clear it was for a wheat ale. However, by the time the whole beer had been glassed, there was an unusual hazy swirl taking over my pint of golden ale. Sold in lovely 500mL bottles, Mojo is produced by the Forked River Brewing Company of London, Ontario. Under strength at just 4.5% alcohol, Mojo gets rhubarb into the mix, though it isn't clear from the label whether the beer is brewed with actual rhubarb, or simply using 'barb flavour.

Through a covering of bright white head, there comes a sizable tart rhubarb aroma, as well as a murmur of bitterness. Thin-bodied, but packing a nice flavour, Mojo is somehow both tart and mellow. Rhubarb flavour is seated in the front row, with some wheaty chill in the wings.

 

Short on alcohol and thin: these are two comments that figure to be the death knell of most beers that I review, but Mojo ekes out a respectable rating because of its interesting taste and novel concept.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

The "Witty" Traveller Pint

The "Witty" Traveller Pint comes from St. Thomas, Ontario, where it is brewed by the Railway City Brewing Co., the brilliant minds behind lots of beers, most notably their Dead Elephant India Pale Ale. The first question that one must ask oneself when one claps eyes on The "Witty" Traveller is whether those quotation marks are intentional or misused That aside, the 473mL can features a debonaire gentleman in a top hat with a moustache and a high collar. The can looks neat but feels cheap. It has a crappy plastic coating that does it no favours. The beer within contains a very slight 4.2% alcohol and 15 IBUs. According to the can, this little brew features "spices from the East, the fruits of the South, and yeasts of the North". The ingredients list includes wheat, orange peel zest, coriander, and white pepper.

This stuff has the hazy, whitish gold colour of a wheat beer. It pours with a thin white head that vanished to nothing at an astounding rate. The beer has a decidedly peppery aroma which boldly accents a yeast and citrus note. It has a very thin mouthfeel and a fairly interesting flavour, but it really suffered from a lack of carbonated life. It tastes as it smells, though milder and with a substantial and agreeable pepper note colouring a predictable yeast and orange vibe.

This beer was fine, but it left me a little disappointed. It just wasn't anywhere near the standard of a brewery responsible for Dead Elephant.


Rating: 5.5 out of 10.

Deadman Creek Cranberry What Ale

Deadman Creak is a wheat ale, brewed using cranberries. It comes from Whitehorse, and is brewed by Yukon Brewing. It comes in a 341mL bottle and contains a light 4.7% alcohol. The label is really sharp, featuring misty coyotes.


It's a dull, golden ale. It's only slightly cloudy and pours with a healthy white head. It has a grainy, slightly sour aroma. The flavour is very mild. I was expecting to be overwhelmed by the cranberries used in brewing. However, the tart flavour was only mildly noticeable as a bitter accent in the back end. In fact, when I toured the brewery and we sampled this stuff, several of my fellow tour patrons couldn't taste the cranberry at all.


This beer is low on booze and quite light tasting. particularly in the early going. It definitely pick up a bit toward the end, though it does remain pretty thin.


Without the subtle cranberry essence, this would have been a rather forgettable wheat beer, but that tart twist gives is some charm that makes it well worth trying.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.

Little Sumpin'-Sumpin' Ale

Little Sumpin'-Sumpin' Ale is brewed by The Lagunitas Brewing Company from Petaluma, California. According to the website, it's a "filtered pale wheat ale". It contains 7.5% alcohol and has a hearty 64.2 IBUs. The label on the 355mL bottle declares that "Life is uncertain. Don't sip."

It's an almost clear golden brew that is amply carbonated and pours with a nice white head. There is a hop-heavy citrus aroma. Sumpin' Ale has an unusual flavour that is undeniably bitter, but that also features unexpected notes of satsuma and a slightly floral bent. It's sweet in a boozy sort of way.

I'd really like to know what kind of hops they packed into this stuff. I thought it was pretty tasty.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Schneider Weisse Mein Nelson Sauvin

Schneider Weisse Mein Nelson Sauvin comes from Kelheim, Germany. It's a weizenbock brewed by Weisses Bräuhaus G. Schneider & Sohn. This little gem comes in a 750mL bottle that looks a lot like it should house wine (in fact, the dude at the liquor store asked me if I wanted my wine in a separate bag). It contains a liver-quivering 7.3% alcohol. The bottle notes that this stuff can be cellared for later enjoyment", but regular readers will know that cellaring beers ain't my jam--I haven't got the patience for that nonsense.

This is a cloudy, sunny gold wheat beer that's vigorously carbonated and topped with a thick fog of white head. The aroma is fruity and gently tart. The mouthfeel is pretty silky for a well carbonated beer. The flavour is both mild and rich. It starts quite sweetly, though there is some hop evidence on display near the finish. The label told me to expect "pleasant and fresh grape-like fruitiness." There are some bashful grape notes as well as some breadiness and a smidgeon of banana.

All told, this was a lovely and unusual wheat beer. I found that there was some tartness on the nose that was lacking in the flavour. It's got ample alcohol content and comes in a large bottle. Definitely worth a try.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10. 

Red Racer Craft White Ale

Another brew included in my mixed six from Surrey, British Columbia's Central City Brewing Company, Red Racer Craft White Ale contained a standard 5% alcohol and came in a 355mL can. It poured a pale, swampy golden colour--cloudy and topped with a white head that faded almost instantly.

It has a very faint aroma with a whiff of citrus and some mild yeast. The flavour has orange notes--not surprising, since the can says its brewed with dried orange peel and coriander. However, the coriander flavour is not particularly prominent.

Truthfully, I found this beer quite disappointing, particularly compared to the other two quality brews in the mixed six. It's thin and not wildly flavourful. It's a refreshing enough beer--one that will soothe you on a hot day--but it is far from my favourite white beer. I'd need a bit more carbonation and a lot more spice and flavour to make this stuff worthy of a repurchase.

Rating: 5.5 out of 10.

Yellowbelly Wexford Wheat

Another offering from St. John's' Yellowbelly Brewery and Public House, Wexford Wheat is a pretty tasty wheat ale. I had a pint of the 5% alcohol brew at the pub. It's a cloudy, golden hued beer topped with a resilient foam of cream head.

Yellowbelly Wexford Wheat has a mild aroma reminiscent of a tart cider. It's a crisp and refreshing wheat ale. The flavour is pleasant, if understated. Notes of citrus fruit are present and accounted for, and the finish is short and dry.

Some of the elements of W.W. remind me of a saison. The mouthfeel is light and effervescent. It's a touch thin perhaps, but a nice brew all the same. And my wife liked it too, which is a plus.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

St.-Ambroise Apricot Wheat Ale

Yet another quality offering from Montreal's McAuslan Brewing Inc., the St.-Ambroise Apricot Wheat Ale is charmant.  Sold in 341mL bottles, the A.W.A. contains 5% alcohol. The ale is clear and golden, riddled with lively carbonation, and topped with a bright white head. It leaves behind a healthy amount of lace.

There's an undeniable apricot aroma and apricot flavour throughout, superimposed over a beery body that goes from sweet to bitter.

It''s a nice, approachable fruit beer; one that is likely to appeal to a wide range of beer fans. Though I don't drink the stuff all that frequently, I find myself getting cravings for it every once in a while, and it always delivers.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Grasshöpper Wheat Ale

Grasshöpper Wheat Ale, by Calgary's Big Rock Brewery, is a bright and cheerful wheat beer sold in 341mL bottles. Containing 5% alcohol, Grasshöpper pours a highly carbonated clear straw colour. The aroma is grainy, but with some considerable sweetness and notes of corn. The flavour is unexpectedly sweet initially, before turning gently hopward for a mild, bitter finish. Notes are primarily sweet and grainy.

 Grasshöpper is a pretty enjoyable little brew.  It's crisp and refreshing, but a touch too sweet to make it entirely sessionable for me. Still, its a well-crafted and accessible beer. It's great for sitting on a patio. 


Rating: 7.5 out of 10. 

Kapuziner

Kapuziner is billed as a Bavarian Schwarz-Weizen, a black wheat ale.  Sold in 500mL bottles, and clocking in at 5.4%, it poured an almost black colour with reddish highlights and a very thick off-white head. It's built by the Kulmbacher Brauerei in Kulmbach, Germany. This is a brew that I got at a quality beer establishment in Washington, D.C.--they offered a $3 mystery beer, and this was the one that came out of the cooler.

Kapuziner had a malty aroma with some smokiness. The flavour was smokey with a hint of liquorice and peat. Also fairly yeasty. Pretty full-flavoured for a wheat beer, Kapuziner is a tasty brew with a lot to offer. I'd say it's worth a try.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Scottish Brewing History Lesson #3-Grozet Gooseberry and Wheat Ale

Gozet is an effervescent straw coloured brew.  It looks deceptively like a lager--fairly clear, highly carbonated and topped by a shock of white head.  However, a lager it is not.  Grozet is a gooseberry and wheat ale, definitely the first I've ever tried.  It has a sweet, fruity aroma that has a candy-like quality.  It tastes sugary and fruity.  The wheat flavour I was expecting wasn't really present, but the berry flavour was just right--pleasing without being overstated.  There was barely any aftertaste to speak of.

Grozet was really thin and really light.  It was a unique brew, though probably not one I'd reach for on any sort of regular basis.  Worth a try?  Sure.  Plus, it has this awesome label designed by third-year students at the Glasgow School of Arts:

Rating; 7.5 out of 10.

Weiss/Wit/Wheat Week-Mother Pucker's Ginger Wheat Beer

At a local beer bar the other day, I had occasion to sample Mother Pucker's Ginger Wheat Beer.  I ordered a pint on tap.  According to the beer list, the MPGW measured in at 5.4%.  It is brewed on site at C'est What? in Toronto.  It poured clear and ruddy--really surprising for what is ostensibly a wheat ale.  The head was really thin, but dense.  There was moderate lace and almost no evidence of carbonation.

If I didn't know that this was a ginger flavoured beer, I would never have been able to identify it from the scent.  It smelled just faintly of ginger, and also slightly yeasty.  The flavour was extremely mild.  Only some mild ginger tones. and very little else to report.  This beer had a ridiculously thin mouthfeel.  So thin that I am concerned the keg I was served from might have gone flat.

Mother Pucker's Ginger Wheat Beer was interesting in theory, but not terribly well executed.  It was refreshing, but far too thin.  The ginger taste was good, but insufficient.  All in all, it was a bit of a disappointment.  C'est What? has so many excellent choices, I wish I'd gone with something else.

Rating: 5.0 out of 10--However, due to the chance that the keg was off, I will revisit this beer in the future and update my review if necessary.