Bristol Beehive Honey Wheat

The Dirt
Part of a summer mix pack, the Beehive attempts to be the wheat beer in Bristol's bottled profile. I really like wheat beers, and I yearn for a honey beer to really impress me, but unfortunately this was beer did not meet expectations. You can taste the honey a bit up-front, but it fades to more of a pale ale profile, ending with a dry copper-like taste. The beer is a bit too light for my taste and has a weak back end. The honey, although somewhat detectable, is almost hidden by a slight lemon-like flavor. Perhaps the honey is more wild than I'm used to, but whatever the case, it's not as present as I had hoped.

Worth it?
Perhaps I'll one day buy the sample pack again, as there were some stellar beers in it (reviews to come), but it's unlikely I'd purchase this individually.

The Final Word

Sierra Nevada Kellerweis Hefeweizen

The Dirt
 Hefeweizens - the tasty brew of the summer months. Sierra Nevada is known for their hoppy beers, so I've been meaning to try their hef to see what they were up to. As with most good hefs, this guy is unfiltered, and thus has a nice cloudy light golden color. Clove hits first on the front-end, then a light banana flavor follows, which gives way to a smooth wheaty sweetness on the finish. Like a cross between a traditional hef and an American hef, meaning the clove and banana flavors are there, but so is the wheaty sweet and hint of lemon. Not overpowering on the clove and banana - fairly well balanced. I recommend swishing it in your mouth in order to get the full flavor profile, otherwise it can appear weak if drank too quickly. Don't forget to leave a little bit of beer left in the bottle to swirl! Some extra flavor is sit'n at the bottom of that bottle.

Worth it?
 When normally priced, this is a bit steep, but when on sale is a great buy. A good hef - definitely nice for a summer day. Guess Sierra Nevada isn't just about the hops.

The Final Word

 

Harpoon 100 Barrel Series Oak Aged Dunkel

The Dirt
I found this little treat tucked away in the back of my local Spec's. Harpoon always makes quality beer, so thought I'd give this 100 Barrel Series a shot.

The first thing you notice is a nice, but subtle, toasty oak flavor, which is perfect for this dunkel. It then slides away smoothly off your palate if the beer is fully refrigerated. I recommend letting this sit a little bit to warm up. Once that happens, you get much more of the dunkel taste. You also get a little spicy dry hop action on the back-end at this point.

Worth it?
It was about $6, or just under, for the bomber. I think it was pretty reasonable for what tasted like true quality. Looking forward to trying others in the series. If you like dunkels, you'll like this guy. The oak flavor was perfectly balanced and made it a treat.

The Final Word

Shiner 102 Double Wheat

The Dirt
No, this is not a Shiner-only blog, I swear! At the same time that the spring beer hit the shelves, so did the Shiner 102 Double Wheat. I love wheat beers, so I had to do a double take when I saw this guy.

After admiring the deep golden color, the first thing that pops into my mind is "wheaty" (which one would hope). Light up front, but then that grainy sweetness of the wheat rushes in and slides away. Far better than what the Hef has become, which I contend has become waaaay too heavy on the lemon. Probably the best anniversary beer from Shiner in some time, and a step in the right direction. Still has a very slight penny taste at the very end sometimes, which has plagued new and lighter Shiner beers over the past few years. However, it’s very light in comparison to the 101.

Worth it?
Overall very tasty, and delicious with my burger that just came off the Webber. Would buy again, and kind of secretly hope/wish/pray it will take over for the current Hef, which I know is a long shot.

The Final Word