What beer are you drinking? Winter 12/13

[unclebunk]

Some dim recollections about Geary's, did they have an ale at one time?

I believe all their products are ales and that they aim to produce very traditional English ale styles. The one I drank all the time was their Pale Ale (with the lobster on the label), but I see now they have an IPA and a "Hampshire Ale" that looks appealing.

[unclebunk]

I'm quite partial to New Glarus's Dancing Man Wheat and Ebel's Weiss from Two Brothers as American hefeweizens go. The version that the Emmett's brew pubs produce is also surprisingly good.

The Lagunitas Little Sumpin' Sumpin' is a nicely hopped American pale wheat ale that tastes like Oberon on PEDs. I'm partial to Anchor Summer Beer during the warm months -- makes for some great shandies when mixed 2:1 with some sparkling limonata. Just a few more months....

Ebel's is quite good but the New Glarus beer you mentioned has eluded me so far. Believe it or not, Sam Adams used to make a very nice hefeweizen back in the nineties which sadly is long gone. Can't wait myself for Anchor Bock and Summer Beer to hit the shelves again. Good stuff!

This pretty well describes my feelings about American Wheat beers. I think it's ultimately a good thing, I know more than a handful of microbrew drinkers whose gateway to the world of good beer was one of the dialed-down American style Wheat beers. (Man I keep wanting to type "wheater").

Very true about American wheats being terrific gateway beers. My English wife is a dedicated gin drinker but never touches beer unless that's all that is on offer (shouldn't that be cause to strip her of her British citizenship?) but she actually enjoys the occasional American wheat beer when I twist her arm. Now, even her Coors Light-drinking friends are getting in to the wheats. They sure make for nice summer sippers.

[AaronWF]

Now I better understand your fondness for Daisy Cutter, which I find to be dry and in need of some sweetness.

I definitely prefer dry to sweet. Sweet is usually a turn off for me, though not always.

Why do you have an aversion to wheat beer? You're missing out on a lot, my friend. A world without Aventinus is a world not worth living in.

My aversion to wheat goes back a-ways. I've gone through various dietary phases over the years in reaction to gastrointestinal issues, and through that have become very aware how prevalent wheat is in the American diet. It's in your cereal, in the bread around your sandwich, in your pasta, your pizza, your cookies. So basically, I get wheat in food everywhere I turn; I don't need to add wheat to another food group (because, as we all know, beer is a food group)! My body has demonstrated the tendency to develop sensitivities to foods I overdose on, so I steer clear of wheat beer for the most part.

I do like putting together some dirty ho's when hosting brunch. That's Hoegaarten and raspberry lambic . But wheat beers generally tend to be too sweet for my palate anyway.

[BradleyC]

I don't care for many wheat beers either. Most are too sweet for me also. The one exception I can think of is Three Floyds Gumballhead. Supposedly that's a wheat beer. It's so over hopped you would never know it. For me it's kind of like eggs. Eggs are 1 of just a few foods I have never liked my whole life (I am by no means a picky eater and will generally shove any kind of food in my mouth). I will eat an omelette however with enough ingredients that mask the egg content. Gumballhead is the same way. The large amount of hops completely overpowers the sweet and the wheat.

On topic I had Surly Abrasive and Pliny tonight. Surly gets the nod for better beer for my palate tonight.

Dirty ho night at Aaron's sounds like a good time.

[unclebunk]

I don't care for many wheat beers either. Most are too sweet for me also. The one exception I can think of is Three Floyds Gumballhead. Supposedly that's a wheat beer. It's so over hopped you would never know it...Gumballhead is the same way. The large amount of hops completely overpowers the sweet and the wheat.

Dirty ho night at Aaron's sounds like a good time.

Very true about the Gumballhead. Several friends have tried it with me and had no idea it was a "wheater."

P.S.--I don't think my wife would appreciate me bringing "dirty ho's" into the house.

[ebo]

Count me among the wheat beer non fans. I have never liked any wheat beer I've ever tried. It has a very off putting flavor to me.

[thiemb]

Trying out Spiteful Brewing's Bitter Biker DIPA. Really impressed by this new brewery. I definitely recommend it for all you other hopheads in the Chicago area.

[squire]

I like wheat beers, especially the Hacker-Pschorr version.

[smokinjoe]

A couple of different brews at the the corner bar with a few buddies. The Allagash Currieux continues to dazzle my taste buds.

[HighInTheMtns]

A Stone Ruination. It's nice to get out of Utah and have a wider selection of beer.