Raspberry Wheat #2

Beer Name: Raspberry Wheat
Brewery: Elm City Brewing Company
ABV: Unknown
Serving method: 16-oz draft in a tumbler
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Unknown

Elm City seems to cycle through their beers pretty quickly, so this one was probably brewed not too long ago. We knew going in that during Happy Hour (actually 2 hours), wings were 45 cents each, but we didn't know that the beer was discounted too! It made our late lunch/early dinner even more exciting.

The Raspberry Wheat is a slightly cloudy, bright golden beer. It arrived with a thin head that faded away quickly but left a light lacing pattern behind. The aroma is very grainy, and there isn't much raspberry in it. The wheat seems to be dominating here.

Despite not being too noticeable in the aroma, the raspberry is fully present in the flavor. It's a nice raspberry flavor too, more like a real raspberry than an artificial syrupy flavor. There's nothing overly sweet or sticky about it. The beer has a very light carbonation and is very easy drinking. It finishes with a little bit of malt and a faint sweet aftertaste.

Final thought - This is a nice light beer that was perfect with a meal outside. I don't know if it would have been enjoyable in a dark restaurant, as there just seemed to be something about it that said "drink me in the sun!" And I was happy to oblige.

-Jon

Applehead

Beer Name: Applehead
Brewery: Shipyard Brewing Company
ABV: 4.5%
Serving method: 12-oz bottle
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Unknown

Is this the spiritual successor to the widely loved Pumpkinhead? Only a bottle or two can answer that question.

Applehead is a sort of coppery beer. I guess the best description of its appearance would be that it looks like apple juice. You can try to force some head during the pour, but, much like its pumpkin cousin, this beer just does not produce any kind of head. And, it follows from that, it also doesn't produce any lacing. That's just how it goes with this type of beer. There is a strong spice aroma, sort of like an apple pie.

Hmm. I taste lots of spices, but I am not tasting much apple. If I really concentrate, I think I can convince myself that I'm tasting in the background. But it's definitely overpowered by the flavors of the spice. The beer is very lightly carbonated, and it's super smooth. If you enjoy the flavor, you could easily drink a bunch of these in a sitting.

Final thought - Needs more apple. It has a lot of apple pie spice flavor, but it's missing the actual apple. Not a bad beer, but not something I'd be looking forward to year after year.

-Jon

Raspberry Wheat

Beer Name: Raspberry Wheat
Brewery: Southern Tier Brewing Company
ABV: 4.9%
Serving method: 12-oz bottle in a pint glass
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Unknown

I recently learned that my local package store allows you to pick and choose beers to make your own variety packs. Sadly, this might be the most exciting event of September, unless our brown ale comes out deliciously. I took advantage of this feature to make myself a Southern Tier mixpack.

Raspberry Wheat is barely a beer. I am suspicious of any beers that make the distinction of putting "Malt Beverage" on their bottle instead of ale, lager, beer, etc. This particular beverage is a pale golden straw color that poured without any head of lacing. It does have a lovely raspberry aroma though, along with some wheatiness. Makes sense, given the beer's name.

This is a very light drinking beer, with only a light carbonation and no real hop bitterness. Everything is very smooth. The raspberry flavor is noticeable without being overpowering. The flavor also has something in it that gives you the impression of a raspberry dessert, like a turnover or a cobbler. It's nice. Each sip ends cleanly without leaving an aftertaste.

Final thought - This is a pretty good fruity beer, but I am not sure I'd be able to drink a whole bunch of them in one sitting. I continue to be impressed by what the brewers at Southern Tier are putting out.

-Jon