Brauerei Gbr. Maisel KG Maisel’s Weisse Dunkel Dunkelweizen at 5.2% ABV ($4.09 at Crowfoot Liquor Okotoks)
Pours a clear deep amber with two fat fingers of light tan head, great retention, heavy chunky lacing. Nose is wheat, cloves, bubblegum, some citrus and fruit. Taste is light caramel malt and spicy cloves. Medium body, soft carbonation, with an off-dry mildly bitter finish.
Wheat beers aren’t really my favourites, but considering I just wrote a bunch of yell-y responses to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency questionnaire about their decision to remove wheat as a permissible primary source of carbohydrates for beer, I suppose I’d better give this one a decent chance. The aroma’s not bad, though there’s a bit of the kitchen sink going on there – what, you couldn’t find any smoked malt to whack into the mix? – but the flavour’s a bigger problem. Or, I should say, the sudden death of the flavour. It kind of goes all watery in the middle, and drops dead with just a faint bitter finish. It’s not bad, but it’s a long way from great.
6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
