Weissbierbrauerei G. Schneider & Sohn Tap X Mathilda Soleil (2015) Weizenbock at 7.0% ABV | 24 IBU (C$13.99 at Oak & Vine, 750 ml, best before 2-Jan-2017, acquired 3-Jul-2017, reviewed 21-Sep-2017)
Appearance: slightly hazy deep gold with three fingers of fluffy ivory head, excellent retention and moderate chunky lacing. (4/5) Aroma: yeasty & grainy wheat, stone fruit, orange zest, floral, hint of bubblegum. (8/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, mild bitter, light tart. (8/10) Medium slightly slick body, lively carbonation, off-dry mildly warming and slightly astringent finish. (4/5)
My second wheat beer of the evening, and officially my last beer of summer. ? The violent decapping caught me a little off-guard, but I managed to swoop in with the glass in time to catch the short-lived gusher. Decent complexity on the nose, and somewhat surprisingly, there’s little bubblegum, and no banana at all. Weizenbock isn’t a common style – I think this makes my fifth example ever – but it’s one that I tend to rate highly. And no, it’s not because of the tendency to high ABVs! (Well… maybe that helps.) I didn’t pay much attention to the BB date when I bought this one because I was fairly sure it could survive extended cellaring, and it would appear I was correct there: I don’t detect any adverse ageing effects. It’s a bit slick, and a bit sweet, but exhibits decent complexity without becoming cloying or unpleasant. It might finish nearer the bottom of the range than the top for the style, but that’s hardly a condemnation: if you absolutely had to drink a lager, this would do nicely. (16/20)
8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
