Great Lakes Brewery Miami Weiss – American Pale Wheat Ale at 4.5% ABV | 30 IBU (C$4.15 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 9-Jun-2021, acquired 15-Jul-2021, reviewed 16-Jul-2021)
Appearance: hazy pale gold with one fat finger of dense pale ivory head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: mild, stone fruit, cereal grains, citrus. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Medium smooth body, moderate-lively carbonation, medium duration slightly sticky finish. (3/5)
I smelled and tasted this before reading the label, so I was all ready to deliver a blistering condemnation before I saw that they freely admitted it’s not a Weiss at all. Well… fine… but it’s still confusing! (And, calling it “just something the guys in marketing came up with” is not much of a defence. This is the craft beer world! You’re supposed to be above such mundane considerations as marketing and filthy lucre!) Despite it being “packed with Pacific Northwest hops” (and relatively young) I don’t find the aroma to be bright or juicy. Rather, it’s got a lot of cereal grains (oats and wheat) vying for dominance over a muddled stone fruit, with what little citrus there is bringing up the rear. Except, the rear isn’t that great, either, as the finish ends up a bit sticky and not very more-ish at all. It’s not terrible, especially for the low ABV, but it’s a long way from great – and more to the point, a long way from some of their other efforts. (I’d much rather have a Burst!, at the same ABV, or two-thirds of an Octopus Wants to Fight.) (14/20)
7/10 ryansbooze.com #ryansbooze
