Crystal Peacock
Arbor Brewing Company - Plymouth Taproom

 

 

Happy New Tart Wheat Ale from Michigan #2 Sunday

I just reviewed a Michigan brewed tart wheat ale from Mitten, founded in 2012. Now moving onto another tart wheat ale from the same state, but this time from a brewery established in 1995.

Appearance: This beer is bright. No haze like the prior one. Less foamy head upon pouring, which immediately disappeared. Some visible carbonation. Zero lacing.

Smell: Mild citrus and tropical fruit aromas. Lemon, lime, with sweeter hints of passion fruit, mango and some red apple.

Taste: This one had a touch more lemon acidity than the prior beer I had, which I like. But still relatively low on the sour scale. Crackery wheat profile.

Mouthfeel: Moderate level of carbonation

Overall: A fine tart wheat ale. Nice acidity which is key for me.

12 ounce can into tulip glass, canned on 7/12/2018. Pours slightly hazy pale golden/straw color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense and fluffy white head with great retention, that reduces to a thin spotty lace cap that lingers. Light spotty lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big tart lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, peach, pear, pineapple, melon, red/green apple, white wine, hay, straw, grass, wheat, cracker, white bread, light lacto funk, and yeast earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of fruity/acidic yeast and moderate pale/wheat malt notes; with great strength. Taste of big tart lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, peach, pear, pineapple, melon, red/green apple, white wine, hay, straw, grass, wheat, cracker, white bread, light lacto funk, and yeast earthiness. Light-moderate lactic tartness, and mild herbal/grassy bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of tart lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, peach, pear, pineapple, melon, red/green apple, white wine, hay, straw, grass, wheat, cracker, white bread, light lacto funk, and yeast earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Great complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/acidic yeast and moderate pale/wheat malt flavors; with a great malt/tartness balance, and no puckering flavors after the finish. Moderately crisp/clean finishing. Light-moderate increasing dryness from tartness and carbonation. Medium-high carbonation and light-medium body; with a very smooth, moderately bready/grainy, and fairly acidic balanced mouthfeel that is fantastic. Zero warming alcohol as expected of 4%. Overall this is amn excellent Berliner weisse! All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/acidic yeast and moderate pale/wheat malt flavors; very smooth, crisp, clean, and refreshing to drink with the modestly acidic/drying finish, not overly lactic. Very flavorful and not watery for the ABV. Awesome balance of fruity Lacto and ale yeast complexity; with a nice pale/wheat malt backbone against acidity for the ABV. A really enjoyable offering, and spot on style example.