Summer Tide
Big Bay Brewing Co.

This pours a hazy, yellow color with a slight head. The aroma is weak with wheat and lemon citrus notes. The taste is fair with wheat and citrus notes. Since it’s brewed at Steven’s Point brewery (according to the bottle), this is high average brew but nothing innovative as it’s basically another take on Summer Shandy with a thicker texture. The finish is clean with a lingering citrus taste.

Served in an Ohio State shaker pint glass.

Killing off some seasonals that are on their way out. This one pours a hazy sunset straw topped by over a finger of white foam. The nose comprises white bread, lemon peel, light orange rind, a hint of what may or may not be coriander, and a twinge of mild nutmeg. The taste brings in more of the same, with more bread and a deep vein of hard water. The body is a rather light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a sorta watery feel. Overall, to answer emerge's question below, no, this is not a hefeweizen, if for no other reason than it would be insulting to a strong and tasty style. This is a watered down "pale wheat ale" with a bastardized hef yeast. I can't imagine drinking this stuff in the summer, especially when there are actual hefs around that taste a whole helluva lot better. Weak.

 

 

"Wheat ale with hefeweizen yeast" according to the brewery... is it not a Hefeweizen?

Sunshine gold color, thick billowing foam at first that leaves a criss-cross network of lacing in the glass. Murky with the yeast poured in, good head retention, skim nevr seems to break.

Slightly odd aroma of peanut butter and phenolic clove, some bready sweetness in there also, seems to clash a bit.

Taste is a little lemony, the hefe yeast brings clove and bubblegum, some underlying wheaty smoothness. Creamy and medium bodied, mellow carb level. Overall it's pretty good for a hefe, although it smelled a little off.

Thanks to Severstad for this one!

 

Very solid wheat ale by Big Bay! You get a sense of the fruitiness upfront w/ a very well balanced wheat taste. No flavor overranks each other in this beer, perfect beer for a summer day on the beach under the shade. Being a craft beer enthusiast, not expert one of the my fav's about Big Bay is that I havent experienced an overly full bodied beer where its like a meal in a bottle. I can honestly respect that bc I want to eat and drink at the same time.

 

 

12 oz bottle poured into a Sierra Nevada imperial pint
No date or info.

A - Heavy carbonation streams from the glass' etching through the mostly clear goldenrod-colored beer to feed it's dense and long-lasting stark white head. Foam is left caked to the glass in sheets resembling waves lapping the shore.

S - Inviting and refreshing upon first whiff, Summer Tide offers a gently citrus medley consisting of lemon and mild sweet orange peel overlapping a balancing grainy pale malt and soft wheat aroma.

T - Soft wheat and pale malt open up in a big way, overcoming the citrus that's at the forefront of the nose, for a simple, but incredibly tasty treat. Light lemon and orange peel are still present, but what's more interesting is that with each passing sip, I'm getting more honeydew melon flavor with a faint spiciness on the finish.

M - Just enough wheat and barley combine for a medium-light bodied beer that's incredibly smooth with steady but gently carbonation on the finish. A touch of citrus dryness evens the body out for an incredibly refreshing and quaffable beer!

O - As one of the tastiest and most refreshing American Pale Wheat Ales I've experienced, Big Bay has struck gold with Summer Tide! It's smooth, easy drinking body works in perfect harmony with the subdued-yet-complex flavor to round out the finish for a lighter beer that would be absolutely necessary to keep in the cooler on a hot day!