Naughty Otter Wheat
Gananoque Brewing Company

 

Can from the LCBO for around $3

 

Much better than their other offering. The distinct banana flavour a pleasant surprise, nice soft wheat, so a passable enough imbibe. Enough to catch my interest at least, so I'll have to round up another can and have another go at this review.

After trying, and really enjoying the Naughty Otter Lager, I decided to give the Wheat Ale a go. It is a really nice tasting & easy drinking wheat ale. The banana note is a really nice touch. Great beer all around!

Nice light summery wheat ale. A bit like Hoegaarden. Nice banana and citrusy flavor but not overboard - surprised I liked it as much as their lager. Will probably have again

473 mL can from the LCBO; packaged Jun 20 2017 and served slightly chilled.

This cloudy, effervescent wheat ale pours pale straw-yellow in colour, initially topped with just over a finger of loose, soapy white head. It dissipates steadily over the next several minutes, soon reduced to a foamy collar and thin cap, but not managing to generate much in the way of lacing. The aroma is relatively muted, comprised of notes of cereal grains, citric lemon zest and bready wheat, with maybe a faint hint of banana. Unobjectionable, but still rather dull.

A decent wheat ale - very light, drinking almost like a white ale/wit except without the coriander. The flavour starts off with more gritty cereal grains and bready wheat sweetness, leading into notes of ripe banana and lemon zest. These flavours persist through to the finish, where they are joined by hints of clove and grassy hops, with the profile concluding on a light note of wheat malt sweetness that soon fades. Light in body - a little thin and watery to be honest, which is not optimal for a hefe. The carbonation levels are moderate at first, providing a gentle bite during the initial stages of the glass - but they soften substantially as the glass warms, giving it more of a soft, watery texture. Passable, but pedestrian.

Final Grade: 3.34, barely managing a B-. Naughty Otter Wheat Ale isn't bad, but I don't think it compares favourably with most of the wheat ale competition. It's a little thin, and the flavours - despite being approachable - are somewhat understated, even for this typically-mellow style. I guess I like this more than their flagship lager... and the price is low enough to pull the trigger on this one even if you're hesistant. But all things considered, with beers like Side Launch Wheat and Muskoka's Summer Weiss in the same price bracket (to say nothing of the half-dozen solid German hefes you can easily find in ON) I can't think of any compelling reasons to go for this one repeatedly.

A very good tasting beer. Refreshing and full of flavour. This is a no brainer for a number of events.

 

Refreshing without jeopardizing fullness of flavour. Initially hesitant to purchase given the banana notes, but ended up really enjoying them.

Really enjoyed this. Nice and hazy but still light. Reminds me a lot of Hoegaarden. Very tasty. Noticeable banana present and mild fruitiness, pleasant aroma.