Bluewing
Flyway Brewing Company

A fantastic blueberry wheat beer. My first craft beer that made me fall in love with beer and especially wheat beers.

 

 

12 fl oz pull-tab can:

$9.18 plus tax per sixer at A's Wine & Spirits, Bartlesville, Oklahoma.

Blueberries land nicely - or even pop, and the wheat is fresh. Not as artificial in taste as I anticipated, but not entirely authentic either.

Balanced for what it is. Really delivers on its premise even if the blueberry feels a bit puree-ish and/or forced.

B- / WORTHY

 

Went to Flyway when I was in Arkansas nearly a year and a half ago. It was my first time there and the first beer that I had ever had from the Gem State as I liked the concept behind this brewery's name. This almost tasted and felt as much a Fruit/Vegetable beer as it did an American Pale Wheat Ale, but that's not because this was watered-down or gimmicky. Sure, there was a ton of blueberry here but this had nice balance to it and was enjoyable without being full of juice or syrup...

Not a bad look to this as the liquid was honey, clear, and full of bubbles. Not a lot of head topped this off as most of the lacing that remained was in the form of a thin, but deep, ring near the top of my pint glass. Lots of blueberry in the nose with some syrup, wheat, juice, and a bit of cream underneath that. The taste was similar as this felt like a blueberry eclair with sugar, milk, and cream in the mix as well. The wheat was present, lingering, and complementary to those notes as this never felt artificial or fake. Sure, it was chock full of berry but the carbonation was light enough to let the flavors shine through and the malt was felt more than tasted as the balance was solid with this offering.

Hard to believe that this was a session beer as it felt just a bit stronger than it's ABV listing of 4.9%. No, this wouldn't knock me out but if it was summer here, this would be a great choice to grab for a day on the lake or out at the campsite. I enjoyed this and the can's art as this reminded me of how filling and fun an American Pale Wheat Ale could be. Shame that more breweries don't give this style a go...

 

 

I'm always interested in trying craft beers as they seem to really push the envelope on flavors. This one is no exception. Nice head, strong but not overpowering blueberry taste. Nice aroma and good color in the glass.

 

A blue cracker. It has some sweetness but the grains and malts are that perfect otherside of the coin.

Taste rating in words: It's that bankshot you threw-up as a joke and it fell right in.

 

 

I am not normally a fan of beers with fruit added. Flyway impressed me with this one however. You get a blueberry aroma that makes you expect an immediate blueberry taste but when you drink it you first get a good wheat beer flavor followed by light blueberry on the finish. Not my choice for everyday drinking but one of the best for a needed break on a hot day.

 

 

 

Great day drinker. I like the golden appearance, without the clarity of a domestic. It appeals to a wide range of beer lovers because it has a balance between a beer with a noteworthy taste, but not overpowering. Bluewing bridges the gap from a typical domestic fan to a hop head.