Wheat POG
Imperial City Brew House

Feb 21 2025

 

473 mL can purchased at the brewery; dated May 21 2021 and served slightly chilled. It's worth noting that the "p" in this case stands for pomegranate, rather than passion fruit (which is what was in the original POG drink).

Pours a hazy, salmon pinkish-amber colour, generating half a finger of tight, foamy off-white head that fizzles off within a minute or so. It doesn't leave much behind - just a modest collar of froth, with no lace or cap to speak of. Plenty of juicy orange on the nose, with the guava also coming through quite clearly; pomegranate is also present, but somewhat subtler. Smells a bit wheaty too, and that's all I got.

A very serviceable fruited pale wheat ale - it starts off with guava and bready, wheaty pale malts, with the pomegranate and orange joining in shortly thereafter. More pomegranate fades into the aftertaste, which has a fruity twang and faint hints of grassiness and metallicity. Medium in body, with moderately assertive carbonation that firmly agitates the surface of the palate, giving a bit of a bite to this brew's relatively plush, juicy mouthfeel. Reasonably drinkable - it seems sessionable in theory, but in practice I think I'd get sick of it after a glass or two.

Final Grade: 3.64, a B grade. Imperial City's Wheat POG has got plenty of fruit purée flavour if that's what you're after, but (like the actual pog fad) there isn't enough depth here to really sustain my interest for long. It's fine as far as fruity American wheat beers go, and might hit the spot on the back patio in the midst of a sweltering summer heat wave, but it's not something I'd go out of my way for. Recommended if you know you'd like pomegranate or guava in your beer.