Wet Coast Wheat Ale
Shaftebury Brewing Company

Had on tap at Boston Pizza -probably not the best place to have a beer if you're going for a good pint. Served probably a bit too cold and with a slice of lemon that I promptly removed.

Somewhat cloudy, golden yellow colouring with a decent head. It looked a bit cloudy, but it was hard to tell with all the condensation on my glass. Smells like a weak wheat beer. Mostly malts with aromas of citrus, bananna and spice that come off as somewhat "hidden."

Agreeable taste, but it failed to excite me. Malt, some hops and various spices. Bit of a bite to it. Decent mouthfeel, and an easy brew to drink with a meal on a hot night. Not the best wheat ale I've had.

I must say that the labelling of the Shaftebury bottles is very appealing. Silver and green, and with cool little sayings like "Think Global, Drink Local" and "Protect the Environment" on the side. Very attractive presentation. The six pack box stands out on the shelf. Ahh, but what about the stuff INSIDE this lovely exterior? It poured nicely, with a perfect amount of head at first, but it quickly died, and I do mean quickly. Large bubbles overtook the creaminess and I was left with a very choppy and haphazard head that seemed intent on disappearing completely. The beer is light golden and only mildy hazy. The website is confusing, first saying that it is a filtered wheat ale, and then saying it should be served with a lemon "like many hefe weizen style beers." Obviously it is not a hefe, but a kristal weizen a la Big Rock Grasshopper. The website is entertaining though, including the comical video about Mr Shaftebury, which seemed partly fictional and partly based on reality. The aroma is quite good, because it does contain some hefe-style smells--a little nuttiness, some yeasty smells, and a little banana. Dusty vanilla and a hint of waffles. Not overly complex but appetising nonetheless. Also some apple smells, akin to cider. Tasting gives some light but tasty wheat notes, with a good finish of fresh wheat, like brown bread. A hint of sourness. Refreshing but not complex. A very nice aftertaste though, leaving a fresh mouthfeel. Besides the malted wheat and a little sourness, though, this beer has nothing much more exciting to offer. Quite drinkable, especially with the 4.5%. I would take this over Grasshopper.

Pours a clear yellow with a finger thick white head. The head fades down to a thin cap, but leaves some lacing on the glass. Smell is very grassy, with a bit of a sugary sweetness on top.

No major sweetness or bitterness to it, just a fizzy roughly carbonated thin bodied feel to it. There is a very dry wheat finish, but nothing noteworthy leading up to it.

Poor mouthfeel keeps this from being a quaffer, and lack of character means it isn't one for sipping. What it boils down to is that this beer doesn't have a place in my fridge.

A new one to the declining (at least in quality or character) Shaftebury line, I agree with canucklehead's sentiment about that. I do however like the new slick packaging and label, it's all well presented, I'll give it that.

However on the pour this wheat ale appears quite run of the mill, a slight chill hazed light gold, nearly a finger's width of head that rapidly decends, and that's all you get. The aroma, unfortunately, is reminiscent of some of the more higher end adjunct macros on the market, sort of bland with hints of grain. If they marketed this as a pilsner they might have had me with the taste. It is nearly flavourless, but packs a hell of a dry crisp finish. That accentuates the mouthfeel somewhat, but it's a total loss for the taste, just a slight hint of that grain from the aroma pops up in the aftertaste. In a blind taste test I'd be hard pressed to not mistake this for a Molson Dry. I'll give it this, it's a refreshing beer and will make a good lawnmower beer (I'd take it over the Sleeman Draught for summer quaffing), but as far as flavour goes it is bland like a "lite" beer. It's finer points would also fare better as a lager than a wheat ale.

This beer tastes almost identical to the 420 lager with a slightly drier finish. Their Summer Solstice is also a wheat beer so I not sure the reason for this brews existence. I find this very drinkable and well made but oh how this once great brewery has become a lightweight in both styles and taking real chances. Better than a Molson Canadian is only faint praise.