Snarling Badger Berliner-Weisse

Grand Teton Brewing Company
Victor, Idaho

APPEARANCE: 2.5/3: White, foamy, rocky head (1" thick!) that rings the glass nicely. Lots of bubbles. Hazy, pure gold, pretty! if a bit dark for a wheat.

AROMA: 3/4: Orange-citrus aroma. Clean, high-toned. Subtle alcohol, sugary. Not terribly aromatic.

TASTE: 9/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3.5/4: Sour/tart, big citrus up front, banana at close. Crisp and clean.
Aftertaste: 2.75/3: Big, sour. Lemony-citrus up front, lactic acid. Banana-clove finish, alcohol.
Mouth-Feel: 2.75/3: Alcohol warming, bubbly explosion that expands to fill the mouth. Yes, I said explosion. Just try it.

OVERALL: 2.75/3: Lactobacillus tartness is a great addition to this fruity, fizzy, spicy treat. Clean and refreshing, a great summer beer. Home run.

TOTAL: 17.25/20–Pour Me Another

NOTES:
Matt: Fizzy, flavorful and refreshing. I'm a cheapskate, so I often balk at spending $10 for a bomber; the exception is when it's a Grand Teton bomber. Buy this beer.
Ben: A great summer beer. Sour, but finishes crisp and clean. A really good sipper, it would be interesting to let it age a while and see how it comes out.

Bell's Oberon Ale

Bell's Brewery
Comstock, MI

APPEARANCE: 2/3
Orange gold color. Lots of floculent yeast in suspension leaves a hazy appearance. White, fizzy head that fades quickly. We've seen prettier beers.

AROMA: 3.25/4
Citrusy with earthy undertones. Lemongrass and subtle apricot notes. Very malty nose.

TASTE: 7.5/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3/4: Malt peach and apricot flavors. Subtle lemon rind. No hop flavor. Earthy and gritty. Almost musky. Grainy cereal flavors present.
Aftertaste: 2.25/3: Very dry finish. Subtle hop bitterness and orange peel at end.
Mouth-Feel: 2.25/3: Very light bodied. Kind of fizzy.

OVERALL: 2.5/3: A light session beer for the summer. Better than most other unfiltered wheats we've tried. On par with Boulevard Zon.

TOTAL: 15.25/20–Pour Me Another

NOTES:
Matt: Like a mainstream version of Saison Dupont - that same earthiness that is. Really nice. Gives wheat ales a good name.
Ben: An earthy wheat. Not a bright citrus summer beer - more of a summer evening after a thunderstorm kind of beer. I'd definitely pick up another six of this.

Boulevard Wheat

Boulevard Brewing Company
Kansas City, Missouri

APPEARANCE: 2.25/3
Gold/straw color. Hazy. Big bubbles. White head, fades quickly.

AROMA: 3/4
Malty, bready nose. Mild citrus. No hop aroma.

TASTE: 6.5/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 2/4: Malty, a bit watery. No hop character to speak of.
Aftertaste: 2.25/3: Sweet corn, pineapple. Breakfast cereal aftertaste. Grainy, slightly nutty. Citrus/lemon-orange finish.
Mouth-Feel: 2.25/3: Effervescent, bubbly. Full, fades quickly.

OVERALL: 2.25/3: An okay wheat–Boulevard's beer for the masses. Nothing remarkable–if nothing else good is available, we'll drink a pint.

TOTAL: 14/20–I'll Try A Pint

NOTES:
Matt: I know they sell a ton of it; knowing how much better most of their other offerings are, I can't get excited about it.
Ben: A beer for the adventurous Bud Light drinker, but there are many better beers out there. Just don't drink it with a lemon, that's lame.

Empyrean Better World Belgian Wheat

Empyrean Brewing Company
Lincoln, Nebraska

APPEARANCE: 2.5/3
Cloudy. Thin, creamy head.

AROMA: 3.5/4
Floral, citrus, hints of coriander, cinnamon and clove. No appreciable hop aroma.

TASTE: 7.25/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 2.75/4: Malty, a bit watery. Needs more bittering hop.
Aftertaste: 2.5/3: Pleasant, crisp. Fades quickly. Spicy finish–coriander, clove, cinnamon, residual citrus.
Mouth-Feel: 2.5/3: Thin but malty. Needs more body, more bittering hop.

OVERALL: 2.25/3: Not a bad wheat, if a bit thin. Spicier and more complex than most wheat beers. Watery, though.

TOTAL: 15.5/20–Pour Me Another

NOTES:
Matt: An okay wheat–not as heavy as most, but too watery. Spicy, though, better than your average wheat beer.
Ben: The taste can't deliver on the aroma. Unique twist on a generic wheat beer–I'd drink it again.

Boulevard Smokestack Series–Harvest Dance Wheat Wine Style Ale

Boulevard Brewing Company
Kansas City, Missouri

APPEARANCE: 3/3
HUGE head. Caramel color, pretty.

AROMA: 3.5/4
Sweet, no hop aroma to speak of.

TASTE: 9/10

• Hop/Malt Balance: 3.5/4: Well-balanced, the hop offsets the maltiness, but still very sweet (but not cloying).
  
• Aftertaste: 2.5/3: Pineapple, grapefruit, some bubble-gum notes, even (surprisingly enough). Back-end bitterness, alcohol is evident.
  
• Mouth-Feel: 3/3: Very dry, very smooth.
  

OVERALL: 3/3

TOTAL: 18.5/20–Keep 'Em Comin'

NOTES:
Matt: A nice departure from the more commonly-encountered styles. I'd definitely buy it again–really delightful and unexpected. Dial back the sweetness a touch and it's perfect.
Ben: Nice warming effect. I'd put it on a par with a good barleywine, with a wheat twist. Maybe a little more hop.

O'Fallon Wheach (Peach Wheat)

O'Fallon Brewing Company
O'Fallon, Missouri

APPEARANCE: 2.5/3

Hazy, gold in color. Fine bubbles, lasting head.

AROMA: 3.25/4

Strong peach aroma, some mandarin orange–smells like fruit cocktail. No hop aroma to speak of.

TASTE: 7.5/10

• Hop/Malt Balance: 3/4
• Very malty, no real hop flavor–appropriate to the wheat style.
  
• Aftertaste: 2.25/3
• Peach/nectarine/mandarin orange flavor–subtle, not cloying.
  
• Mouth-Feel: 2.25/3
• Some mandarin orange bitterness; fruit is most noticeable at finish.
  

OVERALL: 2.25/3

Not syrupy–this is a beer first, a fruit beer second. Light, good for what it is.

TOTAL: 15.5/20–Pour Me Another

NOTES:

Matt: I really liked this–reminiscent of Pyramid's Apricot Ale or Magic Hat #9. Subtle, satisfying.