Quick Sips: Troegs Dreamweaver

Harrisburg, PA is not only a city brimming with history, in 2010 Forbes ranked it as the #2 place in the United States to raise a family.

But if we’re honest with ourselves, we’ll admit that the greatest thing Harrisburg has to offer is Troegs Brewery, one of the best of Pennsylvania’s amazing craft breweries. (Seriously, folks, PA is an embarrassment of riches when it comes to beer. Only California, Michigan, and Oregon can compete.)

That means when Troegs puts out a modest little wheat beer, we expect something special. And yes, Dreamweaver is something special. Sure, it’s just a German style wheat beer, but it’s a super great one, with spicy clove, musty yeast, and easy drinkability. Without straying too far into hyperbole, it just might be one of the very best American interpretations of a German wheat beer.

Best part of all? It's suitable for all occasions, making it an excellent choice for a year-round, anytime beer. Cheers!
 

NOTE: Portions of this post originally appeared in the Philly Weekly.

Tröegs Dreamweaver Wheat: 10 Beers of Summer

I like me some Troegs. They're probably best known for Nugget Nectar and Mad Elf, two bold seasonal beers with a legions of passionate fans -- personally I'm partial to their Javahead Stout and the woefully underrated Flying Mouflan -- but this is a brewery about more than a few high profile beers. Even their standard, year-round stuff is worth seeking out and drinking.

Dreamweaver Wheat is among those "normal" beers that rise above the pack. Available on its own or in a very worthwhile mixed pack also containing their pale ale, Sunshine Pils and HopBack Amber, this isn't strictly a summer beer. You can get it any time.

But it sure does make for great summer drinking.

Unlike the dry, crisp approach taken with Bell's Oberon, Dreamweaver Wheat is closer to a traditional German wheat, a chewy, aromatic brew with an Earthy yeast character and sparkling spice on the nose. It's medium-bodied and nicely carbonated, drinking as easily as the best of summer beers with just enough doughy flavor to give it some heft (balanced, of course, by fine noble hops). On an especially hot day you can squeeze a thin slice of lemon peel into it to add some zest. Otherwise, suck down a few of these with some brats and you'll have a little slice of heaven.

Recommended.

For more on this brewery and this beer, read my super awesome little writeup on it in the Philadelphia Weekly.

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From the Cellar: Weyerbacher Fourteen

Weyerbacher is great.They do a lot of really amazing beer that people miss because, frankly, up until the last few months their labels were TERRIBLE.

'Cause yeah, even though we know we shouldn't, we really do judge books by their cover. I've often said that Weyerbacher would be more widely considered a great brewery if their branding wasn't so bad. They wised up, contracted a new logo, and are now in the process of rebranding their whole line. Excellent!

So what does this have to do with a three-year-old brew put out for their 14th anniversary?  Nothing at all. Just thought it would make for a good intro.

Anyway, for the Weyerbacher's 14th anniversary they brewed a spiced up wheat wine, essentially a boozed-up barleywine but with wheat as a primary fermentable grain. These beers are BIG, complex, and age well.

And this 2009 vintage fits the description. After three years, the aroma is a boozy, murky mix of bread, spices, and a touch of caramel. Drinking it, though, you'd never know it was so strong. Despite coming in at a whopping 11.8% ABV, there is little alcohol heat to speak of here. It starts to show through as the beer warms, but even then it’s much less than you’d expect from a beer this potent.

Rather than bitterness, here you get spicing, with hints of rye, pepper, and summer herbs. As the beer warms this really ramps up, too, providing a surprising spice kick. Meanwhile, the wheat malts bring a smoothness to the beer that makes it go down better than any three-year-old, nearly 12% beer has a right to.

Overall this is a big WOW. If you have one, I suspect now is a great time to open it. If you see one, get it and drink it right away. 'Cause this stuff be gooawd.

BEER: Weyerbacher Fourteen
VINTAGE: 2009
TIME AGED: 3 years
NOTES:

VERDICT: This beer has laid down pretty well. If you're lucky enough to find a bottle, consider scooping it up.

If you like Blue Moon you may also like...

For many people, beers like Blue Moon are their introduction to craft beer. Beer snobs will gnash their teeth and point out that Blue Moon is not a real craft beer (which is true, it's actually made by Coors), but I say, so what? The important thing is that these folks have opened up to beers with more flavor than Coors Light or Bud Light or whatever. They obviously realize beer can taste like more than carbonated malt, and they like that idea. That's great! So what do you try next if you've had and enjoyed Blue Moon?

It's not as easy as "have some Arrogant Bastard!" You may think you're an awesome craft beer dude who knows the best beers there are, but chances are your friend/relative/whoever will hate the intense new craft beer you're trying to introduce them to. As I've argued before, most people are bad at making recommendations. If Blue Moon is someone's gateway beer, you can lead them further into excellent craft beer with some well-chosen recommendations. Here are my suggestions (tailored towards beers available in the Northeast):

• Allagash White - Same basic style as Blue Moon (Belgian-style witbier), but not as sweet, with a rich bready banana aroma. Also one of the best witbiers out there. This is a top-shelf beer. You can serve it with orange like Blue Moon, but I wouldn't recommend it.
• Harpoon UFO Raspberry Hefeweizen - Personally I'm not a huge fan (heck, I've brewed better), but someone who likes Blue Moon may enjoy this fruit-fueled hefe, a style nicely comparable with witbiers. It's a pleasant drinking beer with nice fruit overtones.
• Sierra Nevada Kellerweis - A light-but-tasty hefe that only has a mild yeasty taste; quite refreshing. Can be served with orange, if you're into that, but drinks nicely on its own. Great bridge from Blue Moon to better craft beers. This is an amazing early summer beer.
• Samuel Adams Blackberry Witbier - A fruity witbier. The blackberries are front and center; it drinks dry for the style, though (which is to say, it's "crisp"). Not among their best, but it may be appropriate for the taste of someone who enjoys Blue Moon, which is fruitier than you'd expect for the style. (This can also be swapped out for Sam Adams' Coastal Wheat, a pretty basic but nice drinking wheat beer).
• Southhampton Double White - A knock-you-on-your-ass beer compared to Blue Moon, this is a higher alcohol than usual witbier with lots of flavor (6.7% ABV compared to Blue Moon's 5.4%). It might be too "heavy" for someone who swears by Blue Moon, but it's worth trying if they appear ready to plunge into bigger bears. Similar aroma, less citrus-sweetness, but in the same general style ballpark.
• Magic Hat #9 - I'm also not a fan of this one, but Blue Moon fans may be. It's an apricot-centric pale ale that a lot of people really enjoy, especially during the warmer weather. It's widely enjoyed by beer people everywhere. This is worth trying if Blue Moon introduced you to craft beer. (As an alternate, swap in Leinenkugel's Sunset Wheat.)

Most of these will win you no major beer snob awards, but who the hell cares? The most important thing is that at least one or two will hit the spot for folks who got introduced to better beer via Blue Moon.

Enjoy.

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Quick Sips: RJ Rockers Son of a Peach

RJ Rockers Brewing Company is based out of South Carolina and have, to my great surprise, been brewing since 1997. Considering their neck of the woods it shouldn't be surprising that one of their seasonal beers is a peach wheat beer, Son of a Peach.

The beer smells very peachy, strong but pleasant. It drinks light, far crisper than expected considering it's an unfiltered wheat, with a nice dose of peach flavor that is never less than noticable but also never off-putting or overpowering. It finishes with a little zest. Unlike a lot of fruit beers, though, this one is all beer. The fruit doesn't take center stage; this beer remains a beer.

Pleasantly surprised by what I expected to be a pretty gimmicky brew. Too bad I can't get it in New Jersey. I'd buy this one again.

Quick Sips: Bell's Oberon Ale

Bell's Oberon Ale is something of a standard for beer lovers in the middle United States. In some ways, it's the flagship brew of this fantastic Michigan brewery.

Oberon is a wheat beer -- very traditional style during the summer -- with a clean taste and smooth-drinking character. It's often served with a slice of orange, and it's easy to see why. The citrus goes well with it. But even on its own (which is how I had it this most recent time) this is a crisp, refreshing summer beer that goes down easy but still offers good taste.

It's far from the best wheat out there, but it drinks so nice you'll want to go back for seconds (and thirds) on a hit summer day. Worth picking up if you see it.