The Reviews
This type of beer has been brewed with more wheat than malted barley (as the name suggests). It comes in two major varieties known as Weissbier (traditional to Germany) and Witbier (traditional to Belgium). However, there are a few lesser known varieties called Lambic (contains wild yeast and bacteria), Berliner Weisse (sour) and Gose (a German herbal, salty beer).
If you are a fan of wheat beers or are trying to get into them, this list of reviews will help you on your journey.
Ballast Point Brewing Company Homework Series No. 8
The aromas from this one are notes of herbs, resin, light pine and flowers. Surprisingly, you can’t really discover the wheat in this one since the fermentation is very clean.
Taste wise, the bitterness is reminiscent of pale ale. The floral and edge of sourness is not what is usually seen from the hefeweizen type of beer as it is akin to American style brews.
Brasserie du Bocq Blanche de Namur
If you like sweeter, smoother beers then you will absolutely adore this one! On the nose, you will receive hits of citronella, bubblegum, florals and strawberry. As the smell ends, you will notice soft spice tones akin to coriander and peppercorns which adds to the complex nature of this brew.
When the beer hits your palate, you will taste the bubblegum and strawberry characteristics from the aroma but, where the spice tones are soft on the nose, they dominate the taste. At the end of the experience, you will have a creamy, fine carbonated feel which quickly dries, leaving an acidic aftertaste which isn’t the favourite of most.
Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company Sunset Wheat
This one is light but, beware, there is a lot going on which makes for an interesting blend, but it is not the best since the finish is so bitter.
The main aromas are peach, blackberry, blueberry syrup, orange sweets, dried apricots, raspberry, nectarine and many other fruits. See? A lot is going on. Once your smelling experience is finished, you will recognise vanilla cream, anise, black jellybean and caraway spiced notes.
As you drink this brew, you will first come to taste the blueberry mixed with an artificial type of flavouring. After this, blackberry, cherry, apricot and orange notes come into their own and, finally, anise, fennel and the caraway come through.
Schneider Weisse Original
Starting, of course, with the aroma, you will experience hints of wheat bread, caramel, dark malt, caramelised sugar and wheat crust. If you continue to smell it, you’ll get banana, sour cherry, date, vinyl and clove notes. Not to mention that, at the end, you will be delighted by a lightly burnt marshmallow and alcohol scent.
When you decide to taste the beer, notes of spicy wheat, dark malts, caramel candies and toast. Clove, raisin, banana and jackfruit poke out from under these potentially overwhelming flavours which cuts out what could be deemed as unpleasant by some. As the end comes, popcorn, minted-hops and burnt sugar dance around your palate until it completely finishes in a crisp and dry manner.
Ayinger Brewery Bräuweisse
If you are looking for the classic hops smell, you won’t find it with this one. Instead, you will find the clove and banana tones alongside an extremely subtle malt character.
Thankfully, the flavour trumps the aromas as you can easily taste the wheat malt and bread which should be expected in this type of beer. Plastic balloon and smoky essences are still present from the smell, but it finishes with caramel, butterscotch, clove and banana which is lovely.
Stone Brewing Co. Citrusy Wit
Subtle fruit aromas of orange, grapefruit and citrus zest will flow through your nose to begin with. Following this are herbal, wildflower and other flowery tones that eventually turn into wort, caramel and hops tea like scents.
When it hits your palate, you might be surprised about how rough the wood and spice tones are — trust us, they are pretty aggressive. However, a sweetness does kick in thanks to the orange and grapefruit flavours. With that being said, the overall feel is thick, dry and angry bitterness.
Dogfish Head SeaQuench Ale
It is safe to say that there is absolutely no complexity to this beer as the one and only flavour and aroma is lime. They wanted to showcase the tastiness of this ingredient and, for that, they absolutely hit the nail on the head however, if you are looking for a delicious, complex beer, this one is not for you.
Harpoon Brewery UFO White
On the nose, you’ll be provided with a mélange of herbs, florals, fruits and vanilla extracts. Specifically, melon, orange, grapefruit, lemon and tangerines. However, some nut tones come out from under this, along with cocoa and a succulent honey smell.
If you decide to taste this brew, you’ll be given a hit of intense orange which is then undercut by a grainy wheat sensation. You will also notice other citrus fruits, alongside coriander, pine and flowery tones. However, the carbonation is low so if you aren’t a fan of this then you may not like the thinness and the body which leaves rapidly.
Mikerphone Brewing Bass Cannon
When you look at this beer, you won’t really understand that it is, in fact, a beer. It looks more like a smoothie since it is so thick and opaque.
On the nose, you won’t be able to get away from the strong berry notes. This one is basically all berry but, if you try hard enough, you will get a whiff of yoghurt.
Once you take a sip, you will notice just how thick it really is as it is ridiculously reminiscent of a breakfast smoothie. It is safe to say that this is a unique beer that lacks the complexity which we have all come to expect from wheat beers.
Of course, there are many, many other wheat beer brands out there that could fit your fancy better than any we have spoken about today however, we are pretty sure you will find at least one from these that you love.