Have been waiting to find this one since first seeing it was released. Fortunately found a good beer store over in Visalia, where this was on hand. Sierra Nevada Kellerweis is an American style Hefeweizen that is openly fermented.
Poured from the bottle into a pint glass following the Hefeweizen serving procedure. Poured a nice light gold color, murky as pond water with a nice two finger pillowy head that slowly subsided to a half finger head leaving behind sticky, soap like lacing. Tons of sediment left at the bottom of the bottle, even after swirling, you’d have to shake or scrape the rest off. Ripe Bananas and spice, notably cloves, stand out at the forefront. Wheat, yeast, hops are definitely present but Bananas and Cloves are the star of this show.
Upon taste you’re first welcomed by citrus which is quickly followed up by bananas and vanilla and finishes off dry and slightly clovey. A creamy beer, yet not to heavy, with a nice effervescent finish. The sub 5% ABV, refreshing flavor, and good drinkability make this American Hefeweizen a superbly drinkable summer brew.
Appearance: A
Smell: B
Taste: A
Drinkability: A+
Overall Grade: A
Summer out here in Central California can be best described as hell’s furnace, and this past weekend it was very apparent. For the first time this year we’ve reached the mid 100’s, reminding all what hot is. With these high temperatures comes summer, and with the changing of the season comes Samuel Adam’s Seasonal Beer’s. When the temperature rises one desires a cleaner, refreshing beer, and Boston Beer has Samuel Adam’s Summer Ale to pair with the fires of hell.
Samuel Adam’s Summer Ale is an American Wheat that pitchess it’s brewing with grains of paradise and lemon zest as it’s selling point. The beer pours an awesome orange straw color with a thick, creamy head. As the brew is consumed a very nice white lacing is left behind. Aroma in this beer is light, a hint of wheat, citrus and a bit of pepper. Tasting the beer you’ll notice a substantial amount of sweet wheat, followed by a bit malt that finishes with a slightly spicy(grains of paradise?) citrus note. A little less sweetness would help this beer balance out better. Feel in the mouth is what you’d expect from a wheat and well carbonated, making it a good drinking beer in the heat.
For me, this is a good beer to enjoy on summer days, however others might seek a more balanced beer. If you’re looking for a refreshing wheat beer to check out during the months of summer, give this one a look.
Appearance: B+
Smell: C
Taste: A-
Drinkability: B
Overall Grade: B
Photo courtesey of John McNally