Sun Block - Captain Lawrence Brewing Co.

    Sun Block is a Wheat Ale brewed by the Captain Lawrence Brewing Co. which is located in Elmsford, New York. The bottle describes the brew as a "Hoppy Wheat Beer". I realize that we've just gotten into the beginning of winter here in the Midwest, but I say it's never too early to have a summer beer, and Captain Lawrence Brewing Co. seems to agree!

    The beer pours a pale, straw yellow. Just gently pouring the beer into a cup produces a massive, frothy head. Hundreds of tiny bubbles play around inside the glass alongside small bits of wheat sediment in this unfiltered brew.

    Thankfully, Sun Block smells little like its namesake. Instead, your nose is met with bright, citrus hops when you bring the glass up to your lips. There is also the light scent of wheat and some biscuit malts.

    The beer is light bodied and a bit watery, with a large amount of carbonation that tingles on the tongue. The beer has an alcohol content of 4.5% ABV.

This beer won't prevent sun burns...

    Sun Block is lightly citrus flavored, with a nice lemon flavor up front. Unfortunately, an almost cloying bitterness accompanies the citrus hops flavors which takes away from the wheat and malt flavors present in the beer's nose. These sweeter flavors eventually become completely hidden as a sour flavor builds up in your mouth after prolonged drinking.

    The only times I have seen sun block and beer come into play together were both bad mixes. The first, a prank from a crude "teen" movie, involved hiding alcohol in sunscreen bottles to sneak it into a pool, ending with the characters' internal organs having a rating of SPF 30. The other, more common mix of the two (or rather one causing the other not to be present), would be the numerous stories I've heard of people drinking in the summer, falling asleep, and waking up as red as a lobster. In other words, the mix of beer and sun block rarely turns out well.

    This beer is a perfect example of something that could have been a great idea, but went wrong somewhere along the line. I love the citrus hops and wheat combination, especially in a refreshing summertime brew, but the bitterness in this batch overpowers the subtle wheat flavors. It's possible that I got a bad batch, so I will try another of these beers in the future and update the review accordingly. Until then, I can't recommend this beer.

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Oberon Ale - Bell's Brewery Inc.

    Oberon Ale is a Wheat Beer created by Bell's Brewery Inc. which is located in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Oberon is Bells' Summer seasonal beer. This beer, like a few other beers appearing on the blog, was donated by Emily Hohman. I held one back for a day just like today when I am officially tired of Winter and ready to usher in warmer weather. Lets see if this beer can do the trick!

    Oberon ale pours a bright golden color with a thin, white head on top which doesn't linger for long. The ale is quite bubbly, giving it an energetic appearance. There are tiny flecks of wheat in the beer.

    The ale smells sweetly of wheat malts. There is also a slight scent of orange peel and lemon from the hops.

    The Wheat Beer is medium bodied with a medium level of carbonation. Oberon has an alcohol content of 5.8% ABV.

It's like the sun in liquid form!

    Bells' Summer ale features a full wheat flavor which is very refreshing. Sweet malts back the wheat flavor up with their sweetness. Similar to the nose of the beer, slight lemon and orange fruitiness can be tasted. Oberon also has a slight hint of a coriander-like spiciness. There is an almost grassy flavor to the ale, which I assume comes from the hops as well. This isn't an unpleasant taste, but instead makes me imagine being in a flowered meadow with the sun high in the sky.

    I made it farther through this Winter without getting sick of the cold than in past years, though the chill has finally worn out its welcome. Oberon definitely conjures up feelings of Summer and the warmer months. While I doubt a beer could ever change the seasons, Oberon has definitely taken my mind to a warmer clime.

    I am not usually a fan of Wheat Beers, though I have to say that Oberon is my favorite of the Wheats that I have tried. I very much enjoy the light citrus flavor in the ale, but most of all I appreciate the massive amount of wheat flavor packed into the beer. I think one of my main gripes with other Wheat Beers is that brewers tend to focus too much on the fruitiness instead of putting out a strong wheat flavored beer.

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Special Thanks to Emily Hohman!

Whitewater IPA - Boston Beer Company

    Whitewater IPA is an interesting take on the American India Pale Ale created by Boston Beer Company located, where else, but Boston, Massachusetts. Instead of the usual malts used in IPAs, Whitewater uses wheat, giving the beer a much different flavor than other IPAs.

    The IPA pours a hazy straw-yellow with a massive foamy white head which persists for quite a while. When the head finally fades, it leaves lots of nice lacing on the cup.

    Whitewater IPA smells mainly of wheat with a bit of citrusy hops and lemon. There is also a slight peach scent to the ale.

    The IPA is light bodied and moderately carbonated, though the carbonation works well to make the beer feel creamy. The beer leaves an oily feeling in your mouth after swallowing. There also seems to be little bits of wheat throughout the beer that at some points can be felt in your mouth.

Whitewater IPA thinks it is more extreme than it is...

     The first flavors which hit your mouth when drinking Whitewater IPA are the bitter, citrusy flavors of hops. There is a good bit of lemon and orange peel in the flavor which are common in wheat beers. There is a malty/wheat sweetness that follows the citrus bitterness as well as a funky fruit flavor. Whitewater's aftertaste is that of bitter hops and citrus. The beer finishes relatively dry and at 5.8% ABV, has no alcohol flavor.

    I really feel as though this beer has all the hops of an IPA, but just doesn't quite back them up with the malts needed for balance to live up to many of the great IPAs on the market. I honestly would not call this beer an IPA at all. I would call it an extremely hopped wheat beer, which will never be as good to me as a good old classic IPA.

    Whitewater IPA doesn't taste bad, but the flavors of orange peel, peach, wheat, and citrusy hops really don't cater to any one niche of beer fans. I feel as though fans of wheat beers will be turned off by the massive hops in the ale, and IPA fans will be turned off by the wheat and fruit flavors present. Sam Adams has a knack for making beers that are very drinkable, though I feel that Whtiewater IPA might just be an exception to that rule.

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