Capital Wild Rice

Brewed by Capital Brewery
Style: Specialty Grain
Middleton, Wisconsin USA

Bottle from Secret Santa. Pours a funky color, a blend of amber and golden with a touch of haze. Fair off-white head which leaves scant lacing. Aroma is sweet and floral. LIght bodied. Decent malt flavor with a hint of nuttyness, slightly sweet. Light floral and spicey hops. Decent.

12 oz bottle, from Steve’s Liquors on Mineral Point Road, Madison WI (Dec 2005). Minimal white head tops the translucent amber body....bit malty, lightly herbal nose, little sweetness except that mixed with burning caramel....somewhat watery mouthfeel, light carbonation, a bit vinous and with more of an alcohol hint than I’d expected...lightly sour-bitter to finish....not enough character in the flavor after a fine, complex aroma, a bit of a disappointment for a beer that I’d wanted for years.

golden color w/ small wispy head. Smells of some grains and touches of carmel even a hint of toffee. Nice palate lightly creamy. Flavor had hints of rice some sweet carmel and light toffee..

I don’t know if it was from the rice, but this had a really nice full creamy palate. Aroma was sweet and caramel, taste was similar but with some sourness that kind of balanced it in a way. Interesting.

Grainey with no head, smells of carmel. Smooth texture, sweet hopiness, dry finish. Decent drink.

Gold color with no head. Grainy aroma. Very fresh and clean, toasted grain taste, but for a beer that is in fact named for wild rice, there is none of that in this beer.

Clear apricot. Fluffy ring of foam yields wispy lace. Toasty Munich malt nose with minerals, nuts, and herbal hops. Velvet soft, but a smidge too loose and fuzzy. Opens with a mild tang of minerals which sparks a toffeeish Munich surge. Unripe plantain and trace huskiness seemingly contribute more sogginess which obscures the pronounced hop traits. Malt shows the slightest hint of astringency shortly after the swallow, which deepens the body’s softness and rekindles the delectable hop bitterness. Lacks any serious flaw, and it’s quite polished. Despite the fuzzy carbonation, the lush malt frame continues to cling to the palate, casting notes of toffee and nuts. Finishes moderately husky as lingering toasted biscuit flavors underline the spicy hop traits. A delicious lager, and a hair shy of spectacular.

Bottle: Courtesy of Duane via trade. Aroma has sort of a Euro-lager sweetness, light honey, flowery hops, and pepper. Pours a golden orange with a minimal white head that never obtains more the a white ring. Lightly sweet with honey and apple up front with a light flowery bitterness a nutty finish. Honey comes on a little stronger in the finish and lingers slightly into the aftertaste. Not the most exciting beer there is, but this seems to work for me for some reason. Maybe it just caught me at the right time. Won’t rate well on individual categories alone but a beer that’s greater than the sum of it’s parts.