Carmel Wheat Beer

Brewed by Mendocino Brewing Company
Style: Wheat Ale
Hopland, California USA

Draught. Body is medium yellow. Aroma is lightly malty (toasted bread/grain), lightly hoppy (resin, pine), lightly yeasty (dough). Flavor is moderately sweet, lightyl acidic. Finish is lightly sweet, moderately acidic, lightly bitter, slightly husky. Light to medium body, watery texture, lively carbonation. Had this before dinner at a restaurant/bar in Carmel...didn't even bother finishing it, and ended up drinking water with my meal.

Sort of a musty wheat aroma, arguably tinged with citrus. Slight hazy golden color with a white head that flattened quickly. At least medium bodied. It’s definitely a wheat, and seems some what similar to MBC’s summer seasonal wheat. A bit spicy, a bit citrusy. Bready sort of sweetness, floral/fruity hop. The finish is quite nice. A bit of citrusy sour hangs in the background. Good drink.

Medium gold, somewhat cloudy, small head. Lt malts and light hops. Mild tasting wheat beer. Some banana taste, kind of typical for a wheat beer. Finish is clean. Aftertaste is smooth. Not much to this beer.

Dark yellow, almost orang with nothing much to resemble a head. The aroma reminds me of fruit salad. Flavor-wise, I find little wheat or yeast, but rather a bitter apple context with a sugar malt undertow.

12 oz bottle - gven to me by Aurelius. Pours a medium golden - little to no head. Tangy aroma, reminds me of bubble gum and cotton candy. Flavor is sweet - reminiscent of a weak Belgian that had a protein drop. Syrupy, maple notes in there - but kindy of gummy. A little bit of banana in there as well. Mouthfeel is somewhat cluttered.

Draught. Clear golden color with thin white head. Light biscuity malt aroma with a hint of banana. Smooth and malty with a touch of citrus in the flavor. Eh.

On tap in Monterey. Hazy light amber with a large heavy lacing, tan head. Grassy aroma with a typical wheat taste. Lots of carbonation that tickles your tongue.

(12 oz bottle: Trader Joe’s in Pacific Beach, CA) Got another Trader Joe’s special here, so the price is definitely right. Of course, no price is right if the beer isn’t good, and well, I’m glad I just bought the single bottle. The floral, sweet, and strongly perfumy nose and flavor is just way too bizarre for a wheat beer. In fact, it’s not even all the pleasant for any beer style, and the perfumy aftertaste is just horrible. The finish seems reminiscent of a Belgian -- a sugary sweet one -- but most definitely not a good one. Light-to-medium bodied, but it thins out in the finish, and it just sits on the palate like an unwelcomed guest. Hazy, dark golden in color. Plenty of swiftly-moving carbonation bubbles rush to fortify the bubbly, off-white head. Despite that, the head fades to nothing and leaves no lace. Probably best if I just stick with buying Spaten Optimator at Trader Joe’s; it’s only a buck more per six-pack and far more enjoyable.