Leinenkugels Sunset Wheat

Brewed by Leinenkugel Brewing Company (MillerCoors)
Style: Wheat Ale
Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin USA

Draught pint at some swill bar in Boston, can’t remember the name, on 3/30/07
Moderately cloudy straw-gold body has a fair amount of white head that steadily fizzles to partial cover, leaving little/no lacing.
Smooth and somewhat soothing in the nose, with some perky acidity from the coriander and a strong overtone of blueberry. Dosent smell "thin" or washed-out, however and there actually seems to be some fairly strong malt(ed wheat) character here. The blueberry is a bit persistently annoying and I dont see the point to it. It seems to cheapen the aroma and disturb the dryness that the coriander tries to create. Some light vanilla and mild citric notes on the finish. No alcohol and not flawed.
The wheat washes over the palate with a solidly chewy texture and light twang. Almost a toasted note as well, followed by smooth vanilla and creamy wheat flavors. Carbonation isn’t overdone and everything seems pretty manageable, BUT for the blueberries. It’s seems cheap and disruptive to the other flavors, not adding any balance (the beer is already sweet enough), nor adding any crispness (it’s a rather cheap, sugary blueberry flavor). Interesting, but I’ll take a hoegaarden or allagash white (which can usually both be found at a bar this would be at) long before I’d take this.

Pours a pale hazy yellowish orange- similar to blue moon but a bit darker with a thin lasting white head. Aroma is mostly lime, similar to those lime flavored tostitoes- and a bit salty as well, with more citrus hints and a bit of orange rind as it warms. Coriander- citrus, orange peel and lime flavor, spicy, lgithly phenolic and again a bit salty with just a hint of doughy wheat. Ligth body and mouthfeel with a slick finish similar again to blue moon. I think I would take the blue moon over this though.

(Draught at Miller Brewhouse, Newark Airport, New Jersey). Cloudy yellow, white head. Fruity, artificial aroma. Spicy lime flavor, again with that artificial feeling.

Bottle poured a cloudy gold with a small lasting offfwhite head. Aromas of citrus, berry, wheat and light spice. Palate was light bodied and crisp. Flavors of orange, spice, light berry and wheat with a crisp lightly sweet finish.

Draught at Mellow Mushroom - Auburn, AL. Pours cloudy yellow with an average sized frothy white head, mostly diminishing, good lacing. Aroma is average malt (bread, straw), average hops (grass, flowers), average yeast (dough, earth) with notes of pineapple and honey. Light bodied, sticky texture, average carbonation and a chalky finish. Average sweetness, light acidity and bitterness; refreshing wheat flavor.

Bottle from a NYC deli. Murky yellow beer, does not look very appetizing. Rather sweet, a little spice, and the whole banana hefe paclage. A bit cloying IMHO, but true to type and far better than the standard US lager.

Draft @ HDG. Pours straw gold with a nice head but poor head retention. Aroma and taste is mostly Fruit Loops of the orange and red variety. Spicy hops cut through some of the sticky sweetness (aspirin?) making it worth at least half a pint on a warm day. Not much fresh wheat flavor and just too damn sweet.

Bottle. Appearance was a medium sized white fizzy head that mostly diminished, minimal lacing, cloudy, minimal carbonation, and a butterscotch hue. Nose was sweet, citrusy, oranges and coriander. Flavor was sweet, oranges, citrus, acidic, and somewhat thin and watery. Palate was smooth, sweet and somewhat watery. Light body.