New Belgium Sunshine Wheat

One of my favorite hefes. I love the haziness the aroma and how smooth it is on my palate. The favor is light but not too light. It’s a little sweet but a little spicy at the same time.

12 oz. bottle. Light color with a slight haze, and a puffy white head. Zesty lemon smell. A light American style wheat beer taste with a bit of lemon, a bit of wit spice. Orange peel shows up in the mix a little later. Not much beyond that, but good as a brewer’s year ’round beer.

14-Aug-08 (12-oz bottle, Best before 05-Sep-08: Sample bottle from my New Belgium rep) Since the first time I tasted this beer, the bottle was several months past the expiration date, it’s only fair to try it again. Honestly, it seems about the same. Coriander and orange peel are easily the dominant flavors in the entry. The wheat and barley base provides light-medium body and bready flavors in the evolution before being joined in the finish by spicy black pepper and slight bitterness from the orange peel. Aromas of coriander, orange citrus, bread and yeast, but also a bit of cheesiness. Medium-strong carbonation, clean and crisp on the palate with lingering bitterness, though as the beer warms, the breadiness begins to hang on the palate. Yellow in color and crystal clear in appearance with no sediment in the bottle, so this is obviously filtered. The off-white head builds to half an inch on the pour before settling fairly quickly to a thick ring. No lacing. Overall, a light, clean beer with crisp, refreshing spices, good for quaffing cold on a hot day.

01-Feb-06 (12 oz bottle: Obtained in trade with whaleman, thanks David!) Best before 16-Sep-05, but no big deal to me, beers in this style seem to handle moderate aging without any problems. Aromas of light coriander and dough aren’t doing much to catch my attention. Coriander is readily apparent in the flavor and orange peel is very subtle, with a lightly bready and sweet malt providing the medium-bodied base. Heavy enough that without the citrusy flavor and mouthfeel I’ve come to expect from my favorite examples of this style, the palate isn’t really all that refreshing. Carbonation is fairly light and easy. Pale yellow with a very slight haze, and there is no sludge in the bottom of the bottle either, so this is filtered? Why? Nearly an inch of white head covers the beer, but that gradually fades to a ring. No lacing. Just nothing here to excite me, this is pretty mundane, the Fat Tire of witbier. (6, 3, 5, 3, 11 = 2.8)

On tap at Boise Hawks Baseball game. Pours out a crisp gold topped with a light white head. Aroma of ligth wheat and some beg yeast. Tast more of the yeast and light spice. A nice brew at the hot ball park.

Bottle. Pours a clear golden color with a small frothy white head that diminsihes quickly to paper thin. The aroma is orange peel, light citrus and tart. Good sticky lacing on the glass. The taste is a sweet orange with a nice crisp refreshing finish. A good wheat ale from New Belgium.