New Glarus Unplugged Imperial Weizen

Brewed by New Glarus Brewing Company
Style: German Hefeweizen
New Glarus, Wisconsin USA

Very good brew. Will have to write my full description at a later time apparently.

Bottle 35,5 cl. Courtesy of SoLan. Hazy golden with an off-white head. Aroma of yeast and some phenols. Medium body, yeast, fruit and phenols. Rather bitter finish. Disappointing. 291108

The Trappists monks can say goodbye, except for the fact that this is a limited offering from New Glarus (anything labeled as unplugged is limited from New Glarus). I am most impressed by beers that have a high alcohol content and yet have a good taste - this is one of them - maybe the best. I shall forego the details on smell, initial taste, palette and after-taste on this one, because there is really nothing else that I have had that compares to this one.

Bottled. A hazy amber beer with a lazing orangey head. The aroma is sweet with strong notes of wheat and fruits. The flavor is sweet malty with very strong notes of fruit - especially peaches, leading to a dry and lightly bitter finish.

3/18/2008: New Glarus Unplugged Imperial Weizen has a thick, frothy, creamy, off-white head and a cloudy orange color. I can really smell what seems to be Cascade hops in the aroma with lots of clove, some banana, and a tinge of alcohol. The flavor is fruity and spicy (Belgian-like) with clove and lots of hops (Cascade?). There is a mild to moderate level of bitterness that continues to build with each taste. The palate is smooth and creamy which goes with the full body, but seems to heavy for what is a Weizen beer at heart. Overall the flavors seem to be in conflict and the beer is just different. It isn’t nearly as good as the New Glarus Dancing Man Wheat.

12 fl. oz. bottle from buckybeer shared with Rob. Thanks Mark! Rating #248 for this beer.


UPDATE on Unknown Date: New Glarus Imperial Weizen has an aroma of banana and clove and is very spicy. Its appearance is cloudy, deep gold, and has a lage, foarmy, lasting ivory-colored head that collapses to leave a puffy crown. There is a massive level of carbonation but this doesn’t seem to affect the full body as it is still creamy and mellow on the palate and coats the mouth. The flavor is very spicy and presents clove and banana. It finishes dry and spicy with some herbal hoppiness. Again, this beer is quite hoppy and that really comes through in the finish. Overall this beer is big and bold, generously hopped, and very herbal to the point of being minty! It’s definitely adventurous, but I haven’t quite come around to really liking this new style of "Imperial Wheat" beers which includes this one as well as other such as the Brooklyner-Schneider Hopfen-Weisse. Maybe it will just take some time and a more open mind for me to come around...

12 fl. oz. bottle from buckybeer. Thanks again Mark!

Bottle shared by Crosling. Poured a lightly hazy, bright orange color with a moderate off-white head that faded to a thick, soapy layer and left some thick sheets of lacing. Sweet citrus aroma (tangerine and apricot) with some light spice and a bit of clove and banana paired with a nice wheatiness and a hint of floral hops. Smooth, lightly bitter entry with some undertones of wheat and moderate citrus (orange, light lemon) and a soft clove spiciness that finishes with a moderate floral hoppiness with soft citrus undertones and some wheat. Moderate carbonation, smooth on the palate. Definitely a great beer. Wow.

Sunset orange color with an initially large head that settles into a top coating film. Bold nose hints of banana, clove, spice and caramel, very enticing and memorable. Flavor is very nicely balanced, but doesn’t quite have the softness and delicate notes I’d like. Very clove-like with the illusion of cinnamon spicing. Nice finish. Very nice ale.

I was expecting something like a weizen bock but that’s not really what this is. This is simply a banana-clove type hefe on steroids. TONS of banana bread in this one. You feel the alcohol more than you taste it. Thick like a meal. Good. Yum.