Eat yer Wheat

Tasting session 9

Beer 1 Choices: German Pils, Belgian Blond Ale, American Wheat Beer

Beer 2 Choices: Weizenbock, Belgian Blond Ale, Belgian Golden Strong Ale, Witbier

Beer 3 Choices: Schwarzbier, American Brown Ale, Doppelbock, International Dark Lager

Score: 3/3

Beer 1 things to look for:

German Pils: bitterness

Belgian Blond Ale: yeast character

American Wheat Beer: clean yeast, US hop character

Witbier: coriander/orange peel/Belgian yeast

Notes:

First things first, is there yeast character or other fruitiness? Smell/sip; there’s not any detectable fruity esters or spicy phenols, so the Belgian Blond and Witbier can be eliminated. Distinguishing between American Wheat and German Pils can seem a little tricky- both have a similar range for bitterness (though Pils typically features much more perceived bitterness in the balance). One distinguisher is the use of wheat which can influence aroma/flavor/mouthfeel, but unlike wheat beers from Europe, Americans typically use less in their malt profile compared to barley. So that may be tough to bank on. 

American and German beers usually share the same yeast profile people refer to as “clean”, which is to say “none”. That was the case here, so malt and hops were the things to hone in on. The beer had a doughy malt flavor in addition to some summer citrus and baking spice, and that sealed the deal for American Wheat. 

Note: the citrus/spiciness in American Wheat comes from hops, NOT yeast. This can be confusing since yeast produce fruity esters and spicy phenols. German Weissbier, for example, uses yeast that produces banana and clove flavors and aromas. With American Wheat beer, brewers use “clean” yeast, but hop with varieties that produce citrus/spice. In the case of Oberon (the beer in this tasting), Herbrucker and Saaz  hops are used.

Beer 2 things to look for:

Weizenbock: 4VG (clove), isoamyl acetate (banana) [Weizen yeast] 

Belgian Blond Ale: smaller/maltier/less bitter Belgian Golden Strong

Belgian Golden Strong Ale: high attenuation, high fruity esters

Witbier: orange/coriander

Notes:

Weizenbock is a Weissbier brewed to Bock strength (significantly higher ABV). The sample had big alcohol, but it didn’t have that signature Weizen yeast character: yeast producing the phenol 4VG (clove) and ester isoamyl acetate (banana). The high alcohol content, lack of wheaty/doughiness, and absence of the signature orange/coriander Wit flavor eliminated Witbier. It had tons of fruity yeast esters and some spicy phenolic character, but Belgian Blond and Belgian Golden Strong share those traits. What gave it away was the warming alcohol and general fruity/perfumy/spicy/alcohol character Belgian Blond lacks and BGS has. I’d expect Belgian Blond to feature malt flavor further in the forefront of the balance. This beer was also pretty bitter, so that was another point for BGS. 

Side note: if you like Duvel, try this! It’s like a slightly more bitter version- super good.

Beer 3 things to look for:

Schwarzbier: roast

American Brown Ale: US hops/some bitterness

Doppelbock: high alcohol, German malt

International Dark Lager: more bitter Schwarzbier*, lighter body

Notes:

*That was a bad clue I came up with during this. Schwarzbier is usually more bitter than International Dark Lagers, but it’s a style I haven't been able to get my hands on to try often, so I was unfamiliar. I’ve since tried a super fresh Schwarbier and let me tell you, it’s delicious- like a German Pils with some smooth roast. What I was correct on was the body, which was quite watery and light. In our guidelines, it even says that IDLs are comparable to Schwarzbier, just with “less flavor and richness” (saucy BJCP guidelines). Doppelbocks are up there in alcohol, so that was confidently eliminated and it had very little hop character, so American Brown ale was eliminated.