Nervous Energy - Tasting
Now here is a beer I that makes me really happy! It has turned out better than I would have dared to hope, drinkable, hoppy, spicy and a real looker too. This is a beer brewed like a traditional weizen, but hopped with plenty of New Zealand hops. I brewed it at the end of last year and it had a full month in the fermenter before I got round to bottling it. It ended up a touch lower in ABV than I had expected, coming in at 4.5% instead of the predicted 4.8%. Apart from that the fermentation went about as well could be hoped.
Appearance
The first thing you notice about this beer is the fantastic head on it. Just as a weizen should be, the slightly off-white head is big, moussy and long lasting, hanging around the whole time you drink the beer. The body is golden-orange in colour and quite hazy.
Smell
The nose is all about the hops. Peaches, citrus, pine and woody notes.
Taste
Spices, then more spices. Here the yeast really shines through with peppery notes combining with cloves and oak. I'd like to think that the ferulic acid rest I did during the brew had something to contribute too... The four and a half percent make this incredibly drinkable and unlike more traditional weizen, the increased hopping means it doesn't start feeling too sweet after a while.
Final Words
Must brew again. That is all.