Beer: Hoppy Wheat IPA

Beer Style: IPA

Abv: 6.2%

Serving Methodology: Bottle poured into dimple pint

Brewery: Sierra Nevada

Country of Origin: United States of America

 

Background: I love IPAs. Here are some of my favorites: here, here, here, and here. I also love Hefeweizens or Weissbier. One of the best examples is Erdinger, but there are others like this one. Sierra Nevada is an avant-garde, yet traditional craft brewery. They’re pioneers of craft beer having been brewing commercially since 1980. They are a go-too brewery and I’m proud to be sampling one of their newest beers in their fall pack which is a hybrid of both an IPA and a hefeweizen.

Taste & Aroma: The familiar smell of bananas and wheat are here. A bit of cloves and bubblegum are present too. The hefeweizen aromas are presented well in this hybrid. The opening flavors are a sharp hoppy flavor followed by a smooth wheat flavor, and the finish is a subtle bite. This is a great experiment and hats off to Sierra Nevada for this.

 

 

Final Analysis: This is a fine refreshing beer. Good example of a hybrid beer. This Hoppy Wheat is a great combo of a hefe and an IPA. It is analogous to a black ale being an IPA and a stout. If I were Sierra Nevada, I would at least consider making this a year-round beer. Again, well done Sierra Nevada!