Heavy Seas Hang Ten
A surfing pirate!For as much as I don’t really like hefeweisens or overly wheaty/clovey Belgian whites, there is one wheat-based style that I absolutely love — the Weizenbock. When done right, it’s a style that is rich and fruity with just the right amount of wheat in the mix for my own personal tastes. Schneider Aventinus is just such a beer — it’s always in my cellar or fridge at any point during the year.
Maryland’s Clipper City (or are they simply Heavy Seas now), Mutiny Fleet release, Hang Ten, is a 10% ABV weizenbock that may not replace Aventinus as my go to beer of this style any time soon, but I’ll be land lubber if I didn’t enjoy the hell out of it. The beer’s rich, fruity and boozy nature was exactly what I needed the other night after a long, cold and gloomy day.
Appearance
Hang Ten pours a dark and murky brown with a light tan head that fell to a patchy surface cover.
Aroma
Wheat, light banana, subtle spices, raisin and a moderate level of alcohol fill the nose nicely.
Taste
The flavors of this brew mirror the nose almost perfectly as hints of wheat, raisin and a latent banana presence hang around for a good bit in the lightly hopped finish. The alcohol is present right from the get go, but never overwhelms the palate. The herbal/spice character to the beer is at a suitable level, complimenting the rest of the beer’s elements and leaving a slight tingle on the tongue.
Overall
Hang Ten isn’t the most balanced beer of this style — the alcohol has a good sized impact on it — but it’s not as overly spiced or banana-y as many beers that are brewed with wheat. I found it to be a wonderful sipper on an evening that carried an early Fall chill. It’s not a beer that I would drink too fairly often, but I wouldn’t be past grabbing a couple of bottles to hide away for a bit.
Rating: 4/5