Guinness Irish Wheat
The Guinness brand “Brewers Project” line of beers has been putting out some pretty interesting brews the past couple of years. Their West Indies Porter and Antwerpen Stout were both pretty darn tasty, but also feel in line with what the brewery does best — the dark stuff. The latest brew from the line, however, is decidedly not dark. Irish Wheat is as pale a beer from the brand as I have ever encountered and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Brewed with 100% Ireland grown wheat and the same yeast strain found in their stout, this 5.3% ABV witbier would make for a warm weather treat. All aspects of the style are present as wheat/grain, a lemon citrus zing, light clove and a hint of banana all make an appearance throughout the well-rounded flavor profile. The witbier isn’t as crips as others in the spectrum, but its soft body actually works for it here, creating a smooth drinking experience that still refreshes nicely. It’s that zesty lemon character, however, that’s the kicker once this hazy beer hits the tongue.
I’m not the biggest wheat beer fan — my efforts to overcome the style are well documented on the site. That said, Irish Wheat is an approachable example of the style with a good, earthy wheat backbone, less banana than most (a good thing in my eyes) and a well rounded amount of spice and hops. While this is a pretty decent little brew, it’s still a little odd drinking something at the opposite end of the color spectrum of most of the brand’s other offerings.
This is a review of a promotional sample.