Whale Ale

When in doubt, hop it up! Seems many brewers are now coming out with hoppy American pale wheat ales these days, a departure from trying to tackle a beer style that some look at as pedestrian. Hazed pale-peach color, lacing all the way down the glass. Minty lemony hop meets an even breadiness in the aroma. Hoppy palate. Nothing over the top, but noticeable throughout. Nutty and bready maltiness reminds our palates that this is indeed a wheat beer. Not a bad sip at all.
- Jason and Todd Alström

This hazy gold mash-up of wheat and a pale ale is in the American fashion, so no banana or clove notes, but instead an aroma that is fruity with floral orange and sweet lemon notes and perhaps a hint of red grapefruit. The body offers the briefest taste of something like shredded wheat up front, but moves rapidly to a growing fruity malt character and, in the second half particularly, rising lemony hoppiness, finishing dry and mildly bitter. A summery refresher with substance.
- Stephen Beaumont

Jason and Todd Alström
Founders of BeerAdvocate and champions of beer, Jason and Todd have been putting the geeks into beer geeks since 1996. Learn more at beeradvocate.com and follow them on Twitter @BeerAdvocate.

Stephen Beaumont
Once described as “beerdom’s Brillat-Savarin,” Stephen Beaumont is the author of five books and countless articles on beer, spirits, food, travel and how it all goes together.