Author: Chad Wulff

• 
  Beers

  Flavored Beer

  January 1, 2009 - Chad Wulff 88 Cypress Honey Lager, Granville Island Brewing Co. (Canada). 4.5% ABV (8/07) Brilliant golden amber color. Creamed honey and toast aromas are very attractive. A round, frothy entry leads to a dry medium body of toasty honey nut, baked lemon and dark meringue flavors. Finishes with a touch of piney bittering hops and caramel. Very... View Article
• 
  Beers

  Imperial Stout

  January 1, 2009 - Chad Wulff 92 Paradox Islay, BrewDog (Scotland). 10% ABV (8/08) Murky brown-black color with a bubbly head. Peaty Islay whisky, toffee and dark toast aromas follow through on big, lightly syrupy entry to a dry-yet-fruity full body with nougat, praline, fresh peat and moss, coffee and cocoa notes. Finishes with a long rich cocoa and peat fade.... View Article
• 
  Buyer's Guide for Beer Lovers - Full Pints

  Wheat Beers

  November 1, 2008 - Chad Wulff Generally, I find myself enjoying a wheat-based beer during the summer months: hot weather and wheat beer go hand-in-hand, after all. But as the days slip by, even a dunkel weiss or weizenbock can be consumed at an end-of-summer BBQ, next to a plate of grilled sausages or short ribs. And as the more seasonal-specific... View Article
• 
  Beers

  Hefeweizen

  November 1, 2008 - Chad Wulff Weizen bier is a top-fermenting beer style that originates from southern Germany, particularly Bavaria, and is brewed with at least 50% wheat in the mash. Hefeweizens are refreshing, highly carbonated beers ideal for quenching summer thirsts. They undergo secondary fermentation, often in the bottle, and the yeast strains used for this purpose impart a spicy, clove-like flavor. Hefe (the German word for yeast) on the label denotes that the bottle contains yeast sediment. Alcohol content is typically 5-5.5% ABV, giving these beers a medium to medium-full body. Hop flavors play a very insignificant role in the flavor profile. The best examples to be found are still authentic Bavarian imports, although some good domestic examples are produced and are often available as a draft option.
• 
  Beers

  Kristall Weizen

  November 1, 2008 - Chad Wulff A kristall weizen is a non-hazy weizen ale. “Kristall” on the label of a weizen specifically denotes that a weizen has been filtered prior to bottling to remove the protein haze and yeast often suspended in such beers. Kristall weizens lack the yeasty and spicy complexity often associated with hefeweizen beers, and have a cleaner and more delicate flavor. Floral, fruity aromas are often noted in classic examples of this style, though healthy alcohol content of 5-5.5% will give a medium to medium-full bodied character.
• 
  Beers

  Dunkel/Dark Weizen

  November 1, 2008 - Chad Wulff These dark wheat beers derive their character from the use of darker malts in the non-wheat ingredients, so that a richer, darker-colored beer can be achieved, along with fuller malt flavors. Dunkel weizens still display the floral, estery qualities of a pale weizen. Dark weizens are produced with or without a secondary fermentation in the bottle, with the corollary that these styles can be yeast sedimented or unsedimented depending upon the preference of the brewer.
• 
  Beers

  Weizen Bock

  November 1, 2008 - Chad Wulff Weizen bocks are essentially winter wheat beers, originally brewed in Bavaria. The color can be pale gold to brown. They are of higher alcoholic strength, as high as 7% ABV, showing a warming personality, though they should still have a significant rocky head when poured. These beers combine the character of hefeweizens and dopplebocks and as such are rich and malty with estery, yeasty qualities, and show a note of wheaty crispness through the finish.
• 
  Beers

  White/Wit Beer

  November 1, 2008 - Chad Wulff Wit beer is a style of flavored wheat. It is distinctly Belgian in origin and is still very closely associated with this lowland country. Wits employ a proportion of unmalted wheat in the mash, but also have flavor added in the form of Curaçao orange peel and coriander, among other ingredients. Their appearance is marked by a hazy white precipitate and these beers generally have some sedimentation. Typically, these are very refreshing summer thirst quenchers. Their popularity in the United States is growing, with some notable examples to be found.
• 
  Beers

  Wheat Ale

  November 1, 2008 - Chad Wulff As the name would suggest, these are ales that use a proportion of wheat in the mash to add a protein haze. Wheat ales inspired by the German weizen tradition were popular before Prohibition in the United States and are enjoying a resurgence in popularity. This generic category encapsulates the diverse interpretation of the classic German weizen styles brewed in America and elsewhere. A host of variables ranging from the wheat/malt ratio, hopping and filtration/non filtration all contribute to wide variations on the theme. Generally, U.S. examples feature a more marked hop accent than classic German weizen styles and are often dryer.