Pyramid Breweries
Seattle, WA
Available: n/a
This limited-edition ale may be the first example of an “imperialized” hefewizen, created by the brewery that pioneered the American wheat beer style.
ABV: 7.5
ABW: 6
Color: 10
Bitterness: 32
Original gravity: 1079
Final gravity: 1018
Malts used: 60% malted wheat, 35.5% two-row pale, 4.5% Munich 20 L
Hops used: Nugget, Tettnang
Yeast-infused orange-amber hop wallop. A head that lingers, lacing the glassware as you down it. Rich malt aroma coupled with floral American hop character. Dancing ’tween hops and malt. Well-balanced with a quick, pleasant malt sweetness and a second thought of lingering hop flavor. Nice work, brewers. Sure to refresh palates while enjoying the delights of your favorite food. From pretzels to pie and a hearty roast in between. You’ll sing with the Angels.
They said the beer was fresh off the bottling line and, boy, that freshness really showed, right from the aroma and its attack of gorgeously fruity hops. Mango, tangerines and grapefruit zip through the nose, backed by complementary oily, earthy resins. It’s like a rummage through a hop pocket. The taste is lusciously fruity for the same reason, with the abundant hops also bringing a tangy sweetness, and dry orange flavors lingering long in the hoppy finish. This a fine IPA that would be just glorious sipped with a creamy, salty Stilton.
Author of the New Complete Joy of Homebrewing, founder of the Great American Beer Festival and a Beer Examiner at www.examiner.com, Papazian is a leading voice in beer and brewing.
Author of the Good Bottled Beer Guide and The Book of Beer Knowledge, Jeff Evans is an eight-time editor of the CAMRA Good Beer Guide and one of Britain's best-known beer writers.
