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Nelson Crowle's picture

85 Rating: Cherry Wheat by Sierra Blanca Brewing Co.

January, 2018
Judges Rating: 
85
Aroma: 
20 / 24
Appearance: 
6 / 6
Flavor: 
35 / 40
Mouthfeel: 
8 / 10
Overall Impression: 
16 / 20

Evaluated as BJCP 2015 style 29A (Fruit Beer) with a base style of American Wheat (BJCP 2015 style 1D). 

This fruit beer pours with a huge, billowing beige head of tiny bubbles with a slight orangish tint. The head is persistent and fades slowly, leaving Belgian lace on the side of the glass. The beer is a light amber color with a smidge of a pink tint and slightly hazy. The aroma conveys as light bready (slight bread crust) with just a hint of floral hops and moderate cherry esters. 

The flavor echoes the aroma with freshly baked bread (very light), a hint of floral hops and fairly substantial cherry juice (which has slight notes of artificial flavoring). Clean fermentation with low fruity esters can be discovered from the yeast, finishing off-dry with a lingering cherry profile -- similiar to Luden's cough drops. The mouthfeel is slightly syrupy but still smooth and a medium-low body accompanies it with moderate carbonation. With the syrupy notes, this might make a good breakfast beer with pancakes or waffles and would cut through the oiliness of delicious breakfast sausages. Yum!