Estrella Damm Inedit

Tasted Thursday 20 May 2010. 750ml bottle, 4.8% Alc/Vol

Spain

elBulli is one the world’s most famous and exclusive restaurants. Three star Michelin rated plus it has been rated as the world’s best restaurant a record 5 times by Restaurant magazine. Open only six months of the year it takes bookings on one day of the year. For approximately 8000 seats available each season they get around two million requests and it will cost 250 Euro per head.

Inedit means “Never Been Done Before”.
The beer has been crafted in cooperation with Estrella Damm and highly acclaimed elBulli chefs Ferran Adria and Juli Soler and sommeliers Ferran Centelles and David Seijas to specifically match foods that contain:

• Citrus and Oils: salads, vinegar based sauces
• Bitter Notes. i.e. asparagus, artichokes, rucula
• Oily textures. i.e. salmon, tuna, fatty cheese

Brewed with wheat malt, barley malt, hops, coriander, orange peel, yeast and water.
Golden and clear in colour with a dense fluffy white head. Moderately intense aromas of sweet citrus, hay and grass, herbal notes and spice. Its lovely soft and creamy mouthfeel is light and refreshing with balanced carbonation. Some fruitiness is backed by yeast, spice and herbal character, finishing with reasonable length. This is a very likable beer and very easy to drink.
Recommended.

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Brew Boys Schweinhund Hefeweizen

Tasted Tuesday 21 July 2009. 330ml, 5.2% Alc/Vol.

Australia

Pig-dog. A derogatory term in German. Why this beer is called this I don’t know. Maybe they had a run in with some Germans. I’ll find out anyway.

These guys make good beer and this is no exception. I am mostly disappointed with the wheat beer styles in Australia so this stands tall as the best (that I have tried). It is a very good interpretation of a Hefeweizen. Cloudy orange/yellow colour. The aromas are malty with banana, caramel, citrus, and a hint of clove spice.

The palate is very malty, full and soft. Caramel, banana, orange zest, clove, crisp carbonation, bready yeastiness and low bitterness combine to make a very pleasant and balanced beer. Not one flavour really stands out. If anything it is a bit short but that is a small criticism. A really nice beer.

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Bosteels Triple Karmeliet

Tasted 14 July 2009. 330ml bottle, 8%Alc/Vol

Belgium

Three grains – Oats, Wheat and Barley are represented here.
A blond style that is light, smooth and fruity.
Pale yellow in colour with a short lasting head. The aromas are quite fruity with lemon, clove spice and grassy notes.
On the palate it is light in body with a subtle creamy texture. Hints of caramel too as well as lemon, banana and clove spice, all wrapped up with a soft wheaty mouth feel. The alcohol is barely perceptible. No flavour seems to really dominate and the beer comes across as very well balanced and well made.

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Schneider Hopfen Weiss Weizendopplebock

Tasted 15 July 2009. 500ml bottle, 8.2% Alc/Vol.

Germany.

This beer is a collaboration between two long time friends, Schneider brewmaster Hans-Peter Drexler and Brooklyn brewmaster Garrett Oliver.
It pours a cloudy, golden yellow in colour. The nose is quite intense with plenty of coriander spice, malt, and clove and citrus.
The palate is where it is at. Full and rich with a soft wheaty character, lemon, coriander spice, clove, warm slightly oily alcohol and a sharp lemon and orange rind zest that flows seamlessly into a bitter hop finish.
Not for everyone but bloody well worth a try!

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Three Boys Wheat:

Tasted Friday 27 March 2009. 500ml bottle, 5.0% Alc/Vol.

New Zealand.

Now this witbier goes a long way to restoring my faith in antipodean versions of European wheat beers. I could drink this again and again. Cloudy in appearence with a spicy and fruity nose of banana and coriander. Full yet clean on the palate with added citrus zest and coriander providing freshness and spice to the big flavour. Not at all salty!!!! A super wheat beer.

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