Summer Microbrew

Spring is finally here folks!! And even though it really hasn't felt very much like Spring weather the last several weeks, it's May 17th and summer's just around the corner...I hope! Now is the perfect time to start sampling and selecting some favorite summertime style microbrews and craft beers to enjoy during the upcoming sweltering hot months. My wife was kind enough to bring home a local Pennsylvania microbrew from our friends at Troegs Independent Craft Brewery based in Harrisburg, PA. This microbrew is none other than Troeg's Dreamweaver Wheat Beer (this is a microbrew that I've somehow never tried before).

Anyway, I wasted no time in cracking open the 12 ounce chilled bottle and poured Dreamweaver Wheat agressively into my 14 ounce pilsner glass which just happened to be the only clean beer sampling vessel in the cupboard at the time.

Troegs Dreamweaver Wheat Beer revealed itself as a musty straw colored liquid with much carbonation bearing a one finger marshmallowy head at the surface which remained for all but only a short minute or two. Very cloudy, chilled haze was the predominant visual from this unfiltered wheat craft beer.

The aroma was strongly reminiscent of bananas and cloves, very sweet with just a mild hint of allspice in the far background. This was a very nice scent for this microbrew and not unexpected being a wheat beer by nature...(read the full review here at Troegs Dreamweaver Wheat Beer Review

Bell's Oberon Ale is an American wheat ale styled microbrew that I'll admit to actually sampling on at least a few occasions over the past year or so. I have to confess that I've just never really had enough free time or enough sense to actually make the effort to jot down my own personal opionions of this true to form "American wheat ale". Well, no time better than the present I always say. And now, with summer weather here in Western Pennsylvania, there's no reason to put it off any longer. Especially since wheat beers, or "Witte" beers should I say, are traditionally those beers of summertime passion.

From the starting gun, I'd have to say that I actually sort of admire the colorful, goofy looking Mr. Sun logo on the label first off. Featuring ever popular colors like bright orange, yellow and blue, the bottle labeling design definitely drew my attention to Bell's oberon ale out of the hundreds of microbrews in my local mix and match six pack shop.

Pouring the 12 ounce brown glass bottle into an unchilled teardrop shaped glass... (read the complete microbrew review here at Microbrew Review)

Folks, while loving many types of microbrews, I've never been the biggest fan of the Pils (short for pilsner) style microbrews. Bearing this in mind, I'd have to admit that I was just a bit hesitant in grabbing, paying for and taking home a 12 ounce bottle of my own in-state Pennsylvania Troegs Microbrewery's Sunshine Pils. The fact that Pils brews are not my ultimate personal favorite beer style was the first big hurdle I had to overcome. Second was the visual image of the label (a somewhat grimacing Mr. Sun on the bottle) which wasn't doing a whole lot for me either. It was bright yellow, airy looking and a little bit too corny looking to lure me into curiosity based on packaging looks alone. But knowing the troegs microbrewery's track record and their quality beers, I thought I'd give it a shot.

Pouring the brew into an unchilled mug, this little guy is clear, very very clear. It's almost too light, bright and clear to look anything like beer. I think it's lighter in color than Coors Light if that tells you anything. Very thin looking in appearance. Already, I was starting to get a little bit worried. "Just how thin can this beer be?" I was thinking to myself.

Well, I was wrong. It's not the prettiest beer to look at in a clear glass mug that's for sure. But the flavor folks, that's where it's at. (complete review is here at Microbrew Review