Na Zdravi !: Blueberry Wheat

Thursday, December 14, 2017

Blueberry Wheat

San Diego Brewing (San Diego, CA)
"A simple malt bill of 2-Row and Wheat provide the backbone for this light golden wheat beer with hints of blueberry. Hopped solely with Mt. Hood brings mild forest and floral notes, but allows the blueberry and wheat flavors to dominate this refreshing brew."

WOW! When they say blueberry, they mean BLUEBERRY!
The initial aroma was over the top blueberry with just a hint of maltiness that calmed down quite a bit after the pour. Wonderful smell, but nor very "beer-like".
Crisp. Lots of blueberry, which I found quite pleasant. Some yeasty maltiness in the background.
Very carbonated. Left a very nice bitter/sweet aftertaste.
When they say blueberry, they mean BLUEBERRY! The beer is tasty and oh so quaffable (perhaps too much so). Very enjoyable beverage ... but it could have used a bit more "beerness". A no-brainer for serving to you non-beer drinking friends.

ABV 4.5%

Na Zdravi!

A 10-second take.
Not really reviews, just my way to keep track of the beers I've tried.

My mother's family is Czech. They emigrated from Bohemia and settled in Nebraska in the mid-1800s.
They were from the region that included the town Pilzen (Pilsen) where a brewery called Měšťanský pivovar Plzeň, now Pilsner Urquell (Plzeňský Prazdroj in Czech), started brewing a uniquely Bohemian-style beer we now know as pilsner.
So, as I raise a glass in honor of my Bohemian roots ...

Na Zdravi! (to your health).

Hops?

A "hop" is the cone shaped resinous flower of the female hop plant. It is used in brewing to add bitterness, flavor, aroma, and stability depending on when it is added.

Hops are one of the 4 basic ingredients of beer although they are not esential in the brewing process. The are used simply to add flavor and complexity to the brew.
Double and even triple IPA's feature an extreme amount of hops, and an ABV to match.
Noble Hops - The traditional varieties of hops that were used to make early European beers. Medieval brewers used Hallertau, Saaz, Spalt, and/or Tettnang hops. All are from Germany except Saaz from the Czech Republic (Žatec in Czech). All are still used today.