Half-E-Weizen
Translucent lemon-amber topped by a large, cotton white head that appears dense, yet soft. Holding the bottle up to the light confirms that there's a yeast blizzard lurking, ready to rumble on subsequent pours. The foam is firmer and stickier than originally thought and plasters itself to the glass with a great deal of enthusiasm. A wonderful witbier nose with hops-a-plenty. Leave it to Rogue to improve on any given style by adding more hops. The aroma is both lemon citrusy and spicy, effectively smothering any hint of actual wheat. Saaz are the only hops listed and I'll take the brewers at their word. That said, this is one of the best Saaz-only noses in recent memory. There's plenty of coriander as well for those who aren't sure what that herb smells like. Ginger. That was my first thought when beer and taste buds met. There's more to the flavor profile of course, but first impressions suggest that Half-E-Weizen is a little ginger heavy. The hops don't give way, but fight the good fight against the spices and herbs. The flavor doesn't change appreciably once the yeast is added to the glass... still a bit too much ginger. This beer is bolder than most witbiers; a good thing as far as I'm concerned. It's lightly sweet, especially on the finish, but is predominantly a bitter wit due to the generous amount of hops. A zippy amount of carbonation lightens the medium body/mouthfeel and enhances drinkability. As always, Rogue succeeds by being bold and hop heavy. Half-A-Weizen may not be a classic wit, but it's a damn good one.