Jeff's Almond Wheat

I am finally getting around to trying another one of my brother's beers. He sent three down to me, the first being the award-winning Irish Red I have already reviewed. He also sent two wheat beers, an Almond Wheat and a Cherry Wheat. My brother's wife has discovered a love of wheat beers with a dash of something special. Jeff is wisely supporting this interest by supplying excellent homebrew to meet the need.

He always was a very smart person . . .

The beer pours a slightly cloudy dark amber color, though the amber leans more towards red than burnt orange. The head is comprised of coarse off-white foam that lasts for the entire pint. It leaves a nice lacing down the glass that is very pretty. I would expect a nice head on the beer, given that it has a large portion of wheat in the recipe. The beer smells is very clean and neutral, with just a hint of floral aroma and a little bit of sweetness.

The first thing I taste is a hint of caramel that has some alcohol warmness. I next get a touch of almond, with its warm nutty character. This is most akin to the liqueur Amaretto, though not nearly as sweet. I found it very pleasant. The flavor finishes slightly sweet, but not in enough quantity to build on the tongue and limit drinkability. I could definitely drink another pint.

It is a very nice drinkable beer. If I could make any suggestions about it, I would recommend increasing the almond flavor a bit to make it more immediately identifiable. I would also increase the hopping slightly, maybe with a floral or herbal hop that would mesh well with almonds. I would not increase either of these elements too much, maybe 5 IBUs more of bitterness and just a bit more almond. The beer has balanced itself well as it aged and I think these changes would just help make it stand out a bit more.

Another good beer, Jeff. Thanks for sharing!