Day 37: Sunset Wheat

Name: Sunset Wheat

Brewer: Leinenkugel - Chippewa Falls, WI

Style: American Lager

Alcohol Content: 4.9%


Review: It's about time, right? This beer has been recommended to me by Paul and some of my labmates. Leinenkugel has been a polarizing force recently, and I want to put this Leinie-induced tension to rest. I'm going to apologize in advance to those people I offend, and request that those people who I make happy to temper their feelings. So far, I've tried the Bock, and the Berry Weiss. I've really had no problem with either beer, but if I claim to like one, I seem to offend the beer connosieurs. If I don't like one, I disappoint the Leinie faithful. Typically, I find that if a beer is unimpressibly brewed it recieves a low rating and no recommendation. The rating system (out of a potential 5) judges a beer on how well it seems match my expectation of what that style of beer should taste like. My final recommendation is simply based on whether I liked the beer or not. Sorry, but most English beers, no matter how brilliantly brewed, are not going to get a recommendation from me. Because ultimately, my rating and recommendation system is aimed at reminding me which beers I do or do not want to drink again. That being said, I find the Leinenkugels to be very drinkable despite not necessarily impressing me in any way. Does this surprise me? No... they're owned by Miller. The Sunset Wheat has a citrusy, almost blueberry aroma, and a typical Hefeweizen flavor with more blueberry flavor. This Hefeweizen is certainly on the lighter side, and while I wasn't particularly impressed with the style of the beer, I did find myself ordering another 22 oz at the bar. "Why?" you ask. I can only offer you an analogy. Consider Macaroni and cheese. While I do enjoy a fancy homemade 3-cheese macaroni dish, I am also quite please with macaroni and cheese from the blue box. In fact, sometimes I prefer the cheaper macaroni and cheese. This is how I feel about Leineinkugel. I might find myself buying more and more of their lagers because I want a simple beer to quench my thirst. Leinenkugel will never win any major brewing awards, but they will remain a solid go-to beer that is sure to please a majority of the population that only knows three beers: Bud, Miller, and Coors. So, for those Leinenkugel fans, I urge you to try some of the other highly-ranked beers on my site. You might come to appreciate some different styles of beers and find something that you never thought you'd like, or you might just drift back to drinking Leinies. Who knows? So, to put this drama to rest, I'll end by saying that I enjoy Leinenkugel for what it is - a unique alternative to the typical american lager. Beyond that, Leinenkugel will never truly win my heart.

Rating: 1.5/5

Recommend? YES.