Apollo - Sixpoint Brewery

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.78/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Can from Rick’s in Alexandria. Served in a cervoise. Pours a fairly-clear (though not clear enough for a Kristallweizen) light golden color with a nice, fluffy white head with good retention and lacing. The nose has a nice bit of banana and bubblegum, with clove characters kept to a minimum. Flavor is similar with a touch of bread in the background. Light body with just a touch of chewiness. Good carbonation and a semi-dry finish. Very nice beer.

Serving type: can

12-15-2012 16:20:43 | More by Thorpe429

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3/5  rDev -23.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Well suited for warmer weather, nothing quenches the thirst like kristalweizen. Less bready and yeasty than their unadulterated Hefe, but with more flavor and body than lagers, these allow soft herbal hops to cleans the palate with a gentle bready aftertaste.

Apolo pours from the can with a burnish yellow color and a less-than-kristal clarity with a somewhat dull haze. An airy head is quickly released and then as quickly colapses with somewhat fizzy notion. With no lace and low retention, the beer struggles to win the eyeball test.

A mix of bready wheat and raw grain give sweeter and richer impressions while a mild background decor of clove, lemon, and apples provide a glimpse into the estery, spicy balance. Taut vanilla and banana continue to display complexities as the beer warms.

Partly of wheat and partly grainy-sweet, the initial taste is lightly yeasty, doughy, bready, and saccharine-rich. Mild fruit acidity of green apples, lemon, and oranges help to balance the malt sweetness and provides the bridge toward an earthy hop bitterness with a sprinkle of clove spice in aftertaste.

Medium bodied, the filtered quality of the beer seems incomplete as it allows for the bready texture to persist, thus not providing the crisp and clean acidic finish that I expect. Still, a dimple of grain emptiness leaves the mid palate less than stellar.

The beer simply seems incomplete in it's true kristalweizen character. It's lackluster yeast character of true hefeweizens with its mere semi-clean taste and texture, the beer comes off like most of the inferior American pale wheat ale style. For more authentic taste, look toward Weihenstephaner Kristalweissbier.

Serving type: can

06-12-2012 16:28:45 | More by BEERchitect

TMoney2591

Illinois

4.48/5  rDev +14%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served in a Gale Sayers shaker pint glass.

So a kristalweizen that's not all that "kristal"...whatevs! This stuff pours a mildly cloudy cream-amber topped by a finger of lightly cream-white foam. The nose comprises orange zest, coriander, clove, light banana, cracked wheat, black pepper, light cardamom, and a touch of candi sugar. The taste brings in more of the same, along with some cotton candy, vanilla bean, light grapefruit zest, more banana, and a bit of cinnamon. The result is a heavenly concoction of summery wheat beer-y-ness. I couldn't stop going back for more glugs from the 4-pack. The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation, a creamy feel, and a mildly dry finish. Overall, this was one of the best wheat beers I've had in recent memory. I've been sucking them down for months and am sad to see its season over. Hey, Sixpoint: make this year round! If no one else will, I'll keep them off the shelves...

Serving type: can

10-22-2012 21:09:51 | More by TMoney2591

metter98

New York

4.18/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A: The beer is slightly hazy clear yellow in color and has a moderate amount of visible carbonation. It poured into a weizen glass with a finger high white head that quickly died down but never fading away, consistently leaving a thin layer of bubbles covering the surface. It took a very hard pour out of the can in order to generate the finger high head.
S: There are moderate to strong aromas of bananas and bubble gum in the nose along with hints of clove.
T: The taste is very similar to the smell and is dominated by flavors of bananas and bubble gum, very similar to what you would expect from a hefeweizen.
M: It feels on the light side of being medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation. It seems to be a bit chewier compared to other beers in the style and lacks the clean qualities of a kristalweizen.
O: This beer doesn’t seem like it is completely filtered and tastes closer to a hefeweizen. Nevertheless, it’s very easy to drink, refreshing and has thirst quenching qualities.

Serving type: can

05-21-2012 00:48:00 | More by metter98

drabmuh

Maryland

4.05/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

At the time of this review, this is #1 on the "Top Beers - Kristalweizen". Poured from a can into a goblet. Beer is yellow and mildly hazy with a nice white head, small and medium bubbles, moderate to low carbonation. Some lacing, moderate retention.

Aroma is lemony and sweet with a mild yeast influence.

Beer is light and wet with a citrusy / lemony sense to it, a little grainy on the finish but overall a nice beer. I enjoyed it but I think I like Weihenstephaner better though. I had two, I might buy more.

Serving type: can

06-05-2012 18:55:39 | More by drabmuh

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

4.38/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 16oz can into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a light amber color, with a short white head that fades slowly and leaves a thin lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains wheat, light caramelized malts, citrus and some hops.

T: The taste starts out sweet with flavors of citrus and bananas. Then some bready flavors of wheat and a hearty but not too heavy malt character come in. The hops presence is mild but complementary and brings a very good balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet and slightly bready.

M: Crisp and very smooth, light-to-medium body, medium carbonation, finish is clean.

O: Very tasty, goes down quite easily, not too filling, mild kick, very good representation of style, this is a very good beer to pound down for a long time.

Serving type: can

08-28-2012 03:55:06 | More by TheManiacalOne

tempest

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Enjoyed a 16 oz can of Apollo, stamped best by Sept 2012. Is this really a kristalweizen? There's no sediment in the can, but the beer is a hazy amber. Either way, it's a fine wheat beer that reminds me of Weihenstephaner's hefe for the subtle, but rich, spicy clove yeast character. Slightly fruity (banana and orange) bread balance the phenols. The carbonation is a little lighter here, but instead of feeling heavier, it smooths the beer out. Great beer, best wheat beer in a can maybe.

Serving type: can

05-28-2012 14:40:52 | More by tempest

WVbeergeek

Ohio

5/5  rDev +27.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

It's actually hard to review this beer because, I don't want to stop between sips and think about what I'm enjoying...I just want to enjoy it. Appears slightly clouded with yeast suspension not quite a kristalweizen, more so hefeweizen in both taste and yeast character. I understand that they used a centrifuge process to get the heavy sediment out but retain esters and flavors that wouldn't otherwise be in there. Aroma has a strong lemon with mild banana fruitiness going on, absolutely incredible stuff. Flavor crushes with a sharp wheat bright tartness, that really makes it, almost a sourmash technique. Full of flavor, yeast esters lemon, banana, mild clove, all from yeast from Weihenstephaner. Awesome video if you scan the QR from the box. Mouthfeel is light to medium bodied solid dry finish, keeps a wheat beer straight up amazing, sometimes these beers get cloying that's not the case here. Overall incredible summer long drinking must begin here, probably the best wheat beer around this summer at only 11 IBUs it has some hopheads left with a tear in their beer. I'm quite thrilled that they put the work into this beer, plus they have a German brewmaster who truly understands the style.

Serving type: can

05-17-2012 21:16:56 | More by WVbeergeek

smcolw

Massachusetts

4.06/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Pours gold, with surprisingly little haze. Modest bar-pour head hat settles to rim bubbles. Good streaky lace.

Sweet, soft wheat aromas on the initial smell.

Fruity in many ways. The wheat flavor is subdued but very present. Subtle banana and coriander/clove notes. Full bodied with a heightened carbonation. In many an arch-typical wheat beer.

Serving type: on-tap

04-27-2013 16:42:17 | More by smcolw

jlindros

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Yay, who doesn't love tall boy cans. Another up for my summer beers.

it pours with a nice fizzy 1+ finger head that fades fairly quickly, but leaves a bit of lacing, over semi hazy orange honey colored beer.

Nose definitely hefe like, plenty of wheat aromas, strong wheat, but not overbearing. Plenty of citrus, light orange zest, and tons of banana. But there is an interesting lightness and crispness like aroma that I can't really label otherwise.

Taste starts creamy, lots of creamy wheat flavors, wheat galore again, fluffy as well. Then citrus again, light orange zest and tart citrus juice like, and plenty of banana again, with a juicy complexion. However, overall it has a lighter and crisper feel than a typical hefe, and less overbearing. There is a light bitterness that seems to come from the orange rind flavors, and light coriander. Finish is more tart orange zest and very light bitterness, hints of wheat flavors and banana lingering, slightly dry but sticky and mild sweetness. The tartness really starts to build the more I drink it.

Mouth is med to lighter bodied, lots of carbonation.

Overall not bad, nice wheat flavors that add enough lightness to not be overbearing but starts to build a bit too much, finish is not as dry as I expected either, but nice banana and citrus flavors, fairly drinkable but not as much as I expected it to be. Still fairly tasty beer.

Serving type: can

06-11-2012 00:51:02 | More by jlindros

Jason

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

16oz can with a freshness date on the bottom.

LOOK: Bright golden hue, ring of lacing all the way down

SMELL: Bready, powdered clove, bubblegum, banana taffy, honeydew melon rind, grassy

TASTE: Smooth, crisp snap, moderate body, bread crust, green banana, lemon, clove, peppery, crackers, dry finish

Wow ... wow. Sixpoint pretty much nailed this one, did they rough-up some old German brewmasters for the secret recipe? I've only had a handful of this style but this clearly at the top. Congratz guys, you have a winner here.

Serving type: can

05-11-2012 02:01:48 | More by Jason

mdfb79

New York

4.05/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

From 05/06/12 notes. Big thanks to BigSexy410 for sharing a can of this; really been wanting to try it. 16 oz. can into my Bruery tulip.

a - Pours a hazy bright orange color with one inch of bright white head and moderate carbonation evident.

s - Smells of bananas, spices, sweet fruity malts, cloves, Belgian style yeast. Very nice and a ton of bananas; close to a 4.5 for me.

t - Tastes of liquid bananas, and very sweet. Sweet fruity malts, cloves, spice, pepper, Belgian yeast, and bready malts. Very nice, but a tiny bit too sweet for me.

m - Medium body and moderate carbonation, very smooth and creamy, and very easy to drink. Very nice mouthfeel.

o - Overall I liked this one a lot. Loads of bananas and smells amazing, though the taste is a tiny bit too sweet for me and keeps it from being a great beer. Still a very good beer and something I liked a lot and will revisit this summer.

Serving type: can

05-08-2012 01:38:51 | More by mdfb79

Billolick

New York

4.1/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

16 ounce can, had a best before date on the bottom, but I cant read it, all smudged up...oh well they get points for trying.

Poursmedium hazed lighter amber, near dull golden, creamy off white head, goes to a satin sheen, low sheeting and fine fields of lacing.

Nose is loaded with tropical fruits, especially bananas.

Fruity and flavorful wheat, more bananas and other tropical notes, moderate sweetness, with a very minor hop presence.

As it warms, notes of sweet malts and honey enter the party, nice wheat from sixpoint, in a can for easy summer portability. Def will be purchasing more of this one as things warm up in a few months.

Serving type: can

05-09-2012 00:24:35 | More by Billolick

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I must be slipping! I CAN swear that I reviewed this at some point, but thanks to the diligent eye of JVHBass, I guess that I have not. New CANned Beer Sunday CANtinues, unabated.

From the CAN: "A something in a summer's Day/As slow her flambeaux burn away/Which solemnizes me. A something in a summer's noon-/A depth-an Azure-a perfume-Transcending ecstasy."; "Apollo is our summer wheat; a special tart and refreshing ray of illumination."

The first is a quote from Emily Dickinson's poem, "A something in a summer's Day" and if you think that I recognized it on my own, I must disavow you of such a notion. These guys are good and I often rely on yon Internet for help.

I needed no help with the Crack & Glug, not with a glass standing by. The finger of fizzy, bone-white head quickly wilted in the afternoon heat and became mere wisps. Color was a slightly hazy golden-yellow which was nice, but inappropriate for a Kristalweizen. Nose smelled strongly of oranges - Mandarin, Tangelo, Tangerines. Wow! Mouthfeel was medium with a definite initial tartness on the tongue, followed by flavors of orange. It was like a liquid orange Sweetart! The finish was dry, tangy, tart, definitely refreshing and especially on this summer's Day. I drank the heck out of this when it was first released, but just a couple at a time would be satiating.

Serving type: can

08-05-2012 18:57:27 | More by woodychandler

Brad007

Vermont

4.55/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours a cloudy golden orange with a huge head into my glass. It's a kristalweizen, which is uncommon around here.

Holy clove and banana, batman! I couldn't ask for a better combination of aromas.

The aromas carry over to the flavors with a strong emphasis on banana and a touch of clove.

Lingering clove and banana flavors make up the mouthfeel. A bit "creamy" too. Hmm. Interesting.

Worth a try since it's one of the few weizens I've seen in a can around here.

Serving type: can

05-30-2012 00:49:33 | More by Brad007

mactrail

California

3.23/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pale and clear in the tall glass. Unusually strong spicy scent. Modest head with a spritzy mouthfeel and ultra-light body.

So totally clove flavored I couldn't figure out the style of this stuff until I looked it up. Weirdly dry, definitely sourish like a chewing gum flavored Berlinerweiss. A rather severely tart variation on the style. Just a hint of malty sweetness. Maybe this could be viewed as a summertime tart and light brew. I can't get over that up your nose with a hose of cloves.

From the tall can purchased at Food and Friends in Philadelphia.

Serving type: can

05-31-2012 02:00:08 | More by mactrail

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4.2/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Shared by BigSexy410. Thanks Ben.

The beer is golden colored with a small white head. The aroma offers wheat, bananas, grass, clove, light spice. Smells great. Smooth and easy to drink. Nice banana flavor throughout. Pretty well balanced and light on the palate. A solid example of the style. Recommended.

Serving type: can

05-06-2012 22:16:19 | More by Huhzubendah

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

thanks to tenderbranson69 for sharing this with me. Enjoyed chilled from a mug from the can.

The color is light golden with mild haze and thick white cap with ultra fine bead, retention and lace are good. The smell is like a unripened banana with some clove from the hefe yeast with some hints of malt which is generally sweet smelling with mildy mineral odor in the mix. The feel is crisp with a high amount of yeast creaminess in the middle with slight tangy yeast texture and subtle spiciness with a generally dry finish with mild alcohol and carbonation is moderate.

The flavor is good with some nice wheat elements coinciding with a german wheat yeast flavor which brings out some tropical fruit and light spice with a mild wheat sweetness in the middle. Overall I was pretty impressed with this and enjoyed the pretty traditional take on the style by sixpoint.

Serving type: can

06-04-2012 16:40:14 | More by Slatetank

beertunes

Washington

3.5/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to woodychandler for this one. Poured into 9oz pilsener glass. Poured a lightly hazy, bright golden yellow color with 3/4 of an inch of white head that had moderate retention and no lacing.

A pleasant clove aroma greeted the nose, under that was a nice base of wheat and grain, and a nice bit of yeast spice in the background. On the tongue, the aspects started out the same, with everything being a bit better defined, and also had a bit of a bubblegum. There was a bit of tartness on the finish that I wasn't expecting and was a nice touch.

The body was very nice, crisp and light, with the flavors lingering just a bit, but not enough to be annoying. Drinkability was very good, the 16oz can was gone too soon. Overall, a very nice brew. I generally tend to prefer Hefe's over Kristallweizens, but this is among my favorite examples. You should try this if you can.

Serving type: can

08-12-2012 21:22:57 | More by beertunes

DefenCorps

Oregon

3.95/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Single from Chevy Chase. Best by 18th August 2012.

Faintly hazy, this beer is dark orange with a white head that quickly recedes leaving nothing. Oh well. The nose is better, though. It's clear a fairly aggressive yeast was used in brewing this beer, as there's just a ton of clove character coupled with a moderate banana aroma. A little honey and caramel are also present. There is also a moderate fruity tartness present, like almost-ripe peaches. Not very wheaty IMO.

The palate opens with a blend of clove and a tart wheat flavor that's light and refreshing. This is followed by some banana and a little honey. Rather clean and crisp on the palate (i.e. not "soft" like a hefeweizen), this beer is light in body, has a medium-high level of carbonation and a nice, drying finish that's spicy and fruity. The tartness is an unexpected characteristic that, while not usual for the style, is an enjoyable characteristic. Recommended.

Serving type: can

06-24-2012 05:35:12 | More by DefenCorps

smakawhat

Maryland

3.93/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from the can into a wheat ale style glass.

A real nice orange and yellow body color highlighted nicely through the glass, with some cola bubbles, opaque and cloudy, this is not clear like a Kristalweizen. Head is classic white and a bit soapy with some good retention, and some creamy character. Fairly attractive looking beer.

Real nice emphasis on dry clove, has a witbier orange citrus character to it also. Smells like a classic Hefe with a bit of orange twist, heh heh, I made a pun.

Real interesting here. First palate rush is a juicy orange and tangerine, and then a giant blast of fruity classic estery banana. Chewy malt backbone with a good texture, finish brings a nice soda orange character and walloping bread punch. There's even just a hint of playful carbs to go with a mild soda action but nothing that disturbs the taste. Aftertaste really lingers and provide much of the palates richness.

Overall pretty solid brew here, and real easy drinking too. Interesting take on this sort of style.

Serving type: can

05-08-2012 01:57:37 | More by smakawhat

champ103

Texas

3.29/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

A: Pours a cloudy/hazed golden/orange...this is a Krstalweizen? This does not look filtered at all. At first a two finger white head forms, then noisely fizzes out in a second. No lace.
S: Banana bread, and toffee. Big bubblegum aromas. Spicy phenolic, peppery yeast.
T: A sweetness up front, along with some banana bread. Again, big on the bubblegum flavors, along with a peppery yeast. Maybe a bit of sourness? Not crisp tart lemons that can be a great component in other wheat beers, but more like a bit of an acidic bite.
M/D: A light to medium body. Light on the carbonation, and pretty thin overall. Not nearly crisp enough. Not hard to drink, and I will finish this with ease. Though this does not make me want to come back again and again.

Not bad, just pretty average. Maybe I am spoiled cause there are a handful of great wheat beers made in Texas. This leaves me wanting.

Serving type: can

06-18-2013 00:03:10 | More by champ103

Brent

Kentucky

3.18/5  rDev -19.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pour was surprisingly turbid for a kristalweizen. Golden color with a dense head and finely suspended particulate. Soft mouthfeel, with vague banana notes and a bready, wheaty finish. Went a touch medicinal toward the very end, but not enough to throw the flavor profile off. A bit more sweet than average, with some sugary flavor in the middle. Good, but not more than that.

Serving type: can

06-13-2012 21:39:17 | More by Brent

woosterbill

Connecticut

3.78/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 1.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

16oz can into a Duvel tulip. Enjoyed side-by-side with Weihenstephaner Kristalweissbier in a battle for style domination.

A: The orange body is way too cloudy for the style, looking much more like a Hefe- than a Kristalweizen. Above is a finger of frothy off-white head that quickly dissipates into a thin ring. Compared to the crystal-clear body and majestic head of its German rival, this is nothing if not disappointing.

S: Powerful banana, floral spiciness, and some vanilla. Really different, and quite enjoyable. It's a bit heavier than the Weihenstephaner, but since it's a pleasant heaviness I don't really mind.

T: Opens with ripening banana, followed by a touch of spicy wheat, and closed out by ridiculously intense, pure banana. This seriously tastes like it was brewed with real bananas, especially on the aftertaste. I love it, but it's definitely a bit of a one-trick pony.

M: Medium-bodied with creamy carbonation. A bit sticky, but still great.

O: The bad appearance really turned me off to this one at first, and I'm a bit disappointed in its complete and utter lack of anything resembling complexity (especially compared to the remarkably complex, layered offering from Weihenstephan), but it's still a really tasty beer. I don't know that I'd want to drink more than one, given its heavy, insistent fruitiness, but it's a pleasure all the same.

Cheers!

Serving type: can

07-11-2012 01:23:03 | More by woosterbill

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Not sure why I can't find this around my area. Ordered it from halftime beverage for around 2.50.

A - Pouring it into a nice 16oz Guinness pint glass. Color is a light clear sun-bright yellow with a 1/2 inch of head that fizzes out rather quickly to a mild lace ring.

S - Smell is minimal but intriguing with fruity yeasts, citrus hops, and a touch of banana or clove spice.

T - Fizzy and light with mostly clove spice twang then a touch of sweet like banana malt and ends with a mild bit of sweet citrus hops. The taste is actually quite good with carbonation giving it a lighter feel.

M - Again light to medium in body and the work fizzy comes to mind almost like a sparking champagne.

Overall this is a well crafted beer relying on more than the typical sixpoint bittering hops or fruity yeast. The combination of the two along with some Hefe tones is very enjoyable. Will seek a six pack if it comes around here for summer releases.

Serving type: can

06-18-2012 05:20:22 | More by DrDemento456