Mana Wheat - Maui Brewing Co.

womencantsail

California

3.18/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I remember having this beer on tap at Stone's 13th Anniversary and thought it was really great, so I couldn't wait to crack open a can.

A: The pour is a hazy golden color with a sort of short lived white head.

S: The nose is sweet wheat and malt with some light fruitiness to it, but nothing inherently "pineappley" about it. A bit of banana and clove, too.

T: Sweet wheat with a bit of a honey flavor and some fruit juice sort of notes. Again, some hints of banana, spice, and yeast, but not really any pineapple.

M: The body is light and there's a somewhat watery feel to this beer overall. The carbonation is light to medium.

D: I was disappointed by this one. Perhaps it's a beer that fairs better being freshly kegged, because it was nothing like what I remember having.

Serving type: can

09-09-2010 07:00:01 | More by womencantsail

brentk56

North Carolina

3.5/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a hazy honey color with a rather modest head for a wheat beer; leaves decent lacing, however

Smell: Wheat bread with pineapple juice

Taste: Toasted wheat bread with a developing pineapple juice character; not as sweet or as tropical as I would have expected nor does it have much hoppy bitterness, either; in the aftertaste the pineapple really comes through, however

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body with moderate carbonation

Overall: I thought this was going to be much more interesting than it turned out to be; should be popular with the masses

Serving type: can

04-29-2011 02:22:13 | More by brentk56

UCLABrewN84

California

3.53/5  rDev 0%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Flatbread Company in Paia, Maui, Hawaii.

Pours a hazy light yellow orange with a 1 inch foamy white head that settles to a film on the top of the beer. No lacing on this one. Smell is of wheat, spices, yeast, and some pineapple notes. Taste is of wheat, spices, and a pretty good pineapple flavor. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp and clean mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good wheat beer but the pineapple comes across better in the flavor over the smell.

Serving type: on-tap

11-30-2011 07:08:41 | More by UCLABrewN84

drabmuh

Maryland

3.3/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Extra in some trade recently. Beer is amber wiht no head, no lacing and strong carbonation. Minimal haziness.

Mild fruit, some wheat, overall weak.

Beer is light in body and has a clean finish. Its OK, no real pineapple flavor, kind of thin and flat. Its not a great wheat beer, just another novelty.

Serving type: can

09-06-2010 04:50:23 | More by drabmuh

Mora2000

Texas

3.9/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Re-rate from a can I know is fresh:

The beer pours a hazy orange color with a white head. The aroma is heavy on the bubble gum with a lot of pineapple and bready malt. The flavor is dominated by juicy pineapple notes, with a little bit of wheat mixed in. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Thanks to ericandersnavy for sharing this 12 oz can.

The beer pours a yellow color with a white head. The aroma is very interesting. In addition to wheat, I get a lot of smoke. Very odd. The flavor is a mix of smoke, wheat and some citrus fruit - possibly pineapple or mangoes. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: can

10-12-2010 22:42:04 | More by Mora2000

Halcyondays

California

3.48/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. can,

A: Pours a cloudy dark orange, very light head, no lace, poor appearance for a wheat beer.

S: Fruity/banana with some sweet malt, definite pineapple.

T: Banana actually comes out so it's good to see they're actually using a hefe yeast. Pineapple is nice, noticable. Fairly sweet.

M: Light-bodied, fizzy carbonation, smooth.

D: A solid wheat beer, I liked how the hefe and pineapple came together, but not a beer I'd rush out and by again.

Serving type: can

08-16-2010 02:05:06 | More by Halcyondays

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.9/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz can. Actually made with local Maui pineapples. Huh - damned near every other beer I've tried on the islands evokes direct associations to this native fruit - and these guys are adding the real McCoy right to the brew - bring it on.

This beer pours a very cloudy golden yellow hue, with a teeming tower of thin, fibrous foamy white head, which leaves some randomly strewn soap scum lace around the glass as it soon collapses under its own aspirations.

It smells of edgy wheat grain, some prominent banana chip esters, some weakly sassy pineapple fruitiness, a softly acrid yeast, and subtle leafy, citric hops. The taste is more moderated, but still crisp, white wheat graininess, a more pineapple-dominated fruitiness - though I'd still like a fair bit more of the proclaimed guest ingredient to shine through - and ethereal yeast and leafy hops notes that seem to come and go at will.

The bubbles are pretty sedate, the body a rather steady medium weight for the style, and agreeably smooth. It finishes off-dry, the sweetness of the wheat and fruit holding on with little effort, as the herbal hops and leftover yeast don't seem capable of any serious rejoinder.

A pretty darned drinkable example of the style, twisted and a tad mutated for the remote island ethos - for the better, I must declare. This little fruit experiment is cute, as it just adds to an already capable underlying wheat ale.

Serving type: can

05-20-2012 06:08:02 | More by biboergosum

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.48/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Where's my ukulele?? I guess I'll go ahead and pass on a bit of knowledge to everyone here. First things first, it isn't pronounced "you-kuh-lay-lee". The correct pronunciation is "ooh-koo-lei-lei" of two words, uku and lele, put together. When Portuguese migrants came to Hawaii, they brought very small guitar like instruments. They played so quickly that the natives couldn't see their fingers move. Hence, someone said: "Look. Their fingers (lele) move like fleas (uku). So, ukulele translates to "flea fingers".

As for the beer. Eh. So so. I never seem to enjoy trying many wheat beers it seems. This one is hearty, but kind of oddly earthy in a way. There seems to be some vegetal thing in on the mix here, which is somewhat different. And this touch of odd smoky kind of thing. I don't know what that's about, but I want to say it has something to do with pineapple. Overall, it is pretty drinkable, but there is something about it that seems muted. I think the pineapple are offering some unusual character to this one.

Serving type: can

08-05-2012 23:15:21 | More by RblWthACoz

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz can into a pint glass.

Pours a hazed apricot flavor, with a finger of fizzy bright-white head. This retains with a foamy ring around the edges of the glass, leaving back a cascade of light spotty lacing. The aroma has a tart juicy pineapple character to it, which gives this some zip, and works nicely with the crisp twang here from the wheat. There is just a touch of spicy grassiness to this that sits on the edges of the nose and I swear that I’m actually getting a light smidge of alcohol warmth out of this as well. That’s a little disappointing but I’m still digging the pineapple flavor of this.

The taste is similar, juicy pineapple flavor that is brightened even more on the palate by the sugary sweetness of the malts. The wheat has a crisp tart twang across the back, while some grassy bitterness here does give this some assertiveness through the middle portion of the profile. The finish on this is mostly dry but some lingering juicy sugars do seem to dwell around a bit. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, with a lively effervescence to the carbonation that then gets more smooth and creamy as things move out into the mouth. This just has a nice firmness to the feel that compliments the overall crispness of the wheat here.

I enjoyed this. The pineapple character came off as more authentic than artificial to me and I thought that it nicely complimented the wheat flavors in this. This was crisp, flavorful, and easy drinking. I’d be down with checking out more of this in the future. It’s cool to see Maui down in Maryland now.

Serving type: can

11-09-2011 15:12:20 | More by Kegatron

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

4.85/5  rDev +37.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

The CANQuest (TM) is looking to crack the marvelous 500 mark this weekend and I have forgotten who provided this gem, so if you jumpstart my addled memory, I will give you the deserved props. We have an actual Spring-like day today after the Deluge leading up to today's Rapture and Wheaties seem like the perfect breakfast beers.

From the CAN: "Handcrafted Ales & Lagers brewed with Aloha"; "Certified Made on Maui"; "Where's My Ukulele?!?!"; "Why CANs??? Welcome to the micro[CAN]ning revolution ... CANs eliminate light damage and reduce the risk of oxidation, keeping this craft brew fresher than in bottles! CANs are lighter, chill quicker, and CAN be enjoyed on beaches and in sensitive environments. Aluminum is the most recycled and most eco-friendly material. Mana Wheat is a fresh handcrafted AmeriCAN Wheat Ale brewed with malted barley, white wheat, and fresh local Maui Gold Pineapple."; "Maui's truly local brew!"

The Crack & Glug netted two rocky fingers of eggshell-white head with decent retention. Color was a slightly hazy orangish-amber. Nose was redolent with pineapple, Woody typed dolefully. A Tom Swifty pun, in case you may have glossed over it. I postulated recently that a cherry beer with Easter ham would be good, but this would go equally well. Or with a Hawaiian pizza! I am all of a sudden hungry as hell! It may have something to do with that bowl of Maui Pineapple Gold earlier ... Mouthfeel had a real Twang! to it, like having the dentist grab your tongue with pliers and hit it with a hammer. Eye-opening! It was both sweet and spicy at once and if I ever see somebody adding fruit to this, I will take their beer from them. This was smooth as heck and the lacing was pretty as the beer simply seemed to evaporate from my glass. I got a taste like pineapple and black pepper on the tongue, to be a bit more specific, BTW. The finish, however, was all pineapple. Sorry, Leinie's Sunset Wheat, but you just got ejected from the cooler! This would be phenomenal at any time, including 01 Febrewary (Hula in the Coola Day), but especially at the beach. The honey-honeys doing the grass skirt number, me opening CANs as quickly as possible, surfers hitting the tasty waves. Bro, it's ON!

Serving type: can

05-21-2011 13:54:54 | More by woodychandler

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

3.48/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Brewing with pineapple juice apparently results in a beer that looks like pineapple juice. A chunk of yeast the size of a tennis ball came out the can, but no physical remnants of it show in the glass, however, the beer has, despite being bright, a completely murky complexion as result. Fruit juice not only ruined clarity, it also seems to have killed off head retention.

The pineapple juice can be vividly smelled; it is fruity and acidic but also a little bit rank, as if they used fruit that was too over-ripe to eat. It also seems sugary enough to induce diabetic shock and has a prevalent, pleasant, almost ginger-like zest. You're getting what you paid for; if you're a fan of pineapple there's nothing to complain about.

Would it be too obvious to say that Mana Wheat tastes of pineapple? Probably. But the fruit doesn't exactly run away with the flavour - the taste of pale malt (an almost white bread level plain dosage of it) takes firm hold on the tongue, formidably holding off some of the sugar onslaught. Hops, too, are vaguely noted, helping contain all the acidic sugars.

Wheat lightens the beer and ensures maximum refreshment. Speaking of top notch, the carbonation should be lowered a rung or two; this can was under as much pressure as a well shaken can of spray paint (as the grenade-like 'bang!' hinted upon opening). The finish is sugary, no doubt, but also features that savory, zesty powdered ginger flavour.

I didn't much enjoy the (few) pineapple beers I had had to this point, but I sure did enjoy Mana Wheat. It's as refreshing as a pre-moistened toilette and is a solid example of a style that is so often predictable and underwhelming. While a bit middling, it benefits from the same high-quality craftsmanship that characterizes all Maui Brewing beers.

Serving type: can

08-30-2011 01:22:18 | More by biegaman

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

3.23/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

LOOK: Cloudy yellow with a huge soapy head. The can slightly gushed upon opening.

SMELL: Wheat, clove, bread, must and a touch of fruit.

TASTE: Dry wheat, crackery like yeast and some fruit notes from the pineapple. Solid hop bitterness keeping sweetness in check with an herbal, earthy bite.

FEEL: Medium bodied with a high level of carbonation.

OVERALL: A nice simple wheat with a pretty good balance.

Serving type: can

12-25-2012 19:52:08 | More by Stinkypuss

beertunes

Washington

3.58/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into 9oz pilsener glass. Poured a fairly typical semi-cloudy gold color with over 1/2 inch of white head that had OK retention and light lacing.

The aroma was good, a very nice blend of wheat and malt, with just a hint of yeast. The flavors started out the same, then developed a bit more complexity at the back. The beer was a bit tart, had a crisp finish and just a little bit of pineapple came in at very end.

The body was nice, crisp, smooth and dry. Drinkability was very good, knocking off a sixer while enjoying the nice summer weather would be too easy. Overall, a very nice take on the style. A very enjoyable beer that's worth your time if you see it.

Serving type: can

07-18-2012 23:00:55 | More by beertunes

FosterJM

California

3.95/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

297th review on BA
can to pint glass

App- It's brewed with pineapple juice and this is just slightly darker with yellow and orange. Nice 1 1/2 finger head to it. Took a bit of time to dissolve. A little bit of cling at the top of the glass.

Smell- Nice mix of earthy, pineapple, sweet malts and some green apples.

Taste- It's good. Has that nice wheat base with a little twist. More pineapple would have been good. Has that nice wheat beer tinge as well. A little sweat, a little yeast(tasted like it at least)

Mouth- Light bodied with a high carb level. Crisp, clean and refreshing.

Drink- A small tasty little beer in a can. Good with clean flavors and quite refreshing.

Serving type: can

03-07-2011 04:44:49 | More by FosterJM

flagmantho

Washington

3.23/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured from 12oz can into a pint glass. Beer foamed up immediately upon opening -- not sure if that is a bad sign or not.

Appearance: murky, hazy straw-colored body with about half a glass of pillowy ivory foam. Not bad, but the foam is pretty inconvenient.

Smell: nice wheaty aroma without much character, plus the unmistakable smell of pineapple. This was an interesting choice on their part -- perhaps one could make a black & tan with this and their coconut porter for some kind of beer-based piña colada?

Taste: despite the interesting aroma, the flavor is blander than I expected. A grainy wheat and malt flavor is backed up only by a little bit of pineapple, and that pineapple isn't the sweet and delicious foretaste but the bitter, rind-ey aftertaste. Not horrible but I feel like it could be a whole lot better.

Mouthfeel: light-medium body with a decent level of carbonation (even after all that foam-creating outgassing). This beer is pretty creamy for the style; I like it.

Overall: I don't feel like I need to seek this beer out again. I admire the ambition of the brewer (Pineapple wheat ale! Seriously!), but to me this is more of a novelty beverage.

Serving type: can

07-28-2011 17:04:17 | More by flagmantho

tone77

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Many thanks to woodychandler for yet another canned beer for me to try. Poured from a 12 oz. can. Has a cloudy golden color with lots of head rushing to the top of my glass. Smell is of pineapple, a bit on the sweet side. Taste is not sweet, pineapples are present as are some wheat and grains. Feels full bodied in the mouth and overall is worth seeking out. This is the 4th beer I have tried from Maui brewing and all have been of superior quality. We need to get them distributed here in PA.

Serving type: can

05-28-2011 14:56:23 | More by tone77

ngeunit1

California

3.73/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours a clear golden-orange color with a thin finger of frothy white head atop. The head fades down fairly quickly leaving behind only a bit of lace.

S - Aroma is full of sweet pineapple juice. There is also some grain and wheat, as well as a bit of citrus and yeast.

T - Starts off with the sweet pineapple flavors with just a touch of wheat in the background. Through the middle, the grains come through a bit more with some other citrus flavors. The finish is full of sweet pineapple juice with some wheat, grain, and yeast.

M - Light bodied with moderate carbonation. Feels smooth with a bit of a watery and thin mouthfeel.

D - Very drinkable. A bit too much fruit juice without enough of wheat beer. It is also a bit too thin and watery.

Serving type: can

09-21-2011 04:58:08 | More by ngeunit1

oline73

Maryland

3.6/5  rDev +2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a can into a standard pint glass.

Pours a cloudy orangish amber with a small layer of off white head that fades to a ring around the glass.

Smell: A mild sweetness from the malt with a hint of tropical fruit.

Taste: Light and crisp, pretty refreshing. Some pineapple, but not way too much. Not much sweetness to speak of.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with tingly carbonation and a very dry finish.

Overall: Nice and refreshing, I enjoyed the use of pineapple. I wouldn't call it great, but I would have another.

Serving type: can

08-20-2011 03:40:18 | More by oline73

CrazyDavros

Australia

3.38/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.5

Pours amber with a large, lasting head.
Nose shows pineapple, baked apples with accompanying cloves and cinnamon, and some doughy wheat. Strong resemblance to apple pie...
Some more soft pineapple juice as a flavour, along with more doughy notes and spices. Seems lacking somewhat though.
Carbonation is much too high and the body feels a bit watery.

Serving type: can

10-18-2012 09:33:24 | More by CrazyDavros

harrymel

Washington

2.88/5  rDev -18.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Canned 03/2011

A: copper ale with near opaqueness - uber hazy. 1-2 finger peanut head which is loosely packed. Falls to a thick quilt of the same.

S: Clove, belgian-esque wheat smell. Sweet and airy. The pineapple is subdued and adds a hint of savory sweetness. The yeast owns this though.

T: Hmm, the thing I first notice is that the beer is middle of the road for wheat PA's, but the beer has a weird burnt match flavor at the end. Not so much so that it is offensive, but quirky nonetheless. The yeast continues to dominate the beer. The pineapple, again, is subdued and actually adds (IMO) a metallic finish.

M: Medium body with moderate carbonation. Dries the palate, but in a waxy way - smooth.

O: Well, interesting take on the AWPA, but not really up my alley. The yeast overwhelms the novelty ingredient of the beer. Likely would have been better off in a lower wheat proportionate grain bill, lower SRM and body.

Serving type: can

05-01-2011 04:48:34 | More by harrymel

wagenvolks

Texas

3.83/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12oz can into a Kloster Andechs weizen glass.

Pours well, with a cloudy, goldenrod-peach body that's rife with carbonation and sporting a well-retained cap of eggshell foam. Aroma is very grassy, with lots of wheat playing a supporting role, but the big draw for Mana Wheat is the pineapple notes. Lots of citrusy pineapple sweetness pairs with scents of pear and, oddly enough, cranberry.

Each sip is smooth and slightly sweet with a husky mineral note in the finish. The wheat is mellow, which allows the sweet & tart acidity of the pineapple to flash across the palate mid-sip. Mouthfeel is superb: creamy-smooth with just the right amount of carbonation. The thin body is amazingly drinkable on a hot Texas day without feeling overly watery. Overall, a tasty wheat from Maui Brewing Company...definitely glad I have another five cans!

Serving type: can

06-24-2011 01:50:13 | More by wagenvolks

Chaney

District of Columbia

4.1/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Welcome to DC Maui Brewing Company!

Wheat beer with pineapple juice huh? Gimme!

Served in a tulip.

A: Poured a bright, bright orange color, with a very tropical flair visually. The uniformly cloudy brew boast about a finger or so white head that retained itself throughout the session.

S: I know this was supposed to be pineapple based, but I got more mango husk than anything. Also, I got a great deal of rose petal in there as well.

T: While I enjoyed this, I thought it seemed a tad watered down. It was almost as if somewhere there once existed a more concentrated version of this, but then someone diluted it. Still though, the wheat was there and so was the tropical goodness. One dimensional, yet effective.

M: Spritzy enough and comforting to the palate, with the fruit playing a nice duet with the wheat. I actually could have used a tinge more sweetness... but that's just me.

O: I think I had tons more affection for this brew than just about everyone else who has reviewed it so far, and that's totally cool. I dug the fresh fruit and the light body. I could pop a few of these around the pool in the summertime.

Serving type: can

02-14-2012 20:13:42 | More by Chaney

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

3.23/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

12 oz can with 9/3/10 date poured into pint glass. thanks to mrmiles for this during the nice cans II BIF

Pours a hazed straw yellow with orange hints. A light head fades into a film which leaves a few spots of lacing on the glass.

Plenty of wheat, banana, clove, and some pineapple in the nose.

Begins sweet with some toasted wheat and fruit flavors. The pineapple and citrus zest is super apparent, with plenty of juicy tendencies. It's tough to tell what's going on towards the end, as the beer seems to turn into straight pineapple juice, especially during the aftertaste.

Lighter body, clean and crisp. I suppose this is refreshing, but the pineapple kinda throws everything off, especially during the end. Final verdict = too sweet.

An interesting beer, but the advertised component blew away most of the other attributes which could have made this better.

Serving type: can

10-21-2010 05:59:08 | More by xnicknj

Phelps

Arizona

3.5/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into my Kellerweis weisen glass.

Golden poppy, slightly hazy and topped with a one-inch, mocha-colored head that pops away quickly, leaving a silky blanket laying atop. Some soft lace on the sides.

Smooth, fruity nose. Banana, pineapple, hints of pear and clove. Soft and sweet.

Fruit permeates the flavor at the front, with pineapple, banana and pear again. The swallow is surprisingly drying, displaying biscuity malt through the finish.

A strange mouthfeel, smooth and creamy yet a bit thin. Carbonation is extremely low, adding to the velvety texture.

The pineapples, applied with a deft touch, are refreshing and subtly sweet. Overall, it’s not bad. A decent beer for the pool or golf course.

Serving type: can

08-24-2011 07:02:46 | More by Phelps

HalfFull

California

3.3/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a pint glass from a 12 oz. can brewed on the Valley Isle of Maui. Pours a light golden in color with an initially fizzy head that offers good retention and lace nonetheless. Carbonation is active and swirling as the tornado seems to rip soil up into its vortex until things balance out in a minute or so.

Aroma offers an underlying base of wheat along with some candied pineapple, almost reminiscent of a subdued pina colada as the pineapple melds with the wheat. The odd blend offers a touch of Belgian character in a way, though not really.

Pineapple jumps to the forefront in the taste department, most notably on the finish. Feel is pleasant and slightly sweet yet nondescript. An interesting brew and the pineapple influence is significant enough to toss this into the
Fruit beer category.

Serving type: can

06-24-2011 06:06:02 | More by HalfFull