Rockfish Wheat - Blue Mountain Brewery

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

3.9/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bright pumpkin with 24-karat gold edges. True to its style, the beer is perfectly clear. In fact, there aren't even many bubbles disturbing the placidity of the liquid. The ecru hued head looks good enough, managing to stick to the glass in several spots like marshmallow cream.

The nose, although acceptable, isn't a barnburner. Since a lot of the yeasty goodness is filtered out, kristalweizens tend not to be aroma bombs. There's a pleasant fruitiness emanating from the glass that *might* be banana-like if I use my imagination.

Rockfish Wheat actually has a fair amount of flavor. I've had several hefeweizens that didn't deliver this much fruit and spice. It's also more malty than the style average and tastes bigger as a result. A hint of alcohol is contributing to that impression as well. I'd have guessed the ABV at least one percentage point higher.

This stuff would probably be killer if unfiltered. That is, if it had more fruit and spice. The (hefeweizen) banan-o-meter score is 2.0/4.0. Not too shabby, considering. Spicy clove and white pepper, in combination with an alcohol smack and tickle, gives the back end a bracing quality that keeps the drinker fully engaged. RW seems like more of a beer geek beer than a mass appeal one.

The mouthfeel reflects the ingredients. In other words, it's on the chubby side (for the style), maintains its structure throughout, and has enough carbonation to keep things hopping through the final ounce. Well done.

I love drinking previously unheard of beer from previously unheard of craft breweries. Especially when they're as good as Rockfish Wheat. For my money, when it comes to beer, aggressiveness beats timidity almost every time. Thanks ahatcher78.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2008 11:57:09 | More by BuckeyeNation

Proteus93

Virginia

3.78/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Giving this a fresh review, as I don't feel giving one from the sampler was reasonable, so now it's being done from a standard 12 oz. bottle.

A: A clean looking, light golden blonde. Head retains alright, not a lot of lacing.

S: Malts, cloves, sweetgrass. Some bubblegum aromas that float around quite nicely.

T: Bubblegum, clove, and a grassiness. Banana as it approaches the finish, but quite mild. A touch of bitterness towards the finish that seems a little out of place, but still a decent experience overall.

M + D: A little sticky, but not so much as to really damper the experience. As it gets warmer, this has a little more of a draw, and I can see myself having it a few times over the summer. It may start to seem a little bit thick after a few, though.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2008 21:46:31 | More by Proteus93

argock

Virginia

4/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on-tap in a weizen glass -- BMB has a great glassware arsenal!

A: Slightly hazy orangy-gold with tall off-white head and plenty of lace

S: Soft banana esters, citrus twang of the wheat, and clove

T: Smooth with the typical wheaty tanginess and good blend of fruity sweetness and solid yeast character

M: Very quenching with a little dryness in the finish but very smooth and nicely carbonated.

D: I don't usually go for wheat beers, but I sniffed my friend's sample and went with it because of the softness of the aromas. I was very pleasantly surprised -- I think I will go for round two on my next visit to BMB.

Serving type: on-tap

02-08-2008 06:54:26 | More by argock

CrellMoset

Virginia

3.38/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Served as part of a sampler at the brewery in Afton, VA along w/ five other beers (four others brewed there, and one guest beer).

Appearance was very nice, crisp, clear, golden, slightly bubbly, and almost no head, quickly disappearing lacing.

Smell was sweet and fruity, light citrus notes, esters very prevalent - banana, I believe, as well as cloves.

Taste was initially very nice, sweet and crisp, with a refreshing, clean aftertaste - just as in the nose, notes of banana and cloves were prominent.

Mouthfeel was decent, minimal carbonation, crisp, and very light.

Drinkability is not terribly great, however - after finishing with the sampler, I ordered this beer, and found the taste to diminish rather quickly with time, to where I wasn't really enjoying the beer by the time I was halfway through it. Never a good sign. However, it remains an interesting - if typical - attempt at the style.

Serving type: on-tap

01-26-2008 19:43:35 | More by CrellMoset