Jester King / Mikkeller Drink'in The Sunbelt - Jester King Craft Brewery

rtepiak

Poland

4.15/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

american well hopped wheat with what comes off as belgian yeast palate characteristics. Pour is yellow ish cloudy with a nice grassy apricot. Glass is floral hoppy, sorachi ace seaweed bitter earth, and a that belgian hint in the malt wheat body of mild tapioca doughiness. I've found a lot of the JK saisons have this quality. Very well balanced. Seems like texas is the place for this summer saison ambiguous style. Can't complain. A personal favorite summer beer.

Serving type: on-tap

06-14-2012 02:44:38 | More by rtepiak

LadyOfMuchBeer

Texas

3.95/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pint from tap at the Jester King brewery in Austin. Very fresh.

Pours hazy and milky gold. Light in color, but not even the slightest bit see-through. 1/2" head fades quickly, lacing sticks nicely on glass.

Smell- tropical fruits, pineapple-mango-banana. Sugary sweetness on nose. Slight bready(wheat) smell, but sweet fruits dominate here!

Taste- fruit is so different than the nose. Nice grapefruit/citrus hops. Malty and bready.

Overall, drinks like a glass of juice more than a beer. Surprisingly refreshing.

Serving type: on-tap

09-25-2011 15:04:27 | More by LadyOfMuchBeer

diamondc

Texas

4.45/5  rDev +19.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap for $6 or $5 at the local beer bar.

A: Classic IPA .. pale, golden, frothy head. Looking good so far.

S: Grapefruit, citrus overload. West Coast IPA stylin' here.

T: Bitter grapefruit skin, orange zest, apricots. So much hops here its almost going into Lysol territory. But either you love it or you dont. I do.

M: Slightly thin on the mouthfeel here. Well carbonated, very quaffable if you're a hop lover.

O: First Jester King beer Ive had and I wasn't disappointed. This is a hop lover's beer. I'm happy to see more TX breweries on tap locally.

Serving type: on-tap

05-02-2011 07:57:37 | More by diamondc

Crunkle

Texas

4.8/5  rDev +29.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

16oz pints at The Holy Grail.

A - Slightly hazy, light copper with a nice fluffy white head that diminishes after a few minutes.

S - The scent is a fruity, almost piney aroma. Very floral, but not pungent. It's refreshing.

T - The hops here definitely dominate, but still subtle enough to stay drinkable and refreshing. Slight grapefruit and apricot notes. I don't know what the hop profile is here, but it feels like a West Coast IPA. The wheat and malts compliment very well with a nice biscuity backbone.

M - The mouthfeel is pretty light and fluffy in my opinion. There's a mild astringency and oily finish from the hops. Honestly I could down these all day long in the summer time.

O - JK knocked it out of the park again. Great idea partnering with Mikkeller on this one. I would love to see this bottled. You are definitely bringing something unique to TX.

Serving type: on-tap

04-26-2011 23:07:00 | More by Crunkle

Mora2000

Texas

4.22/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at The Common Table.

The beer pours a hazy yellow color with a large white head. The aroma is a great mix of wheat with some grassy and citrus hop notes. You can really get the Amarillo hops in the aroma.

The flavor is also very hoppy. There are a lot of citrus and grass notes mixed in with the nice wheat backbone. Light to medium bitterness and very easy to drink. For such a low alcohol beer, it is packed full of flavor.

Medium mouhfeel and medium carbonation. Outstanding.

Serving type: on-tap

04-18-2011 03:40:36 | More by Mora2000

crusian

Texas

3.53/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed on my phone, so shortened... On tap at black star coop.
Pours a nice apricot color with about half a finger of head.
Smells a very nice citrus... clean, and straightforward... not overwhelmingly strong.
Taste is about the same... it is a nicely done session beer. The hops are not overpowering, nice balance... almost reminds me of gumball head. Nice clean and crisp... wonderful on a hot summer day. Not too bad, but not terribly exciting either.

Serving type: on-tap

03-29-2011 00:53:25 | More by crusian

Fenris244

Texas

4/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

1.5 soapy white, very sticky head, great retention, hazy light orange almost reminds me of a hefeweissen.

Big citrus peel aroma, an orange pulp aroma comes through strong as well, the hops are present in the aroma as well but the resin aroma definitely takes a back seat

Citrusy sweetness comes through well in flavor as well as the citrus peel flavor, a lively hop bitterness balances it out nicely. This beer has come clean flavors and a very clean finish

Very light in body but keeps from being watery, very smooth. I don't know what the abv is but I don't imagine it being very high, very drinkable

Overall? When can I get it by the case?

Serving type: on-tap

03-28-2011 20:57:04 | More by Fenris244

champ103

Texas

2.9/5  rDev -21.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

On tap at Anvil in Houston.

A: Pours a very cloudy golden orange color. A one finger white head forms, but recedes in a second. Very minimal lace is left behind.
S: A big hoppy aroma up front and dominate. Citrus, grapefruit, light grassy aromas. A large bitterness lingers in the nose.
T: Huge hops. Citrus, grapefruit and bitterness. I can't get anything else. The hops are very sharp and astringent.
M/D: Very thin, and almost under carbonated. Way to watery and lifeless. A thin and overly bitter. This does not make for a very enjoyable beer for me.

I love Jester King, but this is not for me. The sharp/astringent hops is to much, and too thin of a body. Jester King makes great beer, I don't think this is one of them though.

Serving type: on-tap

03-21-2011 00:48:51 | More by champ103

awinkro

Texas

4.15/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Flying Saucer Houston.

A: Hazy yellow appearance from the malted wheat. 50% barley, 50% wheat in this collab. Thin white head. Lacing lingers as the beer is drank

S: Great amarillo hop nose. Really throws off the appearance. Almost like a red herring. with the appearance of a wheat beer and the nose of an IPA.

T: Called a Pale Wheat Ale, much more like an IPA, which I'm ok with. Very refreshing, citrusy and floral flavor. Would love this beer on a hot, humid Texas summer day.

M: Nice carbonation. Doesn't linger on the palate, making each drink very refreshing.

Serving type: on-tap

03-20-2011 16:50:41 | More by awinkro

UTCengOwl

Texas

4.15/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Had this on tap at the Draught House. Glad to see it there front and center. I described it to my roommate as a Wheat IPA before we had some and he completely agreed after the first sip.

The beer is a hazy gold. Not hard to spot it as a wheat beer. Thin white head that left quite good lacing. Almost to the 4.5 level, but not quite magical.

The nose is pure Amarillo hops. Holy crap, this is beautiful. Do you think the Draught House would mind if I just sat here and sniffed the beer all night? The wheat is somewhat lost in all of the hoppiness, but I really don't care. More please.

The taste has some wheat smoothness and Amarillo flavor, but it's just too bitter to drink like I want it to. If this was a bit less bitter with the same hop flavor, this could have been one of my favorite beers ever. That being said, it's still a damned fine drink.

This seems to be standard Jester King so far. Great idea and some parts are beautifully executed... but something just slips past the QC and keeps the beer from being truly magical.

Serving type: on-tap

03-20-2011 05:52:30 | More by UTCengOwl

wagenvolks

Texas

4.15/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at the Jester King Danish Day Party (Mikkeller/Jester King Collaboration). Served in a snifter.

Sunbelt is bright and boisterous in the glass with a hazed goldenrod hue. The head dissipates to a thin veil of foam, but stirs easily to a tightly packed tuft of off-white head with a swirl of the glass. A heavenly aroma greets the nose upon a deep inhale. Tropical fruits dominate through notes of pineapple and mango, and the hops also add a hefty dose of pine and citrus flesh.

The wheat is somewhat of an afterthought in the aroma, but comes through more so in the flavor. Quickly, however, the palate is dominated by floral- and pine-ridden hop notes that add a juicy, earthy bitterness to the back. The body is a little low in carbonation, which makes the mouthfeel a bit thinner than expected with a drying finish. Overall, Drink'in the Sunbelt is a tasty, drinkable American Wheat that I would easily knock back in rapid succession. Kudos to Jester King and Mikkeller for a successful collaboration. Looking forward to the interpretation of Beer Geek Brunch!

Serving type: on-tap

03-17-2011 04:20:19 | More by wagenvolks

MEsquandoles

Texas

4.16/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

750mL bought recently for 8 or 9 bucks. Poured into Jester King stemmed glass.

Very hazy golden orange, lots of carbonation (but not infected). Great head retention.

Complex aroma of tangerine, peach, pineapple, slight pine and white pepper, big presence from wheat and yeast.

Surprisingly still has a nice hop presence from last summer when it was brewed. The hops have inevitably faded, but it's not sad, not like other American beers that heavily depend on hops. Pleasant bitterness that lingers with aforementioned flavors. Dry and earthy (although all their beers tend to be). A beer of both subtlety and rawness.

Impressive body and depth for a beer with 3.9% ABV. Well done. Super sessionable and smooth, refreshing. Almost makes me which it was 100 degrees outside (not), but this is enjoyable as the beer warms as well. This has held up well. Given the strong influence of the yeast, I'd put this in the Saison style more so than anything else.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 05:44:40 | More by MEsquandoles

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.65/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

First had: part of a Nov. '12 bottle share.
Thanks to the BAer who brought this one out!

A wheat beer seemed a little out of place for a tasting centered mainly around stouts, sours, and barleywines, but hey, anything goes, and I was glad to give this one a try. Cloudy, peach-honey color, with lots of foamy white head that needed a few second to calm down before imbibing. Aroma was brilliantly floral with notes of citrus. Taste was quite refreshing, lots of floral hops, light perfume, orange blossom, fresh grass, and sweet biscuity wheat malts. Light-medium body, and quite drinkable. Fared well as a palate-cleanser; in a more mundane sense, this would make a dandy summertime / lawnmower beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2012 02:15:07 | More by Rifugium

brentk56

North Carolina

4.23/5  rDev +14%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a cloudy, almost muddy, honey color with a fairly decent head that leaves some strands of lacing behind

Smell: Stone fruit, lemon and wheat bread

Taste: Wheat bread, on the opening, but the flavor quickly verges into citrus, with a range of tropical fruit and stone fruit flavors combining with a lemony tone; nicely bitter, after the swallow, with the bready malts hanging in there through the finish

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body with moderate carbonation; a bit thicker than expected, even though the body is relatively light

Overall: Jester King has a way with these low ABV beers - this is a treat

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2012 21:39:25 | More by brentk56

grittybrews

Washington

4.1/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured a cloudy gold with two fingers of loose and bright white head. Aroma of wheat, lemon, hay, and light funk.

Highish carbonation and a light, crisp mouthfeel. Wheat and toast up front with lemon, light grass, and hints of spice/funk on the finish.

Very nice -- big flavors for being so easy-drinking and low-alcohol.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2012 15:19:42 | More by grittybrews

GPHarris

Alabama

4.13/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

a - poured a four-fingers thick fluffy, rocky, off-white head into a weizen glass that left thick sheeting throughout. the body was a bubbly straw gold color.
s - wheat, lemon, bubblegum.
t - lemon, orange zest, wheat.
m - crisp and medium thickness.
o - very flavorful and drinkable wheat. loving JK right now.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2012 14:09:43 | More by GPHarris

thagr81us

South Carolina

3.5/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Big thanks goes out to the BA who sent me this one so I could share this one at a recent tasting! Served from bottle into a Sweetwater 15th Anniversary snifter. Poured a pale golden yellow with a half finger white head that subsided to a minimal amount slowly. Maintained excellent lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, fruit, fruit hop, bubblegum, and wheat. The flavor was of sweet malt, fruit, fruit hop, and wheat. It had a light feel on the palate with medium carbonation. Overall this was a decent brew. While this wasn’t a huge stand out for the style it was very easy drinking and enjoyable. There were a lot of refreshing flavors and aromas going on that made it extremely easy drinking. I could this being a rock-solid hang out in the sun by the pool brew. Would definitely suggest this one to others in the future without a doubt.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2012 10:44:50 | More by thagr81us

gottabetweed

Texas

3.48/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a hazy yellow with a very thick head that lingers. Good lacing

Smell is yeasy, slight funk, lemons, and metallic smell.

Taste is citrus, hops.

Mouthfeel is substantial and full, that metallic returns on the finish.

Overall a nice summer beer. Hops and yeast are proportional. Easy drinking.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2012 22:23:46 | More by gottabetweed

Justin_Neff

Ohio

3.88/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: pretty standard appearance and what one would expect from this style. I like that the head sticks around.

S: Strong farmhouse yeast smell, underlined with hops

T: begins with a dominant farmhouse yeasty taste tacked on to hoppy flavor. It finishes with a subtle heat and earthy taste.

M: very light. Dissipates quickly

O: overall, this is really good for what it's supposed to be. I'd drink again, and I'd recommend, but I'd like it a little more fresh.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2012 18:38:57 | More by Justin_Neff

HardTarget

Texas

3.43/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Appearance: Lightly haze golden glass holds a tighty whitey head that gives up some lace.

Smell: Belgian yeasty esters go lemony and peppery hops give a bitter punch for a rich nose.

Taste: Kind of like a Tripple. Earthy European hops give a clean bitter tonic water base while the slightly funky yeast gives an almost cheddar twang. Thin body doesn't give much malt sweetness to back up the main show.

Mouthfeel: Prickly, light, airy... watery?

Overall: Shorting the base and pumping up the yeast and hops makes this a love or hate beer. Afraid I'm on the hater side in terms of personal preference, but love the craftsmanship and daring of the brewers. If you are into the tonic bitter side, give this a try. But I don't think I'll pop for another.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2012 23:40:17 | More by HardTarget

inlimbo77

Delaware

3.9/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml, Bottle in June '12 (I think)
Victory tulip

A: Pours out a really hazy sunburn yellow color. Straw like, as others have mentioned. Two fingers of bright white fluffy head with the aggressive pour. Looks to be nicely bottle carbonated. Lacing from the sticky head already.

S: Initially I smell those English hops. Really nice light and grassy. Smells clean and lager like, but with a touch of wheat. Also slight slight funk from the farmhouse yeast strain of JK.

T: Tastes like it's described, light and airy perfect for a hot summer day or night. Up front you get a nice nip of bitterness from those English hops. East Kent Goldings always seem to stand out. In the middle you get light bready malt and that farmhouse yeast touch you smelled. It's so light, but packs great flavor. Finish is dry but leaves you with lingering hop crispness.

M: Light leading to medium.

O: For what it is, very good. Overall, it's a B+ for me. Drank the whole thing without problem.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2012 13:19:35 | More by inlimbo77

RustyP

Texas

3.5/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a Flying Saucer St. Patty’s Day chalice-ish glass.

A: pours a slightly hazy light golden / straw color with lemon yellow at the edges. An initial 1-finger fizzy, stark white head of loose bubbles settled quickly into a thin ring with a small disconnected raft. A small bit of lacing remains just above the liquid.

S: strong herbal / grassy hops underlined with sharp citrus (lemons), maybe a hint of onion somewhere in there. Very slight funk in the background.

T: a quick hit of citrus hops followed by a brief tartness, then a light sweetness and earthy funk. Moderate bitterness kicks in mid-palate and remains through the end. Wheat is definitely present throughout. Has a Pilsner-like effect, but the additional citrusy hops and earthy/funky notes change the profile enough to keep it original. Crisp, refreshing, great for this nasty summer heat Texas is experiencing right now.

M: medium-bodied with medium / bordering on high carbonation that gives it a snappy bite.

Overall: Very crisp overall with a nice hop balance and low sweetness; highly drinkable. Looks great in a glass and has a great nose, but unfortunately the taste just didn't follow through as much for me.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2012 03:18:34 | More by RustyP

TX-Badger

Texas

4.23/5  rDev +14%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had a 750mL bottle of Jester King's and Mikkeller's collaboration, Drink'in The Sunbelt, poured into a tulip glass at the pool.

A - This pours a hazy straw yellow/golden rod with a good amount of white head at the top.

S - On the nose I light fruits, hops, wheat and an earthy element.

T - On the palate I mainly get the fruitiness I smelled on the nose, along with a well balanced hoppy note. Of course there is wheat on the palate, and it finishes with an earthy-funk element, that is good, but I can't quite put my finger on it.

M - Light-bodied and it seemed to be pretty highly carbonated.

O - A great offering from Jester King and Mikkeller. Drink'in The Sunbelt is a light unfiltered wheat beer that delivers a lot of flavor. This is a lighter beer that I enjoyed while around the pool in the heat, and it is just perfect for summer.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2012 22:48:41 | More by TX-Badger

russwbeck

Virginia

4.08/5  rDev +10%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: The pour is pretty hazy with a finger or so of white head. The lacing completely coats the side of the glass as the beer goes down.

S: Pretty spicy aroma, almost like a tripel without the same banana character. A slight hoppiness, with some pilsner like aromas coming through as well.

T: Pretty crisp and clean taste. Very wheaty and spicy without much more. Very pilsner like.

MF; Crazy drinkable, with a light mouthfeel. The carbonation is perfect and I really like where the alcohol level is.

O: This was a nice transition beer during this tasting. It was pretty forgettable, but really tasty.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2012 05:38:51 | More by russwbeck

facundoCNB

New Jersey

3.93/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

a clear golden pour with 2 fingers of white fluffy head. smells of lemon peel, orange, thyme (very citrusy/floral). tastes bitter up front with a weird licorice flavor remaining.. tastes of citrus.. maybe orange/grapefruit, herbs. light bodied, moderate carbonation. a very refreshing drink for a hot day. the low abv % is also ideal for such a big bottle - doesn't get me in trouble!

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2012 17:16:09 | More by facundoCNB