Wavehopper - Big Bay Brewing Co.

gatornation

Minnesota

3.9/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

from a 12 oz bottle

A- pours a clear pale yellow color with a fresh 1 finger white head with a good amount of lacing thru-out

S- was lemon citrus baked bread with a nice amount of crisp noble hops

T- noble hops first crisp,floral with lemon citrus , next were light caramel baked bread malts

M- crisp and sweet with a dry finish of sweet malts and noble hops

O- very fresh and delicious tasted like euro pils

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 01:03:06 | More by gatornation

mrmitsui29

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev +10%

04-22-2013 05:29:09 | More by mrmitsui29

1DAC3

Illinois

4.45/5  rDev +30.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Wavehopper is a very nice American Kolsh style beer. It has a nice creaminess with a subtle hoppy finish. This will do very well during a Chicago summer. In addition, I love the marketing of life on the water and the white caps. I grew up vacationing in the great lakes region and have a boat in Chicago.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2013 21:55:14 | More by 1DAC3

ChefFelipe11

Illinois

4.39/5  rDev +28.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The lightest of all Big Bay Beers but not a light beer. I would consider this beer a li-dium body...Haha. Yes Li-dium body its in between the two. The taste is good again well balanced very social type of beer. When in Germany, you can compare this beer to Fruhl (Cologne) and the Kolsch style wouldnt be able to be distinguished. Overall a great beer! Its now selling in Illinois!!

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2013 19:14:06 | More by ChefFelipe11

wmobley

Wisconsin

2.75/5  rDev -19.4%

03-15-2013 18:42:41 | More by wmobley

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.56/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served in a Lagunitas mason jar.

Finishing my introduction to this new-to-the-area brewery. It pours a clear pale straw topped by a finger of white foam. The nose comprises sweet corn, wheat, light funky rice, a half-pinch of black pepper, and a small dose of minerals. The taste brings in more of the same, but without the funk. Instead, the minerals combine with a mild citrus character and the wheat to form a soft, clean, mildly fruity flavor combination. Not bad. The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a crisp-ish finish. Overall, a decently solid kolsch, an easy-drinker if there ever was one.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 21:38:40 | More by TMoney2591

steveh

Illinois

3.88/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Stumbled on this by chance a local that's been carrying some new beers. Interesting that it's a brew-pub beer contracted by Point.

A -- Clear, very pale gold/yellow with a pretty firm white head that holds up well.

S -- Grainy malts with a mellow fruitiness. Vaguest sulfur in the background.

T -- Light grainy to bready malts up front, same fruit character follows then finishes with good bready character and a light balance of spicy hops.

M -- Smooth to crisp mouthfeel with a dry finish and light body.

O -- A very nice, clean and crisp beer -- delicate flavor and body with no faults showing thru -- talk about a difficult beer to brew. Perfect for summer afternoons at the grill. I'll have to remember this in a few months.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2013 21:29:47 | More by steveh

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

3.91/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

12 oz bottle poured into a Big Bay stange.
4.8% ABV, no date.

A - Wavehopper is pale straw yellow in color with brilliant clarity and a billowing cloud-white head. Magnificent retention eventually leads to a plateauing pile and sticky lace clutching the glass like foamy waves lapping the shore.

S - Crisp and open like an afternoon trolling the lake in the breeze, this aroma starts with a grainy pale malt nose with sweet notes of pilsner malt, finishing with a touch of buttery diactyl and sea salt.

T - Dry straw and husky malt make a splash but the ripples die out as the pilsner sweetness rolls in. More butter diactyl joins the party but this beer finishes off with a clean hop addition of floral noble-like hops.

M - Wavehopper is light-bodied and moderately carbonated though slick on the palate, it almost finishes with a lager-like crispness, though not quite there. A tingle of dry, lightly hoppy bitterness for balance enters just before a pinch of minerals and salt beckons for another sip.

O - There's no question that Wavehopper is an entry-level beer that's more or less designed for the masses but, make no mistake, it's fashioned well. This will appeal to the everyman while dropping in enough flavor for the person looking for an easy-drinking, flavorful "light" beer. This is one of my go-to summer beers, especially when wake boarding!

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 23:36:24 | More by BeerFMAndy

JamesMN

Minnesota

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

Appearance: About three fingers worth of beer and six fingers of white foam on the top. Waiting to pour the rest of the bottle. That being said, the neon yellow color of the beer is appealing and the white soapy foam gives it a nice look.

Aroma: Lots of yeast and not much else. A 'dry' smell.

Taste: The first half is reminiscent of white grape juice and is moderately sweet. The second half adds a coriander spice taste (maybe from the yeast) and finishes crisp. It's interesting because the first half almost feels juicy like an IPA might be. Not getting much malt flavor on this one so I'm guessing it's a light malt bill. The hops add a slight bitterness that compliments the sweetness from the malt. At 4.8% ABV this is a good session beer.

Mouthfeel: Wet and medium bodied. Good effervescence for the style and easy to drink. Decently refreshing.

Final Thoughts: Usually I hate spiced beers but this one keeps the flavor in check and delivers a nice drinking experience. I could see someone going through a sixer of this with a buddy while watching a game and having some pizza or burgers. Would I drink it again? I'm tempted.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 00:09:42 | More by JamesMN

Wiscivore

3.75/5  rDev +10%

11-04-2012 01:17:39 | More by Wiscivore

Satan70

Wisconsin

2.5/5  rDev -26.7%

10-24-2012 13:42:30 | More by Satan70

Swonkie

4/5  rDev +17.3%

10-14-2012 20:59:05 | More by Swonkie

yankinwis

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev +17.3%

10-13-2012 14:23:57 | More by yankinwis

cofeeguru

Minnesota

3.75/5  rDev +10%

10-08-2012 01:46:34 | More by cofeeguru

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Picked up a bottle at Princeton Liquors in Maple Grove. The aroma and flavor have a toasty, creamy barley character with a crisp finish and hints of caramel and grassy, earthy hops. This is a fine summer beer, and I like the barley character, but this is missing some of the light fruit of a great kolsch.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2012 03:03:14 | More by tempest

Ri0

Wisconsin

3.25/5  rDev -4.7%

08-12-2012 21:48:58 | More by Ri0

Fr0stb1te

Wisconsin

3/5  rDev -12%

08-12-2012 01:49:16 | More by Fr0stb1te

maximum12

Minnesota

3.1/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Had a non-beer-crazy friend suggest Big Bay to me so. Despite his very suspect taste in beer, I'm always on the lookout for a good Kolsch, so here we are. 12 oz. bottle poured in preparation for a dinner of raspberry chicken & potatoes with Gruyere cheese. Mmmm.

Pour is...well, imagine all the carbonation in the world. It's now gone. Because it was all bottled up in this tiny little shard of glass. Three pours & five minutes to get the beer into a pint glass. It's yellowish with light-speed bubbling. Smells like a puff of air: not much coming off the surface. Faint grains & yeast if I really pull.

Wavehopper's first sip is promising. Then the aftertaste takes hold like The Claw. Clean, wheaty, & crisp on the front, yeasty in the middle, then an unpleasant...something on the back end. A little musty, almost, but not quite, like a hop twist that didn't quite make it. Overcarbed, seriously, but like any decent Kolsch, easy to down.

This is pretty close, honestly, to being very good. Instead, the carbonation & aftertaste drag this down into the mediocre range. Maybe a couple days old, super-fresh? Either way, decent enough beer. Off to my dinner.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2012 23:10:21 | More by maximum12

socon67

New York

3.75/5  rDev +10%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Had at Miller Park in Milwaukee

A - High soapy foam that stays for a long time. Golden color and plenty of carbonation.

S - Some smell of fresh grain. Has a slight skunkiness to the scent.

T - Pleasantly refreshing flavor of fresh grain, bit of lemon tartess, and spices. Simple but tasty.

M - I thought this was a smooth beer that had a light feel and a tart finish.

O - Better than I expected since I never heard of this one. Nothing outrageous but I'd have this again.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2012 16:42:57 | More by socon67

sami

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev +17.3%

07-10-2012 21:59:34 | More by sami

rocklibster

Wisconsin

3.5/5  rDev +2.6%

06-30-2012 00:03:52 | More by rocklibster

NodakEric

Minnesota

1.5/5  rDev -56%

06-25-2012 02:06:28 | More by NodakEric

MyMindSpray

3/5  rDev -12%

06-24-2012 23:22:26 | More by MyMindSpray

Kunstman

Wisconsin

3/5  rDev -12%

05-28-2012 16:54:09 | More by Kunstman

FightingEntropy

Minnesota

1.35/5  rDev -60.4%
look: 2 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

I will admit up front that I am not a fan of kolsch as a style. Occasionally, I will find an excellent, delicate and flavorful kolsch that I will tolerate and enjoy. Tonight is not that night.

Wavehopper from Big Bay Brewing looks fine in the glass with a white head that falls with a nice lace over a slightly anemic looking yellow brew. Pungent nose has some of the classic kolsch characteristics, but overwhelmed by a sour apple and mineral wafting up. Just as watery in the mouth as it looks, the taste has a barely perceptible sweet malt and a sharp chalky flavor and unpleasant sourness.

In spite of my general beer optimism, I cannot find any redeeming characteristics in this brew. In a phrase, avoid this beer. Unfortunately, I didn't review Big Bay's Portside when I had it in March at Grumpy's in Minneapolis. My simple rating of Portside was much higher, which is what made me hopeful for Wavehopper. While it would take some convincing to get me to try Wavehopper again, my experience with Portside on tap will at least give me reason to try Big Bay again some day.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2012 15:03:41 | More by FightingEntropy