Leinenkugel's Sunset Wheat - Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company

BostonHops

Massachusetts

3.45/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle served in a pint glass.

pours a hazy, dull golden tone while yielding a 1" off white head. middling retention, lacing. nose is lead by orange peel with some blueberry characters in the background. wheaty with a hint of spices.

the flavor breakdown follows the aroma very closely. citrusy (primarily orange, maybe a little lemon) with a touch of blueberry, followed by an undertone of malted wheat. medium-light bodied mouthfeel with some prickly carbonation.

all in all not a terrible beer. make no mistake, it won't be challenging the plinys and KBS's of the world for brewing supremacy, but i'd say it has its place on a hot summer day.

(originally reviewed: 01-12-2012)

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2012 02:51:34 | More by BostonHops

GuyNamedSid

4.63/5  rDev +37.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I had my doubts about this brew. I am not partial to the 'fruity" type beers.

However, this is one of the most refreshing summer brews I've had to date! You have got to try this. You'd be letting yourself down if you pass this one up.

Overall: DEF TRY!!!

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2012 01:29:40 | More by GuyNamedSid

JackieTH

Minnesota

2.6/5  rDev -22.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Nothing wrong with the appearance, it's a bit hazy with a smallish head. Smell is sharply sugary, watermelon Jolly Ranchers comes to mind. Taste isn't nearly as sugary as the smell, but nonetheless it's sweet, sort of like off-brand strawberry or raspberry flavored jelly beans. Mouthfeel and carbonation are okay. This one is not for me.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2012 20:58:31 | More by JackieTH

SometimesIfart

Michigan

3.4/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I must agree with a previous poster. As soon as you taste this beer you think, " Fruity Pebbles ". Pretty good beer, Although surprisingly not as easy to drink as what you would imagine. A little too sweet for my liking. I believe that drinking enough of these would make me feel sick to my stomach. Although, A great beer to get if you're throwing a party and inviting a couple of girl's who won't drink most beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2012 04:34:36 | More by SometimesIfart

BigDRS

Ohio

3.1/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - Light orange with a thin white head. Hazy, but not extreme.

S - Nose smells like Fruity Pebbles cereal. Brewer says that there is blueberry added to it somewhere in the process.

T - Fruity with a bit of wheat. Somewhat sweet. Goes down really easy.

M - Very light, crisp and refreshing. Would make a decent lawnmower beer for sure.

O - Some might turn their nose at the blueberry addition and fruit character, but when I'm in the mood for this beer it really hits the spot. Great on a hot summer afternoon.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2012 01:24:50 | More by BigDRS

Drinkerofales

California

3.63/5  rDev +8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Cloudy orange gold is the beer, with a dirty white head that shrinks to a ring leaving barely any lacing. A wheat sediment is normal, but this sediment in here is rather strange.

Smell is sharp orange peals, coriander, and not much else.

Taste is tangy citrus, and a bitter/tangy wheat finish that lasts.

Texture has some body, but is a touch fizzy.

Flavor is nice, but as a wheat it falls a little short in most categories.

DOA

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2012 18:15:00 | More by Drinkerofales

malsprower

4.38/5  rDev +30.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I don't know what people are saying but this beer is delicious! It's like juice and beer in a bottle. I love its fruity aroma mixed with a unique beer taste. When I tried this stuff at a party the flavor took me by suprise. Maybe I am just used to crappy beers or something and the others can afford pricey ones. I would say this is one of my most favorite beers.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2012 18:55:05 | More by malsprower

SteelTrooper

North Carolina

2.35/5  rDev -30.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

While the beer has a decent orange glow in the glass, and mediocre head, the one thing that was offputting was being preoccupied with the fruit notes. They were not the normal citrusy, crisp, refreshing type I love in a Summer wheat. Instead, I found myself bothered by the fact that it seemed very artificial and overly sweet.

Upon my second bottle I thought I had nailed the taste and smell as Trix cereal and had my wife verify my assumption. I was off a bit - she nailed it on the head. It was Fruity Pebbles cereal. And not the cereal nature many beers have due to the malt and barley. No, it was artificial fruit flavoring that slimed the tongue and caused a wincing in my temples.

I found the wheat secondary or tertiary to this flavor. The mouthfeel was smooth with a light body. Not a beer I will try again as it was much to fake and sugary tasting - like a low grade malt bevereage.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2012 20:51:23 | More by SteelTrooper

PorterLambic

Florida

3.35/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Arrives a hazy orangish yellow with an off-white head. Retention is short but decent lacing.
Smell is wheat, light citrus and sweet. Fairly light overall.
Taste is better with wheat, malt, citrus, light hops and an artificial sweetness. Balance is fine.
Until the aftertaste, this a straight up wheat. Aftertaste has a sugary, artificial aspect that is a bit off-putting. It ain't bad, but it ain't great. Drink it if someone else is buying.

Serving type: on-tap

05-12-2012 00:12:32 | More by PorterLambic

RonaldTheriot

Louisiana

4/5  rDev +19%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Leinenkugel’s Sunset Wheat has a very thick, cream-colored, fluffy head and a hazy, yellow-orange appearance with tiny streaming bubbles and some lacing left behind. The aroma is strongly sweet, citrus, and bready. Taste is likewise sweet, citrus, candy-like, mild brown bread, spices, and with a touch of bitterness, however, this is minimal. The body is medium, and Leinenkugel’s Sunset Wheat finishes semi-dry, mild, and drinkable. For a flavored beer, which I admittedly don’t care for, it’s very good, and I would say it’s worth a try.

RJT

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2012 10:52:26 | More by RonaldTheriot

BEERMILER12

Maine

3.45/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a cloudy and hazy straw yellow color with no head

S: Very fruity, mostly blueberries and citrus. Some malts, mostly wheat. Slight hints of lager yeast

T: Follows the nose, with the lager yeast standing out a bit more and the wheat fading a bit. Still fruity with mostly blueberry and then lemon... odd combination

M: Medium bodied with moderate-high carbonation

O: Certainly a different take with the lager yeast, not too sure about how I actually feel about it though. Also not too sure about how I feel with the blueberry/citrus combo... decent beer, though. Definitely on the girly side.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2012 19:59:29 | More by BEERMILER12

jimmah120

Minnesota

3.5/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle best by jul 09 2012

Pours a cloudy yellow-orange with a small frothy head and some lacing. Smell is lemon, a small amount of pine, wheat, grass, corn, and honey. Taste is sweet lemon rind, grass, wheat, corn, clove, and a bit of pepper.

Good witbier.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2012 02:13:38 | More by jimmah120

TheSixthRing

California

3.9/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance - Pours a hazy golden orange with a foamy white 2 finger head. Good retention. Leaves a behind a nice lace.

Smell - Fruity aromatic qualities. Orange. Berries. a bit of wheat sneaks in there too. Wonderful smelling brew.

Taste - Lots, and lots of fruity flavors. A varietal "fruity pebbles" in flavor, with orange being the dominant character. Not much hop presence, but look hard enough and you'll find it at the tail end of the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel - Light to medium body. Smooth and refreshing. A bit foamy / creamy.

Overall - A very sweet, fruity wheat beer. Screw the "light beers", when I want something on a hot summer's day, I'm reaching for a LSW!

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2012 00:54:07 | More by TheSixthRing

MJCF26

New York

3.45/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Very refreshing. "5 mile run-parched throat" refreshing. Light and easy to drink or chug (provided the occasion). Great to use as the base of a marinade for steak or chicken.
Definitely a summer beer.

A: Golden orange, slightly cloudy.

S: Musky orange. Reminiscent of baseball.

T: Again somewhat of a musky orange-grassy taste. Interesting note of blueberry.

M: Smooth, easy carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2012 01:34:22 | More by MJCF26

tdm168

North Carolina

2.55/5  rDev -24.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours a bright golden yellow with a soft, white head that has little retention. The nose smells like lemon, oranges, and medicine. The flavor is identical; big citrusy notes which are overwhelmed by a foul, off putting medicinal character. The mouthfeel is very light and crisp.

This is foul. The medicinal qualities take away any good that may have been in the flavor. The citrus was probably good, but it's too underwhelming to make an impact. I'll avoid this in the future.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2012 22:41:17 | More by tdm168

kangarooAdam59

Maine

2.98/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Into a pint glass:

A: hazy golden/orange/light brown colored body with no head whatsoever, lacing is spotty and leaves no rings. There is a fair amount of carbonation surfacing. I'm just wondering what is that floating around within the brew? I have no clue

S: some blueberry, orange and wheat. Nothing off and nothing overbearing

T: previously mentioned flavors come back but with a bit of lemon and lime

M: light to medium, slightly sessionable, extreme fruity aftertaste, wet fruity finish, fair amount of carbonation hitting the tongue

O: just a fruit/vegetable beer that doesn't really go with anything, was a decent dessert beer on my back deck watching the sun go down on a Spring evening, could be a decent "crossover" for a malt drinker to turn to beer

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2012 14:59:45 | More by kangarooAdam59

gleeky99

4.43/5  rDev +31.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I wasen't really a wheat beer guy, but I really like this one. Love the cloudy look almost like orange juice. Pour so you get a nice head, its thick 2-3 fingers in a tulip glass.Fruity not bitter at all, I also like the corriander taste. A nice easy drinker! Always in my fridge.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2012 15:10:21 | More by gleeky99

AlphaWolf-HD

3.8/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This beer has a very mellow onset. There are definite orange and other citrus notes to be tasted during. After swallowing there is a definite fruity after taste. I taste blueberries, among other things. I think it's a pretty festive beer. It pops with activity and not bitterness.

It keeps you coming back and is refreshing. The head does fade quickly (Booo) but it's a fun and refreshing beer to drink.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2012 03:27:42 | More by AlphaWolf-HD

microbrewlover

Pennsylvania

3.08/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

This brew pours a very cloudy orange with a small head which dissapates quickly. Lacing also dissapates quickly.

The smell is very fruity and sweet. I smelled berries, apples, possibly orange, lemon and tangerine.

The mouthfeel is thin, too thin, and creamy.

The taste is of fruit and more fruit. I could taste no malts or hops. If you like a "fruity" beer then you will want to give this a try.

Overall, this beer is too sweet, like another Leinenkugel's I had. I think if this brew had a stronger hop presence, really I could detect none, it would be a winner. It has potential and I would still drink it on a very hot summer day.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2012 22:43:25 | More by microbrewlover

KeshiaM

New Jersey

1.8/5  rDev -46.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Had it on tap and was told it was similar to Blue Moon. Sadly it wasn't.
The appearance was a cloudy yellowish/orange with a white head that dissipated quickly and left lacing. It had an unpleasant smell, like skunky oranges.
The taste was just as disappointing. The orange taste was metallic and tasted like it had turned. Highly carbonated to the point of fizziness. By the time I finished it had made me sick.
The only positive was the mouthfeel with its yeasty, sediment texture typical of wheat beers.
Overall I would never order this again.

Serving type: on-tap

03-12-2012 01:34:00 | More by KeshiaM

DarthNerdus

2.6/5  rDev -22.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured from bottle. Has a nice orange cloudy appearance with off-white head the settles into a film over the beer. Smells citric with a hint of a sweeter fruit which I cannot quite place. Tastes somewhat acidic, a nice start and mid-point but is overtaken by too much coriander that lingers after the finish. Has a medium mouthfeel that lingers with the aforementioned coriander flavor. Overall a nice break, but the flavors are not very well balanced.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2012 06:26:57 | More by DarthNerdus

Louski

Pennsylvania

3.38/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured from Bottle into Pint Glass

Appears a very light gold with a distinct fruity/citrus smell. Tastes exactly like Fruity Pebbles- there's no other way to describe it. Overall, a very unique beer that's perfect for long day of golf in the hot sun.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2012 01:41:12 | More by Louski

mrfrancis

Kentucky

3.03/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

A: Pours a hazy gold with a thick, bubbly white head that laces deep into the glass.

S: Aromas of blueberry syrup, minerals, orange, cream, and wheat fill the nose. This will sound kind of odd, but I think this beer smells a bit like Fruity Pebbles.

T: Tart notes from the wheat are balanced by flavors of minerals, lemon, lime, grass, blueberry syrup, orange, and cream. The finish is short and sweet with an overwhelming blueberry flavor.

M: This is where things fall apart for me. In the mouth, this beer is light-bodied and quite dry. Carbonation is sluggish causing the beer to turn flabby on the finish.

O: This is the second time I've reviewed this beer for a website, and to be honest, I swore I'd never revisit it. Looks like I contradicted myself. In any event, this is not nearly as cloying and syrupy as I remember. To be honest, this would be an acceptable summer beer or a good one for when I don't really want to think too hard about what I am drinking.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 16:43:51 | More by mrfrancis

mattfungus

Wisconsin

2.55/5  rDev -24.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

had this one way too many times, it seemed like for awhile this was the only beer available that was a hint above average.

The best I can liken it to is this.

I'm allergic to chocolate. If you are like me and you go to parties, potlucks and receptions you find that nine times out of ten, the dessert menu becomes empty when you take off anything that has chocolate, except for one item... Lemon Bars.

After 3-4 years of eating lemon bars as dessert you cannot bear to look at another lemon bar. Thats how it got for me and this beer.

I use to think it had a nice lemony flavor, now I think, oh no not again.

I do however like their lipbalm of this flavor.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 04:46:47 | More by mattfungus

57md

Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a dark straw color with a finger of head that has no retention. The nose is of fresh berries. The taste of blueberries dominates, but this offering finishes quite dry nevertheless.

This is a very solid offering from a brewery that produces good, but not great beers.

Bonus that this offering is union made by my brothers and sisters in the UAW.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2012 06:47:14 | More by 57md