Montana Trout Slayer Wheat Ale - Big Sky Brewing Company

Spikester

Oregon

3.76/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Clear gold with one finger of white head. Good amount of lacing follows head recession.
Smell this is one of the first wheat ales that smelled like banana to me.
Taste is equally banana, slight cloves, a nice compliment of hops.
Mouthfeel was slick with a bit more carbonation than usual. Medium bitter finish. Slight dryness.
Overall a tasty and enjoyable wheat ale.

Serving type: can

05-18-2013 06:09:17 | More by Spikester

Bowers-Brew

Illinois

3.61/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Not real hazy for wheat beers - sediment a little chunky.

S - Nice wheat body with citrus notes.

T - Clean taste, not as much wheat flavor as I hoped for.

M - Not excessively carbonated, but goes down smoothly and tingles the tongue a little.

O - Good beer. I've had better from Big Sky. I could imagine putting a few of these back whilst flicking a jig.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 22:10:41 | More by Bowers-Brew

tronester

Oklahoma

3.56/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Pours a clear golden with almost no head. Smell is of green apple and some grain. Taste begins with some light caramel, then some bread, followed by some mint, anise and fennel flavors. An herbal, tart finish. Mouthfeel is good, though carbonation a bit low. Overall a good beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2013 23:37:30 | More by tronester

superspak

Michigan

3.9/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle into pint glass, best before 3/7/2013. Pours hazy golden straw color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense and fluffy white head with great retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Spotty foamy lacing clings down the glass, with some light streaming carbonation. Aromas of lemon, pear, pepper, orange zest, wheat, clove, bread, floral, grass, herbal, and light banana. Very nice aromas with good strength and balance of malt and hop notes. Taste of lemon, pear, pepper, orange peel, wheat, clove, floral, grass, bread, herbal, and light banana. Lingering notes of citrus, light fruit, pepper, wheat, clove, floral, grass, herbal, and light banana on the finish for a bit. Very nice balance of citrus, malt, and spicy hop flavors; with a good amount of robustness for 5%; and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a lightly creamy, smooth, and crisp mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is well hidden with only a slight warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a very nice pale what ale! Very nice balance of citrus, malt, and hop flavors; and extremely smooth to drink with plenty of flavor. Really enjoyed this one.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2013 03:51:17 | More by superspak

BoFoSho

Washington

4.1/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I usually don't like beers with deceiving names. But Big Sky's Trout Slayer is one exception. This is what I call a mild wheat beer, very refreshing and easy to drink. The smell was a tad unusual, with hints of grape and apple. It almost smelled like a cider. Besides that aspect I enjoyed drinking the Trout Slayer. Drinking a few of these will make you believe you're a decent fly fisherman. Now go slay some trout!

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 07:08:11 | More by BoFoSho

GossageBrewery

Missouri

4.35/5  rDev +21.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured this American Wheat Ale from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass. Poured a nice white head, great retention and excellent lacing. The aroma consisted of fresh baked bread. Medium bodied, there is a foundation of malted wheat, floral hop flavor and it has a semi dry finish. Great session beer, smooth and a big dose of hops. Probably my favoirte American Pale Wheat Ale.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 17:36:43 | More by GossageBrewery

Rwalford74

Australia

3.66/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Thin head that vanished quickly.
Appearance is very appealing golden straw colour.
Taste is really easy drinking with no strong stand-out flavours for me. More body than the Beerfist Caterpiller that I had before it.
Again, an easy drinking beer that would be great on a hot afternoon, but for the price give me a Hop Hog any day.

Serving type: can

02-21-2013 08:04:40 | More by Rwalford74

pkalix

California

4/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

as straw as they come, with a little fluffy white topping.
smells straw, smells like a run of the mill commercial lager....
taste is okay. easy to drink. mild (very mild) hop bitterness. nothing amazingly eye-catching (or palate catching).
overall, for a weak abv, straw-colored whatever they wanna call it, it's okay. can drink many in succession, for certain, but would you want to? there is a certain richness to it, as a hefe might be, so that may slow down your session. but it's drinkable. it's likable. it's way better than the commercial crap i was originally comparing it to. for montana, i imagine this might be a 'lady's beer' ? ?

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2012 21:26:53 | More by pkalix

Strix

Wisconsin

4.03/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Hazy bright yellow, nice frothy head that leaves gobs of lace.

Wheat, lemon, slight pilsnery yeast note.

Biscuity, with herbal hops, a lemon and black pepper note, crisp grains, and a dry finish. Really refreshing.

Medium-light mouthfeel, crisply carbonated.

I was quite surprised by this. Thirst quenching and crisp in exactly the way I was looking for. Very nice.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2012 02:27:50 | More by Strix

BucannonXC5

California

3.33/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12-oz. bottle into a pint glass at my house on Sept. 14, 2012 (purchased at BevMo! In La Mesa (San Diego, Calif.) for a variety12-pack price of $13.99 (w/ card) on Sept. 14, 2012). Finger or head. Golden pale with white head. Good retention on the top, none on the sides.

Smelled grass, lemon, honey, bread, cereal and hay. Surprisingly not too bad.

A lot more grassier taste than the smell. Got grass, bread, cereal, hay, honey and earth. Slight lemon sweetness on back end.

Light body. Thin texture. Above average carbonation. Long, grassy, watery finish. Refreshing.

OK for a wheat beer. Refreshing and a good summer brew.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2012 03:13:36 | More by BucannonXC5

barnzy78

Illinois

3.3/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle, pours clearer than expected, golden with a white head that holds good retention and leaves some lacing on the glass. Aromas are wheat, yeasty, faintly herbal. Tastes are wheat, lemongrass, yeast. Mouth-feel is medium and smooth. Overall, I thought this was slightly better than average for the style.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2012 03:06:35 | More by barnzy78

Ben4881

Texas

4.13/5  rDev +15%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Pale, straw yellow, good clairty, and bubbly. Moderately thick white head with great retention. <4.5>

S - Strong, sweet banana aroma and bready malt character. <5>

T - Begins sweetly and malty, as the aroma would suggest. However, it gets bitter in a hurry. The taste of pine needles leads to a rather dry finish with a slightly bitter aftertaste, which mellows with alcohol remnants and the banana sweetness returns. <4>

M - Fairly light body, carbonation is slightly present. <4>

O - A tad on the bitter and dry side for a wheat offering. The contrast between the smell and the taste is quite perplexing, it certainly gives me pause, especially without a date on the label. <3.5>

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2012 03:24:09 | More by Ben4881

mactrail

California

3.08/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Nice foam-up in the tall glass. Light golden in color. Not much body but has a pleasant wheaty character.

Fairly malty with a touch of sweetness. Pleasant enough with some faint rich malty grain flavors. Ends with an earthy bitter note. Something like a malt liquor with a touch of hops. Rather sharp and dirty.

Not bad, for the American wheat style, but not a memorable beer experience. Devoid of any yeasty or estery flavors, but clean and well made. From the 12 oz bottle purchased at Grapevine Liquors in Denver.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2012 05:57:05 | More by mactrail

bmwats

Louisiana

3.58/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a standard pint.

A: Medium golden hue. Pours about a half finger, foamy, white head. Settles completely. Slight lacing mostly retreats into the body of the brew.

S: Hay, white bread, with a subtle and indistinct aroma a plant leaves and something sweet.

T: Light wheaty flavor with a bit a hop bite, and peaty pungency.

M: Very light body, subtle flavor. Does leave a bready and pungent aftertaste.

D: Goes down easy.

Atmosphere is solid. Nice hue, slight head, and light lacing. Nose is a bready aroma with some soft hints of plant and sweet matter. Light body, with a light but distinct wheat flavor, and a peaty finish. Overall, this is a good quaff.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2012 02:34:04 | More by bmwats

UCLABrewN84

California

3.55/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a murky honey orange with a 1/2 inch foamy orange-white head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Small foamy streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of wheat, grain, pineapple, and some yeast aromas. Taste is of wheat, citrus fruit, citrus zest, and pineapple flavors. There is a mild hop bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer and I like the hopped up version of a wheat beer that they are putting out here.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2012 02:15:29 | More by UCLABrewN84

TheSixthRing

California

4/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance - Pours a semi-clear, golden straw color with a finger width head, below average retention, leaving behind a sparse, semi-sticky lace.

Smell - Crisp wheat, backed by sweet notes of bread and grass, and the faintest whiff of lemon.

Taste - Follows the nose to a 'T'. Crisp wheat flavors complimented by a healthy amount of grainy breadiness, bittersweet grassy notes, and finishes with a slightly sour, mild lemon hop aftertaste.

Mouthfeel - Light to medium body. Crisp and refreshing. Nice bite.

Overall - An excellent APW. Great for hot days, but there'd be no hesitation to drink it any time of the year. Beats the hell out of SN Old Chico.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2012 02:15:48 | More by TheSixthRing

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.65/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

a much better than average wheat beer. smells less fruity and yeasty than most, just a big nose of fresh pale and wheat malts, balanced by a mild hop bitterness. flavor is right on with the nose, really crisp and refreshing when ice cold. some lemony notes to the hop profile, but this is faint. a great summer beer that still has some meat on its bones. feel is nice, lighter medium body and fizzy soda-like carbonation. very very easy drinking and at the low abv this is an all day drinking beer perfect for the long days ahead of us. i will likely purchase more 6packs of this as summer advances.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2012 23:19:31 | More by StonedTrippin

spicelab

Australia

3.53/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle thanks to Beermasons.

Straw orange with the barest haze. Two inch white head leaves respectable lacing and an impressive raised ring.

Quite sweet, with fairy floss and candy sugar presiding over some slightly spicy herbal aromas, mild tart citrus and ubiquitous wheat character.

More earthy flavour profile. Sweetness manifests initially as orange and finishes as honey. Decent lemony sourness. Biscuity malt and wheat gives a robust backbone.

Moderately chewy body with tingly carbonation that produces a satisfying dry finish. Nice.

Very drinkable and rewarding. Quite flavour packed and a deceptive amount going on.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2012 09:56:53 | More by spicelab

ADZA

Australia

3.6/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Beermasons and pours a golden orange hue which leaves a two finger head and little lacing,the smell is candied wheat,herbal hops,a nice touch of citrus and a earthiness to it aswell,the mouthfeel is light bodied and sessionable with tastes of freshly cut wheat,lemon zest,earthy herbal hops and is finished with a pleasant dry tangerine finish and overall its a nice easy drinking drop for a day like today and definately a session brew that could drink more than one of cheers.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2012 05:17:41 | More by ADZA

AEArider

Arizona

3.88/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured a mostly clear gold/straw with a bone white pillowy head, a bit soapy, and pretty good lacing. This really wasn't what I was expecting from something labelled a wheat ale, but was overall pleased with the outcome. Smell was citrusy-- potently lemony. Taste revealed the hop profile, which comes through quite nicely and leaves a complexity in the finish. Rather light bodied and refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2012 05:19:35 | More by AEArider

JuicesFlowing

Kansas

4.38/5  rDev +22%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a standard pint glass. The beer is a hazy burnt yellow, A light fizzy white head dissipates quickly leaving a thin layer bubbles. Nice sticky lacing. The beer smells vibrant and sweet with a faint aroma of lemongrass. The beer tastes sweet to start out. Then traces of lemongrass and light malts follow. The beer finishes with a faint bitterness in the hops, well balanced. The mouthfeel is light bodied.

Overall, a well represented wheat beer. It's well balanced and easy to quaff with the low 4.7% ABV. An absolutely solid beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2012 17:47:45 | More by JuicesFlowing

phishsihq

Colorado

2.93/5  rDev -18.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Big Sky Brewing Company's Troutslayer Wheat ale pours a burnished gold with a BIG pillowy white head with decent retention, and some sticky lacing. Aromas of sweet malt, some wheat, and hints of lemon are delightful in the nose. Slight breadiness and graininess are prominent out front, with notes of citrus also detectable, subtle and gentle. Lighter in body, Troutslayer features a dry finish and lighter levels of carbonation. Easy drinking, GREAT for fishing.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2012 02:08:52 | More by phishsihq

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.73/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours a light to medium orange yellow amber. Two finger fine white head with good retention and nice lacing. Light wheat, sweet malt and very light hop aroma, pleasant. A slight step up from light bodied, nice carbonation. Flavor starts out with nice wheat and light sweet malt, finishes rather abruptly with a slight hop kick. Nothing exceptional here, but a pleasant subdued wheat ale. Appears to be a nice candidate for dinner drinking.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 01:02:31 | More by LiquidAmber

WoodBrew

Illinois

3.55/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

The Trout Slayer Wheat from Big Sky is a decent beer....probably better on a warmer day than the winter evening that I am trying it. The beer poured a clear golden yellow with very thin white head and no lacing. The smell has a touch of lemon and decent wheat/ malt balance. The mouthfeel is light in body with good carbonaiton. Overall it is a sessionable beer.

Serving type: can

02-19-2012 23:54:27 | More by WoodBrew

josiahschlender

Oregon

3.23/5  rDev -10%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Even though I'm from Montana I don't drink much Montana beer now that I'm in Portland Oregon.

Poured Trout Slayer from a can into my pint glass. I'm a fan of the can, so positive attitudes toward the beer from the get-go.

Pours a light golden color with a fizzy head that fades quickly and leave a trace of lacing.

Some sweet grains on the nose, maybe some floral hops. Pleasant but sparse.

Pleasant and sparse might also be a way to describe the flavor. Nothing I'm opposed to, but this beer is going for light and mild. The malts are sweet, IBU must be pretty low because bitterness is barely detectible.

Clean finish that doesn't linger, but enough body to keep me from calling it watery. Mouthfeel is probably the best attribute for this beer to me.

Overall, not a repeater for me. Give me PBR or something else cheap for a light beer. Cost is a big factor for me in my overall score, and the regular price doesn't justify the premium in this case.

Serving type: can

02-18-2012 01:16:16 | More by josiahschlender