Wheat Wacker - Black Diamond Brewing Co.

jeffjeff1

California

3.83/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I picked this up last week at Monument Wines and Spirits.

Appearance- golden color, nice half inch head with good retention

Smell- bready malt, some spice as well

Taste- malt, spices

Mouthfeel- medium bodied

Drinkability- I thought it was pretty good. I would drink it again.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2011 03:32:37 | More by jeffjeff1

Rick778

California

3/5  rDev -13.5%

06-03-2013 03:51:51 | More by Rick778

Boone757

Maryland

3.5/5  rDev +0.9%

05-29-2013 01:16:47 | More by Boone757

johntfox

Florida

3.5/5  rDev +0.9%

05-21-2013 17:32:44 | More by johntfox

DrunkinYogi

Connecticut

3.5/5  rDev +0.9%

05-16-2013 11:36:57 | More by DrunkinYogi

GeckoPunk

Connecticut

3.46/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Drank straight from the bomber. Cannot perform a full review on looks.

S - The smell was much better directly after the beer was opened than 15 minutes afterwards. Simcoe/Citra hops. Citrousy. Very faint Belgian yeast.

T - Completely agree with the grassy reviews. Slight, but certainly not predominant Belgian funk. Citrousy orange/lemon. Barely bready. Not a fan of the thin wheat malt taste. I find it a little insufficient for this beer.

M - Well carbonated. Quite bubbly. Lingering bitterness. Not all that great, but can't complain too much about the mouthfeel.

O - At $2.99 a bomber, it's a "good price for a good beer". Not a spectacular beer, but well worth the investment. Personally, I would still spend the extra $1 for my fall-back SNPA as a replacement for this... Worth a try, but it won't become a regular in my lineup.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2013 00:36:08 | More by GeckoPunk

jgammoniv

Maine

4/5  rDev +15.3%

03-19-2013 02:57:55 | More by jgammoniv

xomin80

3.75/5  rDev +8.1%

01-11-2013 16:06:55 | More by xomin80

Talisker

California

3.25/5  rDev -6.3%

01-01-2013 00:17:09 | More by Talisker

lordofthewiens

Maine

3.5/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

In a pint glass this beer was gold in color. It had a fairly good-sized white head that dissipated quickly, leaving a scant amount of lace.

Grassy, outdoors aroma. Some peppery spice.

Clove taste, some citrus. A bit of Belgian funkiness.

A lot going on in this beer. Not sure how well it succeeded.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2012 22:10:46 | More by lordofthewiens

JAHMUR

Connecticut

2.5/5  rDev -28%

09-11-2012 17:29:34 | More by JAHMUR

astebelton

Ohio

4/5  rDev +15.3%

08-28-2012 01:29:58 | More by astebelton

lacqueredmouse

Australia

2.35/5  rDev -32.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

This was billed as a Wheat IPA at Collins Pub in Seattle. On-tap.

Light golden hue (I don't know who classified this as a dark wheat), with a fine white head. Some patchy lace, forming fine, but insubstantial patterns on the glass. Very light body. Looks quite insipid.

Nose is weak, with a faintly foul orange character like fermented bin juice. Seedy, weedy grain gives a vegetative apology. Grassy, reedy and pointless.

Taste is light and peppery, but ultimately without merit. No wheat body or sweetness, and no fragrance or flavour from the hops. It tastes thin and struck with booze, even though it's relatively weak. A light lemon character comes through pretending to be crisp drinkability. Meh. Meh meh meh. Feel appallingly light.

I don't like this at all. It has a bitterness to it, but nothing else from the IPA style. It has a wheat thinness, but none of the good wheat beer characters. It's like an amalgam of everything that could go wrong in either style, creating a synergy of badness. Very poor indeed.

Serving type: on-tap

08-05-2012 11:20:53 | More by lacqueredmouse

mschind

California

3.6/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- Poured from a bomber producing a fluffy, off white three finger head that quickly faded to a foamy cap. Decent lacing on the way down. Color is a hazy medium gold, dark for a wheat beer.

S- Lots going on here. There's a Belgian yeast at work giving it a fruity and spicy aroma with some grassy hops.

T- The fruity esters (peach/apricot) dominate up front along with light malt sweetness. The finish is peppery with mild hop bitterness.

M- Medium body with high carbonation.

O- An interesting combination of flavors and styles. A bit too strong to be a seesion beer. It paired well with some jalapno salami and dark pretzels. Not something I would seek out by itself.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2012 23:34:37 | More by mschind

Docer

Washington

3.23/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: (3.5)

- Nice rather clear bright copper and straw yellow session-looking brew. Fluffy quick bright white head settled to a bubbly ring and thin layer over the brew. Solid.

Smell: (3.0)

- Kind of a roasted, caramel, wheat smacked madness with a touch of butter. Not so sure this is as it was meant to be. Certainly some diacetyl at play here. Which also doesn't usually occur if a bottle is even slightly old on the shelf, but rather pulled from the fermenter or bright tank too soon. Grassy and herbal hop notes, and a citrus finish.

Taste: (3.0)

- Nice wheat malts, and light caramel sweetness. Little bready with a tangy wheat roast. Nice resinous bittering hop, earthy, grassy, but overall a toss up. Some slight issues with this one. Not so much butter in the taste, but more astringent. Light citrus in the hop.

Mouth Feel: (4.0)

- This brew is well carbonated, and drinks well. It's a touch dry, and chewy. Medium body, slight creaminess, and is overall quite good as far as the feel goes.

Overall: (3.5)

- If this brew was as clean and perfected as it was meant to be, it may have some super high marks. The early boil hopping is nice, and the wheat bill is heavy and well played, but just some slight imperfections kind of drew this beer down a notch or two. I can see where it's going though.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2012 01:31:01 | More by Docer

kickerofelves

Oregon

4/5  rDev +15.3%

06-01-2012 05:24:16 | More by kickerofelves

EROCK75

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev -6.3%

04-02-2012 15:17:13 | More by EROCK75

kchannel9

California

3.25/5  rDev -6.3%

01-10-2012 23:08:42 | More by kchannel9

duceswild

Maryland

3/5  rDev -13.5%

01-03-2012 05:11:47 | More by duceswild

StJamesGate

New York

3.73/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Cloudy viscous straw amber with loose white froth that leaves a few stray trailers. Nose is some yeasty wax and Lemonheads hops.
Saltines and tangerines with candied grapefruit and orange hard candy hops. Citrus oil end and a bit of yeast on the linger.
Light, sticky, smooth, no burn.

Nothing dark about this - either a hopped up wit or a Belgian IPA with wheat, but something I've never encountered before. Good idea, and probably gains .5 on taste just for the concept, because it's pretty simple, almost one-dimensional. A bit thin, too. I've been unimpressed by this brewery before, so this definitely passes muster as a summer drinker. I even wonder what the hops would be like if I caught it when it was fresher.

Wheat smoothness + US hops = easy drinker.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2011 00:31:30 | More by StJamesGate

marlinsfan4

Maryland

3.55/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

My first stab at an American dark wheat ale. Pours an orange/brown color, nice fluffy head to it that stays consistent all the way down. Nice maltiness in the flavor, hints of lemon and fruitiness, good hop character as well. Reminds of me a dunkelweizen, as it should, and is pretty drinkable and smooth going down. Not the most adventurous beer, but solid and worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2011 18:22:16 | More by marlinsfan4

Reidrover

Oregon

4/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz bottle from Roths Keizer store. $5.49 Lighter orange coloured ale..slighly hazed.large,rocky,thick white head. Fine citric like hop aromas..lemony with a hint of Belgian style yeast..pretty nice Unusual but juicy,fruity ,lemony hop tastes melds with the yeasts and peppery spices very well. Nice on the palate..very inviting. Overall an unusual and welcome beer

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2011 19:49:03 | More by Reidrover

Halcyondays

California

3.9/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz. bottle,

A: Pours a translucent light amber with a medium frothy white head. Good head retention and strong lace.

S: Pine and orange/lemon zest with a hint of cane sugar.

T: Solid hop flavour with some grapefruit and pineapple. There is a bit of spice (coriander-like) in this beer especially on the back end. Light malt flavour, it'd be tough to deduce this was made with wheat aside from the body of the beer. That's fine for me, definitely something for summer.

M: Light to medium bodied. Frothy and creamy with a nice structure. Hoppy aftertaste.

O: While I've never been amazed with Black Diamond's beers, all the ones I've had have been well made and enjoyable. This is no different. Sort of a lighter Little Sumpin' Sumpin'. Described on the back as a beer for the dog days, and I agree.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2011 21:38:51 | More by Halcyondays

mactrail

California

3.85/5  rDev +11%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Golden color. Spicy flavors right off. Not exactly a familiar wheat flavor, but a touch of cloves. Rather sharp and winey. Nose of spice. A touch of tart and salty vegetable flavors like a caper got loose somewhere in the brewing. Hops are modest but enough to give it some balance and perhaps that is where the spicy heat is coming from.

Looks nice with a sizable white head in the tall glass. It's certainly an odd beer, one you keep sipping to try to figure it out. Pleasant, however, and well carbonated. A little thin and sharp rather than the mellowness of many big wheat beers. Sort of an imperial American wheat.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2011 05:06:59 | More by mactrail

GRG1313

California

3.13/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Crystal clear medium amber orange with a very short pure white head that quickly fades.

Smell is similiar to Belgian fruit esters; very fruity and floral and somewhat assertive. Some spice and some and some "carnuba wax" character (esters). Smells very Belgian and is a bit simplistic in the nose, although pleasant.

Mouthfeel is medium full and with nice character. Initial impression is a bit high on the carbonation but it seems to "settle down" and is welcoming and friendly. Very "fresh" in the mouth and inviting.

Flavors, while initial impression is thin and simple, really develop and get complex with a couple of sips and in the mid-palate and finish.
There is some green stone fruit character, green apricots and a bit of green grass and peppers. Nice bitter hop character but not citrus or citric; more of a bitter "green" quality. A good food beer and a good flavor profile for food. Complex "green" and toasty flavors.

Finish is the biggest appeal to me. Long lasting and bold. Big green pepper, light grass, hints of unripe stone fruit and bitter lemon skin and pine. Finish is complex and the strength of this one. Not great but a nice effort.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2011 05:44:14 | More by GRG1313