A system of beautiful weather passed through the San Francisco Bay Area over the weekend. Flip flops, board shorts, and sun dresses were out in force as San Franciscans soaked up the sun. On a hot day, nothing tastes quite as good as a cold, refreshing, summer beer and it’s no coincidence that this week’s Tuesday Tasting falls into that category.
Wheat beers have long been a summer staple with their clean flavor and aroma profiles that can include notes of banana, clove, apple, and even some tartness. Hop bitterness is generally low as is alcohol content making these beers very quaffable on a hot day.
Appearance
Beer pours hazy pale orange in color. A finger and a half of white head foams up and then quickly recedes leaving very little lacing.
Aroma
Distinctly citrus in the nose. Intense aromas of tangerine per expectations. Background notes of wheat and pale malt are barely discernable.
Taste
A sip starts off with sweet tangerine notes not unlike those of canned mandarine oranges. Some bitterness presents itself but in the form of citrus zest and not hops. Not much else is this beer as they flavor profile is somewhat one dimensional.
Mouthfeel
Medium to light bodied beer with a relatively high level of carbonation. Finish is on the dryer side with no alcohol presence.
Drinkability
While this wasn’t our favorite beer, we can imagine there is a large audience of drinkers who would enjoy it. It’s light, easy drinking, and refreshing on a hot day, but in our opinion it’s somewhat of a one trick pony. Strong tangerine notes overpower all other flavors and aromas leaving the drinker thinking of orange soda. Overall grade for Lost Coast Brewery Tangerine Wheat: C-
Up next on Tuesday Tasting: Grand Teton Brewing Co. Sweetgrass American Pale Ale