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Beer Reviews

Woody’s Wheat

Other reviews for this beer:
Jill Jaracz		read it ›

Sand Creek Brewing Co.
Black River Falls, WI
USA
http://www.sandcreekbrewing.com

Style: German Hefeweizen

Eddie’s Rating:
   (Outstanding within its style.)


Comments:
At first blush, Sand Creek’s American wheat comes across as a middle-of-the-road take on the style. It has a little more color than the others, but is marginally less cloudy. The nose is a bit yeasty, with a very tiny hint of bananas. The first couple of sips support my center line thesis, but as the beer warms up, Sand Creek’s secret comes out: relatively strong (for an American wheat) notes of bananas and cloves, like a Bavarian’s weak sibling. The end result is a pretty damn good beer—refreshing with just a hint of complexity—but it’s also a bit of a cheat against the style. Frankly, I wonder how they pulled it off. Did they mix in a little Bavarian wheat ale yeast (risky, at best, disastrous at worst) or did they do a batch blend? Whatever they did, it is a stand-out entry that deserves a four-mug designation. If only I didn’t finish the beer with the feeling that I somehow had the wool pulled over my eyes when I bought the sixer …

Reviewed by Eddie Glick on July 3, 2006.

Drinkin’ And Thinkin’

Beer Dorks News

Want to know how healthy the craft beer industry is? As always, look to Portland. Craft pioneer Bridgeport announces sudden closure, adding to a growing list of PDX casualties. Did Anheuser-Busch Chicago offer their shit beer to Cody Parkey before his missed field goal? Because that may explain why he "accidentally" biffed it. Chicago now has the most breweries of any city in the country. Other things Chicago has the most of: murders, mobsters, and Ditkas. Trying to spin it positive, BA releases end of year graphic. Only 5% growth in the craft sector when nearly 1000 new breweries opened? That's a collapse waiting to happen. R.I.P. Tallgrass... another casualty as the regional/national craft beer market continues to get squeezed. Wait... Constellation Brands cut all of the Ballast Point and Funky Buddha sales staff? They merged it with their Corona/Modelo staff?? We're SHOCKED!!! Pizza Beer founder crying about failure of company, blames everyone else. Reminder, the beer tasted like vomit. Try having better ideas or making better products so you're not a failure. It's Bud Light so doesn't really matter, but we expect this beer to be sitting around for awhile. Indiana brewery to open with controversial beer names to "get the conversation going". Translation: taking advantage of serious issues for free publicity. Hundreds of amazing beers in Wisconsin and the Cubs took back the one everyone drinks just because it exists and people have heard of it. How fitting...