Sam Adams | Verloren Gose

Sam Adams Verloren Gose ale, an all but dead style of beer that the Boston Beer Co. is taking a shot at putting the defibrillator on. Originating from Leipzig, Germany, Gose beer is traditionally brewed with at least 50% wheat malt, and an addition of coriander and salt. Although these additions to the beer don't comply with the German purity law of 1516, it has been accepted due to being a "regional specialty."

With all that being said, I was very intrigued by this beer, so I bought one…. two months ago. And, expecting the worst, have been scared to try it. Well, today is the day to finally give it a try.

Poured into a weizen glass, Verloren has a somewhat hazy, golden amber color. The fluffy white head piles up nicely, but recedes kind of quickly.

The nose is spot on the style of a Hefeweizen, with a strong spice kick from the coriander. Lightly tart yeast comes through the spice, which adds a little bit of complexity to this unusual beer.

The flavor is much like the nose, very German style wheat beer, but the yeast is a little funkier than normal. Flavors of lemon peel, coriander, clove, and banana come to mind. The salt addition is just barely noticeable near the finish, but it is there. It almost seems to make the beer a little oily towards the end. But at least it keeps the beer from finishing too dry!

Overall this beer is much better than I feared it to be, but it's still a bit odd. It could be a placebo effect where I'm searching for the saltiness because I know it's in there, instead of just tasting the salt blindly. However, I would recommend trying Verloren, maybe not because it's the best beer on the shelf, but because it's cheap, and I've never seen a Gose style beer before. There's a good chance this is the only Gose beer you'll see in your life, so why not give it a shot?

Personal: 6.5/10
Style: N/A

Tröegs | Dreamweaver Wheat Ale

Ah…. warmer times are coming, and with the warmth comes the need to drink lighter, more refreshing suds. The two 80 degree days we had last week motivated my decision to go for one of my absolute favorite styles of beer when the temps rise, Hefeweizen. Hefeweizen's or Weissbiers originated in Germany, particularly Southern Germany in Bavaria. If you break the word down "hefe" translates to "yeast", "weizen" to "wheat", and "weiss" to "white". The unfiltered wheat malt causes the pale cloudy appearance that is common in these beers, which its name is also derived from.

While I do love a good traditional German Hefeweizen, I decided to go for an American version this time, with Tröegs Dreamweaver Wheat.

Poured into a Weizen glass, Dreamweaver has a semi-cloudy golden straw color with two inches of fluffy white head. Pronounced carbonation makes this beer look very light in body, while retaining a creamier looking head.

The aroma is smack in the middle between light spicy clove/coriander and sweet banana. Mild hints of medicinal funk from the yeast are just noticeable in the nose, but really don't get in the way of the spice and banana tug-of-war.

The taste starts with a nice bite of carbonation that injects flavors of banana and bubble gum sweetness right off the bat. Clove spice and other yeast esters fill in through the middle, while the finish is rounded off by a lightly toasted malt. Crisp and refreshing all the way through.

A Hefeweizen really hits the spot for summertime day drinking, and Tröegs Dreamweaver is no exception to that. The Pennsylvania locals have done a great job in keeping with Bavarian tradition. While Dreamweaver is not my all time favorite wheat beer, it's a definite must try, and is without a doubt a better choice than the typical watery light beers you'll be offered at a summer barbecue.

Personal: 7/10
Style: 8/10