Nashoba Valley Dunkelweizen

12oz bottle acquired in trade with ppoitras (thanks!). Poured a deeper brownish color with an averaged sized off white head. The head quickly dissipated into no head. Aromas of roast, wheat, chocolate, caramel, and lightly fruity. Tastes of wheat, caramel, and light fruits. Light tart finish.

The Dunkelweizen settles with a dark amber opaque body. It had a small light brown fizzy and fully diminishing head. The nose detected a sweet malty aroma with hints of lemon and a strong presence of alcohol. It smelled liked a Belgium beer. Initially moderately sour, finishing to a light sour taste for an average duration. Light to medium oily body with lively carbonation.

We were quite surprised with the sour presence. It was very lemon and very unique. It’s wasn’t anything to write home and tell the kids about, but tasteful. Comments heard during the review: “Oh, you gotta smell this. That smells really good.” Reviewed in November, 2006.

Bottled. Thin and watery - no head - thin carbonation. Aroma is pungent and sour like cider. Flavors are quite tart & sour - somewhat like a lambic. Not malty at all. Nashoba is a fruit winery that should stick to wine. Don’t waste your money on this one.

Draught pint at Redbones on 9/8/06.
Very cloudy, tan-hickory colored body has some ruddy notes as well as slight mahogany streaks. Buttercream-colored head is initially small, flimsy and rapidly fizzles to a ring, then nothing. No lacing left on the glass.
Pungent dark fruits are smattered about black pepper-like phenols creating a very lively, eye-opening first sniff. A slightly sour, wheaty twang emerges on the end, but is softened, somewhat, by a gentle, quite substantial honey-cream sweetness. Banana esters are not exaggerated and bubble gum is very faint. I thought I found a touch of leafy/grassy hops, but it’s fleeting. A touch of breadiness appears upon warming, and control begins to shift to the dry phenols, on the finish, but there’s enough residual poignancy from the berry-like fruitiness and toasted malt up front, to carry a fairly even balance to the end. The strength of the aroma is medium, showing no alcohol but a light cidery/apple note that is somewhat problematic, though faint enough as to not really bother.
Well-attenuated, well-extracted malts are supportive and somewhat bready in the mouth, while a sourish wheat flavor combines with caramel and bananas to give a mostly authentic flavor. Almost becoming lightly creamy and chocolatey, but the carbonation dosent make it to the finish and loosens heavily, allowing some thinning and giving it a more oily feel. All the while, the phenols build steadily on the palate, giving a clove/white-pepper-like dryness on the finish, combined with dry, cracker and wheat bread notes. A touch of minimally astringent raspberry/strawberry seems to be a product of the combination of phenol, caramel malt and wheat. Drinkable, and again, needs a good deal of work with the carbonation/mouthfeel on draught, but the flavors and brewing are quite well-done. No alcohol apparent in the flavor. Minor roastiness.

On tap at Redbones: Pours a murly orange with a thin tan head, bananas and rich malts in the aroma, starts and ends lightly sweet. medium bodied with light carbonation.