New Glarus Unplugged Imperial Weizen

Brewed by New Glarus Brewing Company
Style: German Hefeweizen
New Glarus, Wisconsin USA

This is simply one AMAZING brew. I have purchased as many bottles of this as i could find while it was still being brewed. Unlike any beer i’ve tasted. The complexity of flavors, the impressive head, the utterly unique aroma and silky, creamy feel in the mouth is unmatched. This is a bold and amazing creation from New Glarus and i hope to see this brewed again in the future. This is perhaps their best so far.

Pours a cloudy golden yellow with big thick frothy white head. This is a Weizen on steroids. Huge banana, clove, citrus. Perfect balance between all elements. High alcohol content is balanced by thick body. Crisp, refreshing, smooth. Everything a weizen should be. This is one of Dan Carrey’s finest achievements. It is rare to find a weizen of this quality in the states.

pours a cloudy dark yellow-almost orange with a slight head. Has a nice yeast , hop and citrus aroma. Thick and very smooth on the palate. Starts out with a mild citrus taste followed by a nice yeasty flavor typical of good weizen beers. Ends nicely with a blend the hops and yeast flavor. Brings back memories of my weekends at the Essen House in Madision WI....ahh the good old days!

[Bottle] Pours hazy orange with a good sized off-white head. Aroma is citrusy hops, banana, cloves and yeast. Each time I smell it the balance between these changes, but it’s always very powerful and nice. Taste is bitter up front, then it quickly changes to banana and clove before going back to the citrusy bitter finish with only a hint of quickly fading banana. Smooth, with a good, thick mouthfeel. Finish could be a little longer. A unique and very enjoyable beer.

(bottle) Pours hazy orange with a large white head that sticks around. This aroma is just great, it varies so much. One sniff I’ll get a large dose of banana, another time I’ll get just pure citrusy hops (more specifically, mandarin orange and grapefruit peel), and another sniff will yield clove and cinnamon with yeast. The taste is very good as well, and the banana begins things, but then switches to cinnamon and clove, and ends to a nice yeasty/wheat finish. Then the hops assert themselves and you’re left with a lingering bitterness on the tongue. Really full, chewy mouthfeel. Wow, this is just excellent.

Bottle pours a very hazy yellow gold with a white head to the top of my tulip. I gave it a proper yeast pour - not letting that go to waste. It looks really good. Nice lace as the head drops. The aroma is fresh hops, clove, banana, orange, yeast, and just overall perfect (add in a touch of bubble gum as it warms). Flavor is so multi-dimensional that I’m not sure what hit me first. Sitting here I’m sort of struck by this fine creation. The multi-dimensional characteristics sort of occur simultaneously. Up front I taste a dry malt, but then the hops seem to be right there, clove and banana, orange, cinnamon, yeast (sort of Belgian like), and a hop linger. The palate suits well as a solid foundation to support such flavor. This is a fine brew folks. Don’t let this one get by you. Well worth the drive to Hudson from the West Metro.

The Trappists monks can say goodbye, except for the fact that this is a limited offering from New Glarus (anything labeled as unplugged is limited from New Glarus). I am most impressed by beers that have a high alcohol content and yet have a good taste - this is one of them - maybe the best. I shall forego the details on smell, initial taste, palette and after-taste on this one, because there is really nothing else that I have had that compares to this one.

Total love from first sip. Hopped hefe. Very, very complex, and delicate for an Imperial. Beautiful look and nose. Best wheat beer I’ve ever consumed.