Beer – #67 – Monteiths Unfiltered Apricot Wheat

a whaaa? Monteiths Unfiltered Apricot Wheat. I’d pick Monteiths as a commercial brewery that make a stock range of beers. Something must be awry as they’ve branched out into a “brewer’s series” of beer.

This one delivered as a 500ml of 5%ABV beer, and they list on the IBU as 14 (International Bittering Units scale, or simply IBU scale, provides a measure of the bitterness of beer) There appears to be a myriad of beers at 14 IBU things.

Based on a traditional Bavarian Hefeweizen with added sweetness. Sun-ripened Otago apricots balance the tart, clove and banana flavours of our wheat malt and special yeast. Overlaid with a fine, noble hop to create a fresh, spicy finish. Perfect for that moment when you get to the bach…… they say

So It’s Brewed by Monteiths Brewing Company and they style it as a Fruit Beer, and it comes from Greymouth, New Zealand

A natural smell of Apricots – score a point!- Genuine real smell not fake too. For an unfiltered beer this isn’t as hazy as you would expect, and as for head I have none, it fades to a light fizzle. I’m enjoying the Apricot aroma though, no lacing either.

As to taste. What can I say except that there is a hint of Apricot fruit, an under bitterness, and not a skerrick of anything like wheat. It’s carbinated enough, but this is as thin as cellophane on taste. sigh

I was suckered in buy a minimalist label, and should have known better, and I’m not messing about this is all of 3 from 10 on the pdubyah-o-meter of arbitrariness, and that includes the 1 for the apricot aroma. It really is the emperors new clothes and there appear to have been far too many compromises made in the production of this, mostly on the ingredients other than the Apricot. Gives myself an uppercut.