On New Glarus Imperial Weizen

Much has been said about New Glarus Brewing.  Located in "America's Little Switzerland", this Wisconsin brewery has obtained a cult status by sticking to it's native land of cheese, bratwurst, and of course, beer.  I live in Illinois - land of Lincoln, which is nice, but not nearly as cool as land of cheese, brats, and beer - but my day job is in Wisconsin, so I get the benefits of easy access to this gem of a brewery.

You could dismiss New Glarus' popularity as a result of its rarity, but you'd be making a mistake.  New Glarus produces some of the best beers in the Midwest.  Dan Carey is a Seibel graduate (valedictorian, no less) and has been working in the beer industry since the early eighties.  He knows what he is doing.  So when someone like Mr. Carey creates a beer that unleashes their creative genius inside like his "Unplugged" series, I listen.

Imperial Weizen is a monster of a wheat beer with 9.6% ABV and an original gravity in the mid 1.080s.  Think traditional heffeweizen and amp up the flavors to 11.  

The aroma provides bready yeast at first, then clove, then banana, then bubblegum/cotton candy, then... peanuts? It’s a circus in my nose! Lots of phenols. Even something that hits me vaguely as new car smell.  I would not have guessed it's dry hopped with cascades, but it is.

The appearance is hazy golden yellow. Slightly darker than a traditional heffeweisen, but hey, it’s an IMPERIAL weizen, so it’s to be expected. Nice thick head that looks like it could be the next generation memory foam mattress. Spotty lace forms islands of white around the sides of the glass.

Tastes surprisingly balanced between malt and bitterness considering the 9.6%ABV. The taste mirrors the aroma but with some alcoholic warmth... now it’s a drunken circus. Sweet, vanilla-cream once things settle down. A malty sweetness sticks with you for a few minutes to remind you of the fun, but without turning into that annoying friend who just doesn’t know when to leave. Full bodied and highly carbonated. Long finish.

Overall: This is a great beer. If you love wheat beers, but want one when it’s 30 below and you’re tailgating at the Packers game, this one will keep you company. Another hit out of this cult brewery from north of the Cheddar Curtain.