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It's been a little while since I last had a beer from Fat Orange Cat. Their cans always intrigue me, but their beers always seem to underwhelm. The temperature is rising as I write, and I am looking for beers that can complement the weather a little better than my usual go-to choices of a Belgian ale or a stout. Mind you, a nice stout on a cool fall evening by a fire pit is a delight to all of the senses. In this case, however, it is just after work, and it reached the low 80s today. While this will probably wind up getting published in the fall, it is still spring as I write this. A wheat ale should fit the season well.
It looked like it was going to be completely clear almost the whole way through the pour. The last inch or so of beer came with a lot of haze that got dumped into the rest of the glass. The change was so dramatic that it made me wonder whether I should just let the glass sit for a while and let all of that stuff settle again. I'm not going to do that. I wasn't particularly gentle with my pour, but there isn't a whole lot of head to speak of. There certainly won't be any lacing. Should I have garnished this with a lemon or orange wedge? Well, I don't do that. If they want citrus in their beer, they can add it themselves. Speaking of citrus, the beer is lightly scented with orange on top of grapefruit, with possibly a mango or two hidden underneath. It smells a lot more robust than I'd expect from most wheat ales. I don't mind that at all.
The first sip has grains, but they show up very much at the end of the experience. The robust flavor I was expecting falls flat very quickly. The result is a rather forgettable experience of fruits that really don't want to express their personalities in the beer. Like I said before, a robust flavor isn't necessarily something wheat ales are known for. Instead, they tend to be easy-drinking, and maybe that's what this one is. Let's see if a full swig brings out the character it needs.
The tip-in brings light carbonation over orange peels and nectarine fuzz. The middle is a very nice mix of grains and fruits, with a carbonation drummer in the back keeping everything together nicely. The finish runs the sweetness off in favor of demure bitterness as the grains and grapefruit join the orange for the trail-off.
Bottom Line: On a warm day, this will do.
3.5/5
