Maker: North Peak Brewing, Traverse City, Michigan.
Style: Wheat Ale with cherry juice and other natural flavors
ABV: 5%
Appearance: Copper with a pinkish hue.
Nose: Tangy but slightly bitter.
On the palate: Light-bodied. Little wheat character or even ale character. A bit of bitterness followed by a lot of sweet cherry flavor.
Finish: Cherry juice, cherry coke, Twizzlers, cough syrup
Parting Words: Another disappointing beer from North Peak. What little character this wheat ale might have had is completely overwhelmed by the cherry juice. Makes me wonder if covering over a poorly brewed product was the intention to begin with. I don’t think the concept of wheat ale sweetened with cherry juice is inherently a bad one, but there is more subtlety and complexity in a Cherry Coke from Steak & Shake than in this. Maybe it’s time for North Peak to spend some of the time and effort they invest in snappy labels into making better beer. Not recommended.
I tried one of their other beers a few summers ago and I didn’t like it. I don’t remember which one, but I remember the label and, too bad for the brewery, I remember to stay away from beers with that label.