Maker: Green Bush, Sawyer, Michigan, USA
Style: hefeweizen
ABV: 6%
Purchased for $12/6 pack
Appearance: Hazy burnt orange with a frothy head.
Nose: Cut hay, apricot.
Palate: Full bodied but not heavy. More bitter than I expected. A slightly fruity background.
Finish: Very good. Chewy hops and stone fruit with a touch of citrus.
Parting words: I’ve long been a fan of wheat beers so when I saw this one on the shelf I grabbed it immediately. Around these parts, the big dog in summertime wheat beers is Bell’s Oberon, of course. It stands out because of its bitterness, a rare feature in wheats. Although Sunspot has an average number of IBUs (international bittering units) compared to other hefeweizen, its bitterness stood out very strongly to me. This may have been a function of my palate at the time, but I found it surprising. I prefer wheat beers with more fruit than this, but I’m not a style stickler either. The price is high for a beer billed as a refresher, but it is tasty. Sunspot is recommended.