– a Belgian-style Wheat Ale from Shock Top Brewing

published Feb 11 ’15

Packaging
Anheuser-Busch has done a good job of giving everyone the impression that Shock Top is a locally-grown craft beer.  Thankfully, they deliver on taste as well as they deliver on the packaging.

Typically Shock Top, the Raspberry Wheat packaging includes a blurb at the bottom of both the bottle label and the six-pack that describes the brewing style and the flavoring in this particular brew.  The cap and the background on packaging also hints at the flavoring as it’s all decked out in ‘raspberry red’.

Center stage on every Shock Top product is the mohawked orange wedge donning wraparound sunglasses.  Looking ever confident, this slice of rebellion mixed with cool has been a mainstay on the packaging for many years.  It’s a sharp bit of branding making their beer immediately identifiable.   And, I must admit, it was one of the reasons I first tried Shock Top beer.

And once I did try Shock Top, I learned to appreciate their brews.  Most beers give little to no explanation of its flavors, but Shock Top delivers.  Most beers expect you to know how to pour the beer, but Shock Top prints right on the neck label the best way to properly enjoy their beers.

I don’t typically reach out for an Anheuser-Busch product, but I’ve been sold for many years on Shock Top.

From the Brewer

Raspberry Wheat is a product of Shock Top Brewing which is a part of beverage giant Anheuser-Busch.  This mega-brewer is unique in providing immediately available online details about their products.  The Shock Top Raspberry Wheat fact sheet is case and point.  More brewers should consider a similar plan.

The Shock Top website is slick, modern, up-to-date and has everything today’s beer drinker enjoys. There’s info on their beers, videos, a description of the brewing process and a bunch of social media.

Raspberry Wheat is one of four beers in their year round lineup. With 5.2% ABV, it’s noted as a Belgian-style Wheat Ale

Check it out at ShockTopBeer.com

Color
After comparing both the long and the wallet sized BeerColor.com scales to Raspberry Wheat, the color is a firm 7 in degrees Lovibond which makes it a Deep Gold beer.

Taste
Raspberry Wheat starts out with a light hoppy bitterness and a strong fruity raspberry aroma.

The middle is very smooth. Not too bubbly; not too bitter, not too sweet… Just enough citrus & coriander to keep your interest.

It ends bubbly and bitter.  But clean and with just a whisper of sweet raspberry aftertaste that keeps asking for just one more sip.

Enjoy it with sweet potato fries or a salad with, dare I say, a raspberry vinaigrette.

And be sure to follow the instructions on the neck label to get all the flavors and spices into your glass.

Raspberry Wheat is a fantastic departure from your standard brews. It’s on the sweet side, but it’s still a solid drinking beer.  I would keep a couple in my beer-fridge to have when your not sure exactly which beer you want but you want a sweeter beer.  Raspberry Wheat would never be my first ‘go-to’ brew, but it still tastes very good.

Final Facts
Name:  Raspberry Wheat
Packaging:  Typical Shock Top, informative but cool
Type:  Belgian-style Wheat Ale
ABV:  5.2%
Color:  7 degL — Deep Gold
Taste:  Starts a little bitter with a sweet aroma; the middle is smooth with hints of citrus & spice; it ends clean but with just enough sweet so you look for another sip.
Price:  $7.49 six pack
12 oz bottle:  $1.24
Final rating:  4 out of 5 Caps

Raspberry Wheat is a solid drinking beer with a great overall image, but not my first choice in beer.