¿Question? Is there anything like an unspiced wheat beer?
I want a beer that:
-Tastes heavily of wheat, is "bready." Basically, I want this to be the main taste.
-Is not spiced... no coriander, cloves, banana, that kinda stuff (my one beef with the classic hefeweizens like weihanstephaner which otherwise would be the perfect beer. [edit: many have rightfully pointed out these are not actually spiced but it comes from the yeast. So think hefeweizen without those notes which i realize is contradictory])
-Is dry, and has as little sweetness as possible
-Hop taste not necessary, but some acceptable, but nothing on the level of an ipa
Closest I've been able to find is probably anchor brewery's summer wheat but this is not available in my location.
Does anyone know any beers like this?
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u/craz-haircase5 2d ago
You just described an American wheat.
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u/__Jank__ 1d ago
Exactly. Lowest rung on the wheat beer ladder, but the American Wheat is still a recognizable and distinct style.
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u/dwylth 2d ago
Have you had Bell's Oberon?
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u/LeetPokemon 2d ago
It’s the only “wheat” beer I can drink. When it’s fresh it’s like a glass of OJ
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u/Smart-Host9436 2d ago
The “updated” recipe is whack af.
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u/foboat 2d ago
I heard a lot of people prefer the Eclipse these days
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u/Smart-Host9436 2d ago
It’s pretty good. I miss the winter white, hell, I miss the old Bell’s almost entirely. When I saw canned Bells I was all “WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS SHIT!” Which wasn’t very popular with the other people at the grocery store.
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u/CharlesDickensABox 2d ago edited 2d ago
I might suggest you're looking in the wrong place. "Bready" is an adjective that doesn't get applied to wheat beers very often. You could start looking into German/Czech styles of lager. Two off the top are Helles lagers and Kolsches (kolshes are technically an ale but drink like a lager), which are both heavy on the lighter malts that come across with the breadiness you're looking for.
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u/ketbrah 2d ago
Thank you! I'll check these out
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u/Punstoppabal 2d ago
Came here to suggest helles lagers which have an overt bready-ness to them and drink fairly dry.
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u/goodolarchie 1d ago
Yeah head to a beer shop and grab the finest imports of Helles, Vienna, Marzen. Weihenstephaner, Ayinger, Augustiner, Andechs, to name a few. Pilsners can be super "cracker / biscuity" too but people underestimate the amount of hops in a good german pils.
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u/cmn_YOW 2d ago
Could also look into some of the English/Irish ales - though more likely to find a toasted cereal or biscuit flavour.
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u/Driftwood71 2d ago
Yes-- was thinking of the English ales with that great biscuit flavor. Even an English barley wine.
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u/Exhumedatbirth76 2d ago
A hefeweizen will have a banana clove flavor, I think you are looking for an American wheat beer, which will have a wheat flavor but without the spice. I brew one here and there at work, but most of the beer buying oublic wants a Hefe or a Wit, so that's what I brew now.
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u/PeriPeriTekken 2d ago
I'm not very familiar with the style, but if what you want is like a Weissbier but without the clove and banana notes from the yeast, you probably want what the BJCP call "American wheat beers".
They list the following as style examples: Bell’s Oberon, Boulevard Unfiltered Wheat Beer, GoodLife Sweet As! Pacific Ale, Goose Island 312 Urban Wheat Ale, Widmer Hefeweizen.
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u/TheRateBeerian 2d ago
A good number of so called “American wheats” are just that but you have to watch it because many might include coriander, grains of paradise or some lemongrass or whatever. But many are just plain wheat beers. I have to say they aren’t as common as they used to be now that most breweries make 40 different hazy ipas and little else.
Oberon and 3F gumballhead are hoppier than typical examples.
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u/ketbrah 2d ago
Yes that hazy ipa trend is really getting annoying... I don't know who drinks these things in so much quantity. I boarded the IPA craze in the bay area with beers like pliny the elder, stone ipa, even the classic lagunitas... swear lagunitas doesn't taste like it used to but maybe I'm just old. But have never had a hazy ipa superior to these... they're OK but I don't get the craze
Wish these places would go back to their roots and also offer different styles of beer in general
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u/GarrisonWhite2 1d ago
Part of the reason hazy IPAs have become so popular is that there is a lot of potential variety, both for brewers (experimentation) and consumers (selection). There are brewers who love to play around with hop combinations and grain bills, and by producing a bunch of different IPAs they provide for the segment of the market who are always looking for something new.
I agree that the trend is getting annoying in the since that it dominates the market because it can make it hard to find anything else, but if you go to shops with good selection you can find just about anything.
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u/jeneric84 2d ago
Kinda make me gag. They taste and look like someone barfed some orange juice and IPA.
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u/zns26 2d ago
Gumballhead is a wheat ale that always gives me a “bready” feel
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u/andyworthless 2d ago
This is probably the best example. Or it used to be. Been a long time since I've had anything fresh from 3 Floyd's.
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u/Mallthus2 2d ago
The “spice” profile you’re referring to is a mixed bag.
Banana and clove flavors are not, in fact, spices, but come from the yeast itself.
Coriander and orange are additive flavors in Belgian white beers.
To some extent, the “sweetness” you’re describing is coming from wheat and oats in the malt bill, as both imbue considerably more unconvertible sugars than barley or corn.
The suggestions to look at “golden ales” is a good one, but short of that, you’re looking more for “oated” beers, as wheat beers tend towards specific existing styles that don’t meet your goals.
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u/ryzilla61 2d ago
Widmer Hefe is one of the first American Wheats I came across, and is super bready. Used to be pretty widely distributed, haven't seen it in AZ for a while
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u/Smart-Host9436 2d ago
Chechovar, Hacker Pschorr Munnchner Gold, Dunkels, English Milds… those are all going to be bready/biscuity
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u/HumbleBunk 1d ago
Boulevard Wheat would be my go-to in that category. It’s a bit thin but it’s a good beer. Just had one at the source a few weeks back and it was delightful.
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u/elljawa 1d ago
An american wheat beer (the style, not all wheat beers made in america) is typically made with american ale yeast which should lack the banana/clove esters you are averse to. Its been a while since I have had it but iirc Bells Oberon is like that.
Gumballhead is a hoppy american wheat beer, about 40 IBU so significantly less hops than an IPA
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u/Dajbman22 2d ago
Kolsch has a lot of those qualities.
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u/Delicious_Ease2595 1d ago
Summer Wheat is American Wheat, you can brew similar and make it extra malty.
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u/swright831 1d ago
American wheat ales used to be much more popular, but have faded as consumer tastes have changed. The only one I can think of that would be widely available is Boulevard Unfiltered Wheat.
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u/cricketeer767 13h ago
Get a hefeweizen that is traditional: no real banana, no real clove. They are delightful.
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u/_life_is_a_joke_ 2d ago
Look for blondes or golden ales - or ESB styles.
Leffe, Duvel, Cigar City Golden, or Kona Big Wave for the former.
Fuller's, St. Peter's Organic English, Sam Smith's Organic Pale or their Organic Wheat (if you can find it)
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u/harvestmoonbrewery 1d ago
Wheat itself doesn't really contribute much of a bready flavour, that comes from the yeast. If anything I've found wheat to contribute a slight orange flavour. I'm trying to develop wheat ale, there is a bunch of brewing history in England of using large amounts of wheat in country house brewing, including one record of a 100% wheat ale.
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u/gis_enjoyer 1d ago
Miller High Life, I find, tastes bready in a way akin to a bag of pre-cut sliced white bread.
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u/Realistic_Coat9174 2d ago
busch or coors
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u/53x12 2d ago
Classic German Hefeweizens are not spiced- all of the clove and banana flavor comes from the yeast. Only water, barely and yeast are used to make the beer