Tommyknocker Jack Whacker Wheat Ale

 Tommyknocker brewery was a stand out at the Mississippi Coast Beerfest. I took a special note of their various tastings there and was excited to review them formally. Unfortunately I have not been able to find their craft offerings in Tennessee, so on a recent trip to Alabama we found the Jack Whacker. I have to say I love the name, reminds me of what an old mountain man would use as a derogatory comment to someone he was displeased with. I also must confess this unfiltered wheat ale initially is a refreshing enjoyable brew. The light fluffy head left a nice lacing as it went down the glass. My initial taste was nice with the lemon grass backdrop, but as I drank I tired of this strong lemon flavor. Earthy flavors follow the lemon that seemed to rest on the back of my tongue. I felt overpowered by these flavors and lost the other nuances that I might have otherwise discovered. Do not quickly dismiss this beer though, for if your habit is to add citrus to your wheat ales it is already there for you. Maybe I'm being a little critical but that's why I'm called a critic!
Matt gives this well named brew 2.5 out of 5

I have to agree with Matt about the initial burst of refreshment when you first start drinking this ale. It is as witbiers should be, unfiltered. There is a strong, sweet scent to the nose as well as a sweet note to the backside of each swallow. I wonder if the yeast weren't inhibited to keep them from devouring all the sugars in this brew. This is only conjecture, but I could see the brewers coming to this decision to counter the natural bitterness of the wheat and the added intense bitter of the lemon grass. I am not generally for or against adding to a beer to achieve a certain flavor as I see this as the artistic expression of the brewer. I do however admire the skill level of brewers who manage to achieve these flavors through skillful manipulation of the yeast rather than resorting to additives. I personally found this beer to be refreshing and enjoyable during my consumption of it. My good friend Matt is not overly fond of sweet beers and if you feel similarly, this is not a brew for you. As the brew warmed I denoted an almost candied tone to the nose and as I continually swirled the yeast laden remnants in my glass, detected faint phenolic nuances. if you pick up a skunky wet-grass tone in hefeweizens, again this beer may not be for you, but as far as that goes, your nose would have to be well trained to detect those faint signatures.Overall I enjoyed it and see this brew as a good way to get beer newbs to branch out in their taste. I will definitely drink this again.
-Zech gives the Jack Whacker 3.5 out of 5-

Point Brewery Horizon Wheat

 

  Just gaze in loving awe at the smooth golden goodness that is the Point Brewery Horizon Wheat. This, my friends is Unfiltered Wheat Ale done right and as such I would recommend that your hard earned cash go towards this rather than Bud Light Golden Wheat.

  As you can see, this brew has a light and white fluffy head. There are readily recognizable but not overpowering citrus notes in the nose. There are no orange peels in this brew. Those scents come from the balances of malts, hops and American ale yeast. This is my second time reviewing a product from Stevens Point, Wisconsin and these folks definitely impress. As the beer warms the bitter notes become less pronounced and the malts start to to stand out even more.  It has a bitterness rating of 10 IBU's (International Bittering Units) which is just enough to let you know that you are drinking a grown-ups beer. Since this is the real thing, make sure you swirl the sediment in the bottle with the last couple of ounces and pour that into your glass. Here is what the folks at Point had to say about this brew and it was just so poetic I just had to copy it here for you.

  "Point Horizon Wheat is an alluring combination of spring wheat and specialty malts along with Yakima hops and American ale yeast.  This lively and light, perfectly balanced wheat beer pours cloudy and finishes with a white creamy head.  The glowing golden hue may help you visualize the start of a new day as early morning rays of sunshine bounce across the horizon of an American wheat field."

  It's just so beautiful...sniff...brings a tear to my eye.

  -Zech gives Point Brewery Horizon Wheat a 3.5 out of 5-

Stevens Point Brewery has impressed me further with this delightful product. Everything Zech said above I could parrot, fruity smell, fluffy white head, golden orangeish color, balanced flavors between malts hops and yeast, blah blah blah (not you Zech just the repetition I could do). What I really appreciated about this beer is what I've seen from this brewer with everything I have tried, really well done beer that gives you a cannot miss when forking over the dough to purchase a real beer on payday. I am also a comfort food guy, no doubt you have noticed this by the pairings of food and beer I recommend, and one of my favorites is a good hot wing. One beer that I tend to go with when partaking of the small chicken limbs is a wheat beer. This beer would absolutely go well with a spicy wing. So do not despair when your ready to try a Stevens Point Brewery Horizon Wheat you will not be wasting your dollars. 

-Matt gives it a 4 of 5