Beer Drinking Report: Wolaver's Rolls Out Wildflower Wheat

I’m told that spring is the time for renewal and new starts. It’s true even in the world of beer.

That’s an overly long way of saying our friends over at Otter Creek Brewing recently asked me to try some of their Wolaver’s fine organic ale — in anticipation of them adding a new beer to their lineup while rolling out a new label for their bottled beer.

The newbie is called Wildflower Wheat, brewed with organic Vermont honey and chamomile. This cloudy concoction has a crisp taste and mild finish with just a hint of the honey at the end. Parts of it reminded me of the many types of Hefeweizen that I like to drink during the summer months (think Harpoon U.F.O.).

But make no mistake my fellow Beer Drinkers: a Hefe this ain’t.

(And you don’t want to make the mistake of trying to add a slice of lemon to a Wildflower Wheat — especially a non-organic one. Noooo!)

I wasn’t alone in trying Wildflower Wheat. J.C. stopped by our place last weekend and said something about the beer tasting like a summer day. She was big fan. Honestly, I couldn’t really make out everything she was saying because she stuffed her face with Keebler Clubs and suddenly blurted, “Do you have any more crackers?” — a mouth full of cracker guts in full view. But I digress.

It’s clear that the folks at the OC have some rebranding on the mind. You’ll be sure to find information up on their new website and Facebook page they’ve recently put up once they are fully up and running.

Speaking of rebranding, I am pretty enthused about this new/old look Redhook is taking up with their bottles and labels. They remind me of the grenade bottles of Black Label or Schmidt’s Light that my old man used to buy in the ‘70s for about $5.99 a case. So, thanks to you Redhook, I can now enjoy a great beer and a fond walk down memory lane without suffering.

Here are some other liner notes from my recent sipping on some other Wolaver’s/Long Trail samples that were in the mix:

My runaway favorite from the Wolaver’s pack was their Brown Ale. Yes, it reminded me somewhat of Peak Organic’s Nut Brown Ale. But what’s so bad about that? The flavors jump out at you and have a very clean finish which just makes you want to have another.

Their Oatmeal Stout had a surprisingly leaner consistency than I expected for a stout, yet I found myself drinking it slow like I do a richer beer. Their IPA? If you blindfolded me, I would have missed the mark and called it a delicious lager.

One IPA you want to pay attention to by the Long Trail folks is the Double IPA. It has a nice hoppy bite that I generally prefer when it comes to IPAs – not too far of a cry from a Dogfish Head.

If you have never had a Wolaver’s, an easy stop to make would be over at Sunset Grill and Tap, where you can find the oatmeal stout. It’s listed twice on their menu (for two different prices), so maybe you can work out with your server how much you pay. For those of you playing at home, head on over to Field Station Liquors in Dorchester. They can hook you up with at least a six-pack of something Wolaver’s.

The Beer Drinker is a contributor to the Beer Drinking Report.