Shock Top: Beer for the Discerning Palette

Moxie's in Mississauga's Square One location is featuring a new beer, or at least a beer I hadn't seen on their menu before.

It is Shock Top Wheat IPA (Indian Pale Ale).

The Shock Top line is one of the Anheuser-Busch “craft” beer arms, and the brand revolves around a Belgian Wit (or “White”) style of beer (in the same vein as Coors and their Blue Moon series); in addition to the main Shock Top Belgian White, they also produce a Raspberry Wheat and a Pumpkin Wheat—and now, a Wheat IPA [Source: The Brew Site].

And more on Anheuser-Busch:

Based in St. Louis, Anheuser-Busch is the leading American brewer, holding a 47.6 percent share of U.S. beer sales to retailers. The company brews the world’s largest-selling beers, Budweiser and Bud Light, and distributes these and many other popular brands through a strong network of more than 600 independent wholesalers [Source: Anheuser-Busch].

Here are the notes I took as I was tasting the beer (the waitress had brought me a sample since it is a new feature in the restaurant). I'm not a beer sommelier, so my assessment is purely based on my own amateur palette:

Substance - Malty
Balance - Sweet/Dry
Taste - Tangy/Citrusy
Color - Yellowish, Straw-like
Clarity - Opaque
Sedements- Some
Froth - Slightly effervescent
After taste - None

It is difficult to find a full review of the beer, perhaps because it is so new. Nonetheless, Here is a short essay on the beer from this site, which I've edited for better reading, and highlighted the important information:

As many of you may already be aware, back in October of last year [2011] Shock Top announced that they would soon be producing a “hybrid” profile beer called the Wheat I.P.A. Unfortunately for the beer consuming masses, very little information about Shock Top’s new project has surfaced since that announcement. That is, until now. Earlier today I managed to get a hold of a bottle of the new Wheat I.P.A. and let me tell you, this is one interesting beer. Set to release country wide on February 6, 2012, the WIPA combines the bright citrus notes of a wheat beer and the traditional hoppiness of an India Pale Ale. Once again, Shock Top has continued to broaden the scope of profiles in which beer manifests itself.

Once poured from the bottle, the brew's most notable trait is its cloudiness. Similar to an unfiltered hefe-weizen, the golden hued Wheat I.P.A. is nearly opaque and contains sediments left over from the brewing process. The nose of the beer is instantly recognizable as a wheat beer boasting a variety of several crisp citrus aromas. As I took my first taste, the WIPA’s citrus profile immediately grabbed my attention. However, within a few brief seconds an out-of-the-ordinary bitterness typically associated with strong and bold I.P.A.’s takes center stage. Just as quickly as the flavor appeared, the WIPA’s bitterness begins to subdue and the brew begins to transmute, yet again, into a classic wheat beer. I have to admit that I had a fairly difficult time finding and isolating the coriander notes touted on the bottle’s label, but regardless the beer is well balanced and chocked full of flavor. [Shock Top has a] clean and refreshing finish sans the bitterness.

There you have it, a new unique and delicious hybrid beer that delivers bright flavors and bold profiles to satiate almost any drinker’s palette.

I don't think I did too bad!

I may not be a beer sommelier, I do cook, and I do experiment with cooking. And I've had some pretty good results.

If this beer is available in your region, you can drink it alone, since it is sturdy enough to have without a meal.

But I would recommend it with a meal of pork chops.

I have a pork chop recipe ready, which I embellished from this New York City restaurant's chef oeuvre.

My pork chop recipe, Pork Chops à la Kidist is here.