Try?
Here’s a find I stumbled on a few months ago; the beer has been sitting in my DBR (Dedicated Beer Refrigerator) since I picked it up back in February. In fact, Jailhouse Smokey Wheat Ale was released well before then, too. It’s a limited release that was first bottled around fall of 2011, but for some reason I couldn’t find the stuff. And believe me, I tried.
One of the weird things about me, though, is that I have this habit of scoping out liquor stores wherever I go. And so one day while bringing the wife to a few craft stores in Roswell, Georgia I stopped at a package store I was passing to see what I could find. Lo and behold, they had a last bottle of Smokey Wheat Ale in their fridge. Perhaps a gift to me from Ninkasi? I can’t be sure, but I pounced upon it for the reasonable price of $6.99.
Jailhouse first released Smokey in 2010 as a draft only specialty. Their e-mail newsletter announced it thusly when they did:
Arising from Glenn’s love affair with a famous green ceramic smoker, Smokey, the first seasonal release from JailHouse Brewing Company, is now available for a limited time. This darkened, smoked version of our Slammer Wheat recipe is a session beer that nods towards crisp weather, shorter days and lots of football on t.v. The addition of cherry-wood smoked malt even smells like fall. Smokey’s now pouring on Saturday Visitations (Saturday brewery tours 2-6 pm) and in your favorite beer joints around town. If they don’t already have it, ask them to get it.
Jailhouse
Smokey Wheat Ale pours to a dark brown color with
a medium creamy head formation and a tart wheat nose laced with hints of
subtle smoke and chocolate. Palate has dark malt upfront with notes of
chocolate and dark fruit along with some refreshing tart wheat character.
That helps to dry the beer in the finish, where the smoke remerges at just
the right moment. The smooth, creamy body was delightful, and while this
dunkelweizen lacked the typical clove and banana of a German dunkel hefe,
that didn’t stop me from really enjoying it. Not overbearing at 6.7% alcohol
by volume, too.
I very much enjoyed this beer on a warm April evening in Georgia. It was so refreshing and drinkable and I very much enjoyed the first half while grilling out. The second half was equally a treat with burgers and fresh sausage from Alabama’s Conecuh Sausage Company. A delicious southern beer with delicious southern sausage-truly a match made in heaven. Or, at the very least Canton, Georgia.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft
