Eminent Domain

Believe it or not, I had not tried Leinenkugel's Apple Spice until this fall. When it was introduced last year, I was intrigued. I meant to get my hands on some, but Apple Spice and I just never crossed paths. When I was finally in the position to try it, I jumped at the opportunity. Apple Spice pours a lot like apple juice. My pint had a minimal amount of head on it. It's fairly clear and juice-like. The aroma is impressive. The apples are definitely front and center, joined by cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice in the background. The flavor was not exactly what I had expected. In all honesty, my exposure to apple beers is minimal. The only one I remember trying is the New Glarus Apple Ale. The Apple Spice reminded me of apple juice. There's a definite sugary, sweetness involved. It's incredibly easy to drink. It felt like I wasn't even drinking a beer. That can be good or bad, depending on one's point of view. Personally, I wasn't won over by this one. It's innovative and novel, but I guess I was looking for more of a "beer" flavor. I wouldn't turn one down, but I doubt that I would buy another.

As an aside, there is some interesting Leine's news. I am a fan of most of the Leinenkugel products. Even when they don't win me over (like with the Apple Spice, for example), I think that they produce an excellent, accessible product. Their Sunset Wheat and Berry Weiss varieties are year round now. That opens up room for new seasonals. Dick Leinenkugel was on a local morning radio show recently and brought some of the candidate beers for the hosts to try. Based on the hosts' descriptions and what Leinenkugel said about the beers, the new summer seasonal will probably be some form of wheat beer, like a hefeweizen. It will be interesting to see what they come up with next year.