MANY film directors admit ‘discovering’ a film in the cutting room. Although they have worked to bring all the components together, they never truly know that they have until they begin the editing process and that’s when the post-production team earn their corn.
In the same way, many beers come into their own during fermentation and this is the time for that often forgotten ingredient – yeast – to shine. Wheat beers are broadly categorised as those which have high propotions of wheat grain, but it’s the yeast strains which give them their flavour.
Ranging anywhere from bubble gum and banana to smokey and spicy, and even funky, tangy flavours, the variety of tastes a wheat beer can throw up is quite eclectic.
For many craft brewers, tackling a wheat beer is almost like paying homage to the great Belgian and Germany traditions. The Six Degrees North brewery in Aberdeen is so named because it of its geographical position in relation to Brussels and its Wanderlust Wheat is a cloudy, well-balanced version of a Belgian Witbier.
A couple of Northern Ireland breweries have their own takes on the many varieties out there, with their own unique twist. Stalwarts of craft brewery, the Hilden Brewery in Lisburn, have given the American-style wheat beer a uniquely Belfast identity.
Barney’s Brew is billed a ‘Belfast Bap Wheat beer’ and derives its name from Barney Hughes, the baker who was reputed to have invented the Belfast bap.
Well, Hilden’s own creation is every bit as satisfying as chomping into a big fresh bap with ham and cheese (or whatever filling floats your boat). Straw in colour, it’s a nice light wheat beer, spiced with cardamom, coriander and black pepper which all contribute to refreshing finish after a the malty, biscuit flavour has filled your mouth.
About half an hour or so down the road, there’s brewery still in its infancy compared to the Lisburn trailblazers. Mourne Mountain Brewery’s take on wheat beer veers more towards the German Weizenbock tradition. Big Rock is darker in colour and has a fruity aroma with a predominantly malty flavour at first, but the yeast they use introduces a warming, spicy character to the beer before a full malty finish.
