Purple Haze

For any of you who actually know me, you probably know that I LOVE PURPLE. (I did, in fact, where something purple every day for over two years when I was in high school.) Walking through the grocery store the other day, I couldn't help but notice a beer that I had never seen: Purple Haze by Abita Beer. My initial thought was "What?! Something purple?!" My second thought was "What a cheesy name for a beer." My third thought was "I am the queen of cheesiness." My fourth thought was "I have to buy this beer."I also think it has a cheesy label... but that is beside the point.

It took me until today to finally get around to sampling this gem. This beer claims to be a "raspberry wheat brew." Considering that it contains raspberry purée, its odor is not especially fruity. In fact, its smell is quite yeasty and sort of makes my nose hairs tickle. The color is a hazy orange (thus Purple HAZE, I would guess...) and pours without a great deal of head. I have to admit, I am a little sad that the beer itself is not purple. Although, I suppose that short of artificial coloring, purple is a difficult color to achieve.

It flavor is crisp and not too sweet! Of course, there is a certain amount of sweetness, considering it is a raspberry wheat, but I was very pleased that it did not seem syrupy, sugary or anything like that. The hint of raspberry does not hit you until the after taste and is really quite tart. The flavor is not overpowering, but is not watered down. I am a former wheat lover gone hoppy, so I did not expect too much from this beer. However, it is actually not bad! I would recommend a beer like this for a hot summer day (because it is light and refreshing.) I also think that most people who like wheat beers would also like this, unless they are expecting a heavier, more dense beer like some of the unfiltered wheats. Perhaps this would be a good transition beer for people who cannot wrap their taste buds around some of the heartier brews.

According to the bottle:

- Abita fresh raspberry purée is added after filtration

- fresh artesian waters from Abita Springs, Louisiana go into the beer

According to Abita:

- you may see raspberry pulp in the beer (I did not.)

- the berries provide a subtle purple color (I did not remark.)

- the beer is best served with salads, fruit desserts, soufflé, chiffon, chocolate and brie

- they recommend drinking this beer in place of a dessert (I like the idea of beer for dessert!)

- ABV 4.2%, IBU 13, color 8

Anyway, this beer is not likely to top my list for anything, but it is a nice, light wheat. I also would consider it to be a bit of a girly beer... not bad, just girly.