Stinger Wild Honey-Wheat

Stinger, from Estes Park Brewery, Estes Park, CO, is a wheat ale brewed with clover honey, and brewed at 7522 feet no less.  I didn’t know you could boil water at that altitude.  Stinger pours medium gold with lots of carbonation and minimal head.  The bouquet has some sweetness to it , along with a papery quality, and maybe a touch of sulphur.  That might be on me:  it came from Estes Park in the trunk of a car on a 2-day journey, although I did try to keep it cool at least.  The mouthfeel is thin but smooth, and all-in-all it feels pretty drinkable.  The sweetness is evident, but not cloyingly so.  There even seems to be the lightest hint of orange as well.  Stinger is an OK wheat beer, nothing to write home about, but pleasant enough.  The Estes Park Brewery itself seems a bit run down (and this is pre-flood, last month).  I get the feeling it was more relevant in the earlier days of the craft beer revolution, but I’m thinking time (and MANY newer nearby breweries) has passed it by.  I’ve read plenty of reviews of Stinger and most of them are more kind than this one, but judge for yourself.  I just like to point you toward the path that I think is worth taking, but am often on that path alone.  And I’m OK with that.

Stinger…Well, at least it’s not Stinker.

58/100 wheat beer