Rentsch Blonde – The Lightest One
Brewery: Rentsch Brewing
Style: American Wheat (1D)
Package: 12oz Can
Best by Date: 06/19/18
Purchased: HEB – Tech Ridge, Mar 2018
Details from the Brewer
ABV: 5.2%
Based on a traditional German Wheat Ale recipe, this modern hefeweizen is perfectly balanced for a relaxing afternoon. Enjoy the soft flavors from German malts, American Wheat, and Texas water.
Light and refreshing, this go-to Texas blonde is golden in color with a crisp finish. It’s a refreshing drink on a hot day and perfect for any occasion.
Review
Aroma – 4/12
A low wheat – doughy character comes through at first. This is quickly overpowered by a moderate phenolic note. Slight papery quality comes out as it warms, along with low amounts of breadiness.
Appearance – 2/3
Pours with a thin layer of white bubbles. Quickly dissipates with poor retention. Rousing the beer generates more bubbles which fail to persist. The liquid pours a deep gold with a strong haze.
Flavor – 5/20
The doughy malt character is first flavor apparent. This is quickly overtaken by a phenolic character. An oxidized paper quality also joins the party. Low-medium sweetness, that persists to a dry finish. Low-medium bitterness appears at the end of the taste and lasts through the finish. As it warms, a bit more malt character appears (grainy, bready) as the phenolic subside. Oxidation and phenolic character lingers in the aftertaste.
Mouthfeel – 3/5
Medium bodied at the start of the sip. Moderate creaminess through out the taste, with a low-medium astringency on the finish. Low alcohol warming in the throat.
Overall Impression – 3/10
The off flavors here mask what could be the start of a decent American Wheat. There is definitely an oxidation issue at packaging, with some concerning phenolic characters coming from the fermentation. These aren’t the clove notes you’d see in an Bavarian weissbier, but closer to a plasticy character. A better packaging process would be a great start to improving this.
Rating – 17/50
This is my first time trying a beer for Rentsch. Although not a style I’d normally reach for, I found this quite a bit off-base. Having consumed my fair share of Oberon, it’s somewhat difficult to see where this is close to the style. I’m hoping their other brands are fair a bit better.
