Original art by Chicago artist Ian Bennett for the Blister in the Sun label.
Imagine a hybrid between a ramped-up wheat beer, an India Pale Ale and a lager.
What is it? Blister in the Sun from Wisconsin Brewing Company
Style: Blister in the Sun is somewhat of a hybrid between a ramped-up wheat beer, an India Pale Ale and a lager, although the Belgian wit is the core. Wits are light wheat ales, a style that dates back more than four centuries. They’re known for being light to medium-bodied, a hazy pale straw to a light golden color, with a smooth or creamy texture from the unmalted wheat malt. Historically wits were made with spices, before hops became a common component in beer. Today’s versions are still far from hoppy. Some brewpubs serve wits with a slice of orange to accentuate the citrus flavors of the ale yeast. Well-known examples of the style include Blue Moon from MillerCoors and Hoegaarden from Brewery De Kluis in Flanders, Belgium.
However, Wisconsin Brewing’s Blister in the Sun was only inspired by the wit. It features a unique blend of hops that lends distinctive bitterness, and it’s fermented with a lager yeast. Brewmaster Kirby Nelson describes it as a pseudo-wit that’s jacked up.
Background: Assistant brewer Clint Lohman who came up with the idea for this beer when he was a homebrewer and part-time worker at Madison’s Wine and Hop Shop a few years ago. Over the last year he’s been refining the recipe using the small pilot brewing system at WBC. Tastes of those initial trial batches have been occasionally offered in the taproom since last fall. “It was fun to work with new and different ingredients that I hadn’t had a lot of experience with, especially the hops,” Lohman says.
Lohman took the wit style with its orange and coriander spices, then wrapped those flavors in a special blend of hops reminiscent of a white IPA. Primary hops used include U.S.-grown Amarillo and the more hard-to-find Nelson Sauvignon, a New Zealand variety named after Sauvignon Blanc grapes.
Blister in the Sun is the first brew to appear in WBC’s new “Conspiracies” line of four-packs, meant to showcase experimental and one-off batches. The beer’s label was designed by Chicago artist Ian Bennett; WBC commissioned a painting by Bennett for the beer to hang in the brewery offices. Although the beer shares a title from a song by the Violent Femmes, the name originated when brewery operations manager Mike McGuire burned his hand last year. Blister in the Sun finishes at 7% ABV and sells in four-packs for about $8-$9.
Tasting notes:
Aroma: A light hoppy bitterness with hints of grape sweetness.
Appearance: Golden-copper color with a slight haziness. It has a thick, soft tan head.
Texture: Medium-bodied and bubbly. Becomes lightly dry in the finish.
Taste: Crisp hints of grain, coriander and orange with a light fruity hoppiness.
Finish/Aftertaste: The refreshing fruity qualities linger. However, there a slighter stronger touch of hops displayed in a subtle dryness as the flavor ends.
Glassware: The vivid golden-copper color and soft head are ideal for the weizen glass.
Pairs well with: The light fruity orange flavor alongside the grape-like Nelson Sauvignon hops are great with a mild feta cheese and a fruit plate. Add a wafer or cracker that’s made with black pepper to allow the coriander and crisp hoppy dryness to come through even more.
The Verdict: Blister in the Sun’s hints of orange and coriander may make you think it’s a wit, but it doesn’t have the light, spicy phenolics of the style. That’s likely because it’s fermented with lager yeast that leaves less of those flavors, and also because there’s a solid hoppy-bitterness that shines through. It comes off initially as light, but at 7% ABV, this is not a lawn-mower beer. There’s a lot going on, so pay attention to the crisp fruitiness of orange combining with the grape wine-like flavors of the Nelson Sauvignon hops and the dry hop finish. Blister in the Sun is a distinctive entry into the heart of summertime beer drinking.
