I have always been a fan of wheat beers usually trending to Blue Moon over other rivals like Shock Top. However, one late spring afternoon I stumbled across Shock Top Raspberry Wheat at a local gas station. Having never heard of it before I took a chance, grabbed a 6 pack and headed home. Like all wheat beers a decent amount of sediment collects on the bottom that the bottle suggests you disperse by pouring into a glass and swirling the contents. Considering clean glasses were at a premium in my college apartment, I opted for the tried and true method of rolling the closed bottle gently back and forth on a table before cracking it open and taking that first sip. The first sip had a bit of bitterness to it, and the alcohol was present despite its average 5.3% content. That initial shock quickly subsided to sweetness with a boldly present raspberry flavor with the ever-present orange peel and coriander hanging out in the background. It has an light but creamy texture and was quite refreshing, a great summer beer. My only qualm with this beer, although it may have been my fault, is that once, while enjoying bottle, the sediment at the bottom did not disperse as expected and detached as a giant clump. While nearing the end, I got a nice chunk of wheat and yeast sediment that sent that bottle off on a sour note. While it has not stopped me from buying this beer again and again, I always leave a solid half inch at the bottom of each bottle just to avoid the same mishap happening once again. All in all, Shock Top Raspberry Wheat is a great beer and a nice twist on the typical Belgian wheat ale. While it may be a little sweet, it is an ideal summer beer, especially when ice cold. I definitely recommend it.
In response to a Google keyword search that led someone to this post asking what fruit to put in Shock Top Raspberry Wheat, as it still has the core elements of a wheat beer, an orange would probably suffice, however the beer is so fruity and flavorful on its own you really don't need to add anything to it.
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