Crystal Wheat Ale - Pyramid Breweries, Seattle

Pyramid is a brewery that has always confused me. Their packaging says Mutli-National Conglomerate while their beers say Innovative Craft Brewer. I've had enough of their beers to say that I've got a good understanding of their brewing philosophy but I can't commit to whether or not this is a brewery I can really get behind. I love their Apricot Weizen, it's a delicious beer, but I can't bring myself to drink an Audacious Apricot Ale or Haywire Hefeweizen. There comes a point when marketing is a bit too much for me and I just tune it out. Now, rather than turn this review into a diatribe about Pyramid's rebranding, I'm going to review one of Pyramid's beers that I picked up a few of months back - before they rebranded and everything became EXTREME!

Pryamid's Crystal Wheat Ale is a filtered American Wheat Ale. It has a clear body and light texture that you'll enjoy on a warm summer's day. This might not be what you're expecting if you've spent your formative years drinking unfiltered Wheat Ales, but you'll quickly come to respect the style for what it is... a Wheat Light. That isn't meant to be a negative, not all beers need to be thick and creamy. The Crystal Wheat Ale has a good deal of flavor left in it compared to other filtered Wheats I've had. True to Pyramid's form however, the flavors in this beer are less about the wheat base and more about fruit extract...

For beers like the Apricot Weizen it totally works, the flavor combination is great. For the Crystal Wheat it really ends up being a bit much. Considering this isn't a Lemon Wheat or Orange Wheat beer, there really is just too much citrus in this for more liking. This isn't a Leinenkugel beer, it isn't that fruity... but it's more than I expect from what should be a session wheat. That being said, this beer is refreshing and easy to drink. If you like lighter, fruitier beers then this is one you should look into. If you prefer your Wheat Ales to be more traditional in texture and flavor then you can safely pass this one up.