I thought I had missed the sweet spot in this one. I was sure it must have sat too long. Then I noticed it was 8.2%. The collaboration beer between the venerable Schneider Weissebier Brewery and The Brooklyn Brewery. Neat idea? Sure. Franken-brew? Maybe.

This is the German expression of the partnership. And you know what? The first sips were not good. Glyceral, unbalanced and over-hopped, sort of like a boring IPA meets a boring weisse beer. But I had missed something - the swirl. Wham. O. Makes sense. Lots of boozy heat but also lots of spicy yeast. Tell tale grey beige beer but at a lighter tone than the standard S-W with a billowy white head. Now, it's more like an experimental small brewer Belgian product - but without that brett or those other weird acids that you fear yet love. Very nice. It is itself. Soft pear juice meets a shot of calvados meets cream of wheat meets nutmeg meets cream. Neato.

Well deserved BAer love.