Fruit Wheat Beer
Fruit Wheat Beers are generally straw to light amber, and will usually reflect the color of added fruit to some degree.
Chill haze is acceptable. These beers may be served with or without yeast. When served with yeast, appearance is hazy to very cloudy. Fruit or fruit extracts contribute aroma with fruit qualities perceived as authentic and replicating true fruit complexity as much as possible. Low fruity-ester aroma is typical, as is low to medium-low malt aroma. Diacetyl aroma should not be perceived. Yeast and yeast generated aroma should be low to medium but not overpowering in versions served with yeast. Hop aroma is low to medium. Low to medium-low malt sweetness is present. Hop flavor is low to medium. Hop bitterness is low to medium. These beers can be made using either ale or lager yeast. Grist includes at least 30 percent malted wheat. Fruit or fruit extracts contribute flavor with fruit qualities perceived as authentic and replicating true fruit complexity as much as possible. Low fruity-ester flavor from yeast is typical. Diacetyl flavor should not be perceived. Yeast and yeast generated flavor should be low to medium but not overpowering in versions served with yeast. Body is low to medium. In versions served with yeast the character should portray a full yeasty mouthfeel. At competition, these beers are poured as specified by the entering brewer, using quiet pouring, normal pouring or intentional rousing. For purposes of this competition, coconut is defined as a vegetable, and beers containing coconut would be appropriately entered as Field Beer. At competition, fruited versions of Berliner Weisse or Contemporary Gose would be appropriately characterized in those categories (as they are commonly brewed with fruit), and not entered as Fruit Wheat Beers. At competition, fruited versions of various South German style Weizens, Grodziskie, or other wheat beer styles would be appropriately characterized as Fruit Wheat Beer, as they are not commonly brewed with fruit. Such entries could appropriately deviate from parameters shown below and would instead hew towards the underlying classic beer style, with fruit added. A statement by the brewer explaining fruits used, underlying beer style or other information about the entry is essential in order for fair assessment in competitions.
IBU (International Bitterness Unit)
Abv (Alcohol By Volume)
