Shock Top Honey Bourbon Cask Wheat

I'll admit it -- I actually kind of like Shock Top (the horror!  "real" craft beer geeks would never enjoy a beer made my A-B!).  I came across a pretty new variety (so new it isn't even listed on their website as of my writing this post) last time I put together a sixer -- Honey Bourbon Cask Wheat:

Vittles:
American Wheat or Rye Beer
5.5% abv

Score:
Appearance: 8/10
Aroma: 20/25
Taste: 33/40
Mouthfeel: 8/10
Style: 4/5
Drinkability: 8/10
Overall: 81/100

Impression:
If you've ever had any Shock Top varieties, you know about 90% of what to expect with this beer.  It poured out a decent head with great retention but left no lacing as it drank down.  The aromas and flavors are yeasty, malty, slightly spicy, and mild, but there are some moderate honey notes both in the nose and on the tongue.  The honey character was a little cloying at first, and my husband found it to be too sweet for his tastes.  I really don't smell or taste any evidence of bourbon stave aging, which is a little disappointing.  I was hoping for something a little more distinct than the rest of Shock Top's offerings, but I guess they don't want to stray too far from the base formula.  Overall, it's not bad.  If you like any of the other ST beers (even in secret), you should give this one a try.

Cheers!

Shock Top Lemon Shandy

Last summer, my husband and I shared a beach house with my folks.  We wanted something light and crisp to bring to the beach with us, something sessionable that wouldn't leave us too dehydrated after a long day in the sun and surf.  My husband wound up getting a case of Shock Top Lemon Shandy cans, and he liked it quite a bit.  So, when Lemon Shandy hit the shelves at the distributor near us, he bought another case of it:

Vittles:

Fruit Beer

4.2% abv

Score:

Appearance: 7/10

Aroma: 18/25

Taste: 30/40

Mouthfeel: 7/10

Style: 4/5

Drinkability: 8/10

Overall: 74/100

Impression:

It's really just adult lemonade with a wheat base.  The aroma is mostly lemony, but it seems like too sweet or artificial of a smell.  You can kind of sort of make out some mild wheat aroma, too, but it is much less obvious than the lemon flavoring.  The taste is sort of like lemon-flavored PEZ with wheat in the background.  None of the flavors are very strong, which is a plus, since it makes the beer light, crisp, and somewhat refreshing once you get past the overly-sweet lemon flavor.  It is fairly easy to session this beer, though, and it does somehow work very well on a hot, sunny day.  We'll probably get it again to enjoy on the beach when we go down the shore later this summer.

Cheers!