That’s right friends – it’s Friday afternoon, which means it’s time for another edition of the Afternoon Beer Break. I will admit, I’ve definitely been brining more than a few different IPAs to your attention. Today, we’re going to mix things up a bit, and check out a wheat ale. This one goes by the name of the 4 Hands Contact High.
As you might surmise, 4 Hands is the name of the brewery, and they call St. Louis home. I suppose as a resident of Chicago I’m supposed to be anti-St. Louis, but I’m a transplant, so I don’t have those walls up. So, when the pinball-machine artwork caught my eye, I knew I had something new to try out on the old taste buds.
You can see the full notes (such as they are) down below, but there are a few highlights for you. For starters, when you pour the 4 Hands Contact High into a glass, you’ll notice a somewhat bread-reminiscent scent hitting your nose, which is something that I’m used to picking up on wheat ales. It’s got a nice golden hue in the glass – somewhat hazy – and it goes smoothly over the tongue. While it’s not an overly bitter beer, the use of the hops brings some additional dimensions to the flavor profile. And at a 5% ABV, it’s not one that’s going to smack you in the face. Quite a drinkable brew, and I do agree that their recommendations of pairing it with spicy foods or pizza would work out quite well. If you find it local to you, definitely worth checking out. 4 Hands Brewing Co.
Tasting Notes
- Yeasty/bready nose
- Cloudy gold hue
- Crisp head
- Smooth
- Definite a wheat beer but the hops add some complex layers
- Yeah I could see this with spicy food – or pizza
- Not overly bitter
Description from 4 Hands
Not just another boring wheat ale. We made Contact High, our spring and summer seasonal, exciting by adding copious amounts of pacific northwest hops and dry hopping with fresh orange zest. Contact High pours a bright orange hue with a big citrus aroma.
Style: American Pale Wheat Ale
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 5.00%