Afternoon Beer Break: Left Hand Brewing Wheels Gone ‘Round

In this edition of the Afternoon Beer Break, we are headed back to the Boulder, CO-based Left Hand Brewing. And, as with their prior beer we reviewed it has a rather interesting color. This time, it was yet another style that I’ve not experienced before, in the form of the Left Hand Brewing Wheels Gone ‘Round.

First up, let’s talk about the social mission that the Left Hand Brewing Wheels Gone ‘Round is undertaking. Yes, that’s right, a beer with a conscience. In this case, it’s to highlight the charity work that Left Hand is undertaking to raise awareness (and funds) for Multiple Sclerosis research. Since 2008, they’ve raised over $3 million, and of course they’d love for you to join in that fight as well, perhaps by supporting the rides they organize (you can get more details on that over at Team Left Hand).

I will admit, when the Left Hand Brewing Wheels Gone ‘Round came in, I had no idea what a gose beer was. Well, a quick trip to the firehose of information that is the internet, and a concise article illuminated the subject. First up, a gose is a regional beer first brewed in Goslar (in Germany), and is a style that has a special exemption from the German “pure beer” rules, due to it’s use of salt (and sometimes coriander). In this case, Left Hand is indeed using some salt in the mix of ingredients, which they call out as:

Rocky Mountain water
Malted Barley
Malted Wheat

Raspberry
Lemon peel
Hops

Salt
Yeast

With that inclusion of raspberry, you won’t be too surprised to note that the Left Hand Brewing Wheels Gone ‘Round pours with a pinkish hue (though not quite as bright a shade as the Flamingo we just reviewed). There is a definite berry nose once poured, and the initial hit of flavor is a strong raspberry, but not one that is overly sweet (thankfully). While it does not pour with a great amount of head, this is a fairly fizzy beer, which I find refreshing. As I made my way through the glass, there is a bit more of the sourness that you pick up from the lemon peel in the mix, which (from the earlier reading) is a more pronounced flavor you’d expect from the style.

I can’t speak for all gose-style beers, but for the Left Hand Brewing Wheels Gone ‘Round, this is a sourer beer that I actually rather liked. Others that I’ve tried have just been way too sour, but here, it’s a less pronounced component of the beer. While it may not be one I’d seek out a cooler-full of for camping, it’s not a bad one to mix in now and again for some variety. And hey, it’s bringing awareness to a good cause as well, so why not take it for a spin? lefthandbrewing.com