PORTLAND, ME – Peak Organic’s newest beer to hit the market is The Weiss Principal and if its initial reception is any indicator, this offering might be the Portland-based brewing companies best work yet.
The beer, which pours incredibly cloudy, is an “Imperial German-Style Hefe-Weisse.”
But this brew might not be exactly what you think of when considering German-inspired wheat beers, and that’s just what Co-Founder Jon Cadoux was going for.
“We are trying to release beers that not only make sense but fit a niche,” said Cadoux. “We chose this one, because we hadn’t released a weisse-forward beer in the past.”
Until now, every Peak Organic brew had really attempted to highlight specific aspects of malt and hops. Offerings like Simcoe Spring and King Crimson did just that. What Cadoux had yet to play around with was yeast.
“We had a couple recipes, that we played around with,” he said. “We chose this one because we loved the yeast.”
According to Cadoux, he experimented with various yeast strains, all providing a wide range of flavors. The strains ranged from the more spicy clove characteristics on one end of the yeast spectrum and the banana characteristics on the other. Cadoux eventually settled on the later.
He didn’t stop there. Cadoux under-pitched the yeast, fermented the beer warm in an effort to bring as much banana flavor out as possible. And to compliment the yeast character, Cadoux chose a the Cascade hop varietal.
“The cascade hop turned out to be a nice addition to the brew, without clashing against the flavors the yeast provided,” he said.
About 100 barrels of Weiss Principal will be available on draught and in 22oz bottle selections while supplies last.
Cadoux also hinted at a few new beers that will debut later this year, but could not comment on the style or when they will be made available.