Appearance: Tony Danza yellow, with loose head that disappears almost immediately
Smell: sweet wheat, with hints of Belgian malt fruitiness
Taste: WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT.
Mouthfeel: slightly thicker than your average lager, still pretty thin
Drinkability: decent
Hey Shiner, we need to rap serious for a minute. I’m a big fan of yours, and I’m sure you appreciate all the money I’ve given you over the years. But lately, it’s become a real chore to keep being your bro. You square-head weirdos need to get your shit together.
Here’s the thing: outside of the basic Shiner Bock, only every fourth or fifth seasonal beer/special edition is worthwhile. At this point, they might as well change their name to Danny Ainge Brewery.
HEFASSWEIZEN
And I LOVE Shiner Bock. It’s so ubiquitous, I almost don’t have a choice, but beyond that, it really is pretty excellent. I think really good, local(ish) brewing is often taken for granted, but it’s actually rather exceptional that we’ve got the option of a Shiner at literally EVERY bar in the state. And I’m really stoked that they’re willing to experiment and turn out so many specialized varieties. But I’d be infinitely more stoked if they knocked the schedule down by even just two beers, and used the extra time to make sure they were putting out a consistently great product.
So here’s the 102, the latest anniversary beer. Each year, to celebrate the brewery, Spoetzl throws a new style out there for a few months, and then it’s gone forever. Every so often, they may tweak the formula, and re-release it as a another special edition (like Shiner Black), but essentially, when it’s gone, it’s gone. The 102 is a double wheat pale ale, which I immediately got a big boner for. I was certain this was going to be the one to break the trend of lackluster anniversary brews; I haven’t found one I really enjoyed since the 96.
Disappointment set in instantly. The 102 pours up a pale, translucent yellow color, the same as your run of the mill frat beer. For a beer claiming to be double wheat, I should have chunks of Wonder bread floating in my glass, but for some inexplicable reason, the 102 is a filtered wheat beer. It smells pretty good; lotsa wheat for sure, but also some high fruity notes. Take a drink-it’s a total wheat bomb. Nothing but wheat. Wheat in totality. All holes filled with WHEAT. And not in a hefeweizen way, where there’s a latent sweetness, and citrus-y hops balancing things out, and lots of depth and character and all the other things that make you want to continue drinking. The 102 is basically a super wheaty, slightly chewier Budweiser.
The bottom line is this: the 102 isn’t awful, but who gives a shit? Why in the world did they filter this? Why didn’t they build it off the back of their hefeweizen? Why won’t they release the Kosmos on it’s own instead of making me buy the awful beers in the family reunion pack to get it? WHY WON’T YOU LET ME LOVE YOU?
SCORE: Shiner 102 gets a 3 out of 5.
