Ursa Minor

I love trying beer from the places I visit and wanted to bring home some local brews.  I picked this brew up on recommendation by the beer guy at the Vista Country Store in Intervale, NH.

I was especially interested because Ursa Minor by Rising Tide is a weizen stout.  That makes it interesting all in itself!

Ursa Minor (6.70% ABV) is Rising Tide's spin on a winter wheat beer.  Using a blend of malts that includes dark crystal and roasted malts.

They call it a winter beer.  But I bought it in June.  Close enough!

Ursa Minor pours a deep sable brown with ruby highlights.  The head is a thick mocha color that clings to the sides of the glass in a loose lace.

The aroma was roasty coffee with a whiff of dark chocolate.

The taste is just what I would expect from a stout - toasted malts, coffee and some dark chocolate.  Moderately sweet offset by some roasty bitterness.  I didn't get any wheat.  Perhaps it was overpowered by the other flavors.

The mouthfeel was medium with low carbonation.  This is pretty smooth and drinkable for a stout.

Ursa Minor is a good, tasty stout but I was disappointed at the lack of wheat flavor that I was expecting.  Not a bad beer by any stretch of the imagination, though.

Overall: good