Septemberfest 2009 at Paramount Studios

Hello everyone! This entry is dedicated to all the delicious breweries that participated in the 2009 Septemberfest at Paramount Studios on September 19th. I have not yet been lucky enough to attend Octoberfest in Germany, but if it is anything close to Los Angeles' Septemberfest I can't wait to repeat the experience! Overall there were about 75 breweries represented, and at least 30 of them were local Southern California microbreweries. I want to thank everyone for sharing their passion, knowledge and talent for all things beer, but a special thanks goes out to Matt at the Karl Strauss Brewery, David with Fireman's Brew, Scott at Stone Brewery, Jean-Yves at Unibroue and Matt at Ballast Point--You gentleman are stellar representatives for your breweries and really helped me expand my knowledge and love of beer. Thank you.

Now without further ado let me share some of the reviews of the tasty brews I tried at Septemberfest.

Ballast Point's Wahoo Wheat Beer

I was very excited to try this hefeweizen, not only because I am a huge fan of wheat beer, but also because I recently became familiar with this San Diego brewery through work in our quest to find more microbrews for our menu. Matt was very helpful and informative and suggested that I try the Wahoo Wheat Beer--tasty indeed!

Appearance: had the look of a traditional hefeweizen in that it was hay colored, cloudy and unfiltered with a nice white foamy head.

Aroma: floral nose with hints of mild cloves and banana

Taste: very light and smooth, moderate carbonation with a malty oat finish

Alcohol: 4.0%

This beer is a perfect brew for the summer--it is light and the hint of citrus makes it refreshing on those scorching California summer days. I thought Ballast Point did a good job of adhering to the traditional style of hefeweizen, and enjoyed that Wahoo Wheat Beer had hints of banana and orange without going over the top or becoming too sweet. There was great wheat and oat flavor that lasted from start to finish. (I wasn't the only one who thought so either--this brew won the L.A. County Fair gold medal in 2002.)

I would recommend this beer to anyone who enjoys wheat beers specifically or anyone who is looking for a light and invigorating brew for the summer.

For more information about the Ballast Point Brewery and their delicious beers, check out their website at www.ballastpoint.com/beer