Leinenkugel’s Sunset Wheat Reviewed
August 1, 2008
I was happy to find during a recent Brew Club exchange that someone had picked out Leinenkugel’s Sunset Wheat! I’d heard many good things about this Brewery’s products and I had also received several comments from visitors of to give it a try!
The Leinenkugel Sunset Wheat is a very cloudy, straw-colored brew that created a decent sized fizzy head in my glass. This foamy head dissipated fast enough, and there wasn’t much in the manner of carbonation after that.
Sunset Wheat has a very different smell from other beers I’ve recently tried. You can definitely pick up on the wheat and something of a sweet citrus smell as well. Very nice.
When I first tasted this beer, I thought “wow – this is nice!” It’s smooth in that there is no bitterness or bite, a little bit of the hops come through – and I could swear there is something orange going on in there! I’m not saying this is an “orange-flavored beer”, no way! Orange is however, a very strong component of the overall taste. Again, very nice indeed.
It’s got a medium kind of mouthfeel – it definitely does not feel like you’re drinking water, but it also isn’t so heavy that is isn’t a refreshing drink. I would say it was a step-down from the “crisp” category, and as a result I would even say that the Leinenkugel Sunset Wheat would make an excellent Summer Beer choice. Why? Because to me, Sunset Wheat passes the “Lawnmower Test”. (Would this be a good beer to have after cutting the grass in the Summer?) Yes! This is a satisfying beer that has something of a spicy/citrusy thing going on that would make for a very refreshing Summertime treat!
I know a lot of people seem to enjoy the regular Blue Moon variety beer with a slice of orange added. If you are one of those people, you might want to try this Leinenkugel Sunset Wheat for a change and I don’t think you’ll even need the orange slice to spice it up! It does well enough alone! Another beer that we tried that is similar in concept to the Sunset Wheat is the Shock Top Belgian White which also had that Orange and Spice taste, but in my opinion was not as good as the Leinenkugel’s.
Would I get this Sunset Wheat again or tell a friend to get it? You bet.
Rating: 
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Posted in 4 Star Reviews, American Beers, Seasonal Beers, Wheat Beers
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August 4th, 2008 at 12:04 pm
Scott,
I’m glad you enjoyed this beer. It is a GREAT beer to drink after mowing the lawn ahahaa..
August 4th, 2008 at 3:15 pm
I have had this on draft at a local restaurant and really enjoyed it. Most good wheat beers are really good on a hot day.
A buddy of mine likes Leinenkugel’s Berry Wheat. It has a raspberry taste but is a little to fruity for me. But if you like wheat brews and like a bit of a fruit taste you should give that one a shot.
April 1st, 2009 at 9:31 pm
Leinenkugel’s Sunset Wheat has been one of my favorites for quite some time. But I think Leine’s Summer Shanty is perhaps the best beer to have after mowing the lawn, particularly if you use a “walk behind” mower. I’d agree that the tractor guys could move up to the Sunset, but I prefer to save it for the pre-grilling time of the day. It enhances the taste of most every ribeye.
April 1st, 2009 at 10:11 pm
I’m going to have to try the Summer Shanty this year I think. Sounds interesting, and while maybe not a manly beer, should be a nice lawnmower beer as you say. (Especially a push-mower!)
Scott-TheBrewClub’s last blog post..Beer Review – Coopers Sparkling Ale
August 5th, 2009 at 10:58 pm
Just tried this beer for the first time a couple of days ago and have to say it was great. A little fruity but overall very smooth and non-bitter. I’m a big fan of Blue Moon and would consider this a very acceptable subsitute.
September 21st, 2009 at 2:04 pm
This beer tastes like fruity pebbles….
go eat some fruity pebbles…then taste this beer.
….same taste.
October 11th, 2009 at 4:49 pm
It does taste like fruity pebbles that’s how I discribed it too a friend before I gave him one and he didn’t believe me after one sip he was sold…
October 11th, 2009 at 11:24 pm
OK, I might have to revisit this beer at some point in the future. Obviously I gave it a pretty good rating, but that was a long time ago and I’ve since had some really good wheat beers. This fruity pebble concept is something I’ll need to investigate!
.-= Scott-TheBrewClub´s last blog ..Flying Fish Oktoberfish Beer =-.
October 27th, 2009 at 5:04 pm
I have been describing Sunset Wheat to all my friends for years as having “an essence of Fruity Pebbles”. And not one person who has tried it after that has dissagreed with me, hehehehe.
November 20th, 2009 at 12:16 pm
Yep, it taste just like Fruity pebbles (smells like it too), I do not like it at all. If I do see it on tap I might give it another try but in the bottle it just taste way to fruity. I did not even want to finish drinking the beer and that is very rare for me to do. I am sure there are many people who love this beer but I am not one of them. Thumbs down on this one.
January 16th, 2010 at 2:17 am
I think leinenkugles is a very smooth non filling beer…and for some reason it gets the job done pretty quick..if u have ever had the chance to try it at room temperature it taste a lot like blueberries..when cold it does not. I think cold it definitely taste like fruity pebbles…in my opinion…EXCELLENT!
February 18th, 2010 at 7:52 pm
What are the ‘floaties’ in the beer or did we get something else?
February 18th, 2010 at 8:11 pm
Larry, the ‘floaties’ you refer to are probably residue from the brewing process. A lot of wheat beers are unfiltered so they aren’t crystal clear like a typical lager might be. No worries, the beer is fine!
.-= Scott-TheBrewClub´s last blog ..Did someone mention goats? =-.
August 20th, 2010 at 9:10 am
LOL! Fruity Pebbles! Hell yeah! You’d actually be surprised how many people come to this conclusion! But yeah, this is very high quality beer. My buddy told me yesterday that it is a “girls beer” and I said “F you!” LOL! It’s good beer. I don’t think people know a lot about wheat beer. Everyone is too used to drinking nasty pee-tasting beer. 5 stars. LOL! \m/
August 20th, 2010 at 9:47 am
@Dimneld – Thanks for the support! This was one of the first wheat beers I tried to review, and if I had it again today after trying so many other wheat beers, I’d probably roll back the rating a little.
I’m curious to try it again because I didn’t get the fruity pebbles thing the first time but everyone is saying that! (I’m not sure its something I’d like my beer to taste like though.)
.-= Scott-TheBrewClub´s last blog ..St Bernardus Witbier =-.
November 22nd, 2010 at 2:45 am
I just recently tried Leinenkugel’s Sunset Wheat for the first time, and it is my new favorite beer. Absolutely delicious and extremely refreshing. The coriander and citrus do wonders for the taste, and I heard from the friend that introduced me that some places that sell it on top will throw blueberries in the glass to make it taste even BETTER.
November 22nd, 2010 at 2:36 pm
@Jordan, thanks for that. Not sure I’d try the blueberry thing myself, but I think its cool that you found a beer that you really love! Its been awhile since I had this beer, but I do remember liking it a lot too!
.-= Scott-TheBrewClub´s last blog ..Samuel Adams Dunkelweizen =-.
March 8th, 2011 at 3:56 pm
Whoah, you can hold the blueberries (especially in public)! However, Sunset Wheat is yet another pretty good alternative to Blue Moon (in my humble opinion). Though its been often referred to as “fruity pebbles beer” Sunset Wheat is a tasty Belgian White. Yes, it has a noticeable blueberry flavor but I still like it!
March 8th, 2011 at 4:55 pm
@Thomas – I’m really going to have to try this beer again this Summer. I didn’t get the whole Fruity Pebbles and blueberry thing at all when I tried it! No way would I add blueberries to my beer, even in private!
July 11th, 2011 at 7:30 pm
When you first crack the top on the bottle you can certainly get a whiff of that “fruity pebbles” that everyone is talking about. I don’t really understand what people are saying about the beer tasting like fruity pebbles though, and I consider myself more of a cereal expert than a beer expert.
Bottom line for me is that this is a great beer to sit outside on a hot day. Knock back 3-4 and just enjoy.
I am excited to try some of their other beer varieties. I will have to wait till fall to try their octoberfest brew
July 12th, 2011 at 12:00 am
Thanks for the comment! Looking back, as much as I liked it then, I haven’t been able to bring myself to buy it again. Even for fruity pebbles taste as some say!
September 22nd, 2011 at 2:03 pm
Tried a Leinenkugel’s Sunset Wheat for the first time yesterday. It did have a fruity citrus smell, but no didn’t remind me of Fruity Pebbles!
Taste was very smooth, light, no bitterness at all, no aftertaste. Would be refreshing on a hot summer afternoon. Maybe a bit too smooth, to me it seemed to be a bit lacking in taste. Personally, I’d give an edge to Blue Moon. It nothing else the Leinenkugel has a really cool label
September 22nd, 2011 at 5:45 pm
Thanks for stopping in Steve. It’s been awhile since I’ve had anything from Leinekugel’s, but I do agree that they do sport some sharp-looking labels!