Problematic ‘Alpine-style dark wheat ale’ sustains sour-malted rye-pumpernickel blandness, phenol dried fruiting and dismal nuttiness. Though never catching fire, red grape-fig-date tartness and banana bread illusions nearly save the day.

On tap, mildly medicinal, murkily clouded, unfiltered dark wheat ale brings bittersweet prune-fig propensity to tropical citric rush, faint banana-clove souring, and cocoa-hazelnut dash. Woody cherry-smoked dryness and charred tobacco hint add further eccentricities. In bottle, depleting ashy coarseness saps fruity subtleties.

Acrid unfiltered dark wheat knockoff mired by phenol astringency and mucky hop roast settles into fair coffee-burnt chocolate lactose souring. But acidic onrush ruins funky fig-like finish. Brewery defunct: 2007.

Suitable ink black-hued, tan-headed dark beer fashioned after Bavarian wiesse. But dry-bodied cola palate, perky hop snap, and sweet barley crackle put it closer to well-rounded brown ale than distinguished German wheat. Brewery defunct: 2005.

Musty sweet-scented golden reddish dunkelweizen retains prompt roasted nut dryness, wheat-cracked toasted barley backbone, and soft hop-spiced bottom. Moderate bitter mocha finish gets spicy nip, caramel clip, and black molasses hint troubled by overriding diacetyl sourness.

Rich dark-browned German-styled dunkleweizen brings oily coffee murk and caramel malted richness to mild rye wheat spine. Sticky yeast residue at glass bottom approves its robustness. Recessive date-fig tones coat back-tongue. A hint of mint completes the score. Finding beer label proved difficult, but AAA’s Kristal Weizen was available (to left). Brewery defunct: 2005.

Sophisticated dark wheat ale with copper-clouded hue, soda-like flow, and well-hopped assertion gains honeyed wheat sweetness above yellow fruit-spiced agility and caramel-crystal malting. Mild barleywine influence increases sedate warmth. Crisp, clean water texture lightens the mood.

Nonpareil old-styled gold-hazed medium-bodied Bavarian dunkelweizen pours out of bottle with lively carbolic vigor, amplifying creamy vanilla seduction before leaving banana nut and raisin bread illusions plus mild ginger-hibiscus snips in its wake. Musty clove-spiced cherry-apple-grape fruiting fortifies chewy malt center to sweet honeyed wheat finish.

Plain, inexpressive, unfiltered mahogany-hued ale can’t find the right groove. Subtle rye-cocoa illusions get buried beneath prickly citric hops and blanched barley roast. Earthen red-white oak finish recedes to bland nuttiness, deadening ginger, allspice, and clove tingle.

Pleasant German-styled half-wheat spikes smoked wheat malt assertion with cherry-soured chocolate wisp. Similar to a fruited stout, but way too watery. Brewery defunct: 2005.

Phenol murky brown dark wheat ale comes up short in limited ’08 release. For starters, dry-bodied banana souring needs to be pushed forward. Next, its lack of spicy clove-coriander sweetness, dearth of pineapple-orange fruiting, and off-putting smoked peat malting mire cocoa-tinged raisin-prune-fig tartness. Finally, moldy earthen usurpation ruins bland yellow-fruited finish. Busily muddled 2012 version chucked sweet and sour banana tartness in all directions, expanding stylish boundaries as unexpected beechwood smoking cluttered vinous red grape coarseness, musty grape-stemmed Muscat wining and yellow raisin snip.