Plain German knockoff fails to deliver. Foamy hop bitterness, thin malt sweetness, and perky berry moderation barely enliven flaccid grain finish, as delicate apricot tones and musty tangerine scent get lost in the shuffle. Only amateur pilsner fans ready to take off their Bud/ Miller training wheels need apply.
PETE’S WICKED ORIGINAL AMERICAN BROWN ALE
Sweet mocha-malt mildness and grainy earthiness contain washed out hop carbonation for an inviting Scotch-like pleasantry. Lacks richness of better brown ales, but soothing water texture remains brisk.
PETE’S WICKED MULTI GRAIN
Definite overpowering grain presence emerges, though no one strand dominates this foamy rye-influenced ale. Well-balanced malted barley, wheat, and oats fill out splendid sweet cereal finish.
PETE’S WICKED MARDI GRAS
Peculiar ginger-aided beer with copper hue and holiday ale spicing. Though never overbearingly eccentric, Pete’s definitely done better.
PETE’S WICKED MAPLE PORTER
Hearty porter with smoky maple extract and caramel coating. Upon swallowing, molasses-chocolate ire kicks in, remaining firm at pervasive pecan finish. Not quite as robust as most top shelf porters, but maybe more sweetly flavorful.
PETE’S WICKED ESP LAGER
Lame hop dryness overwhelms creamy maple malts, sabotaging any specificity. Polite spicing saves diminished grain finish, barely.
PETE’S WICKED ALE
Burnished light-bodied brown ale not as sturdy as heavier, thicker rivals, yet way more popular from 1995 to 2005. Sublte hop flow and honeyed yeast seduction initially tame the front end, as buttery barley-mocha malts and butterscotch insinuation increase casual sweetness mid-palate. Yet lack of depth and subdued prune restraint hurt overall appeal.
PETE’S WICKED BOHEMIAN PILSNER
Well-carbonated grain-dominated easy drinking pils accrues sweet fruitcake malting. But dank citric-soured aromatics bring unwanted acridity to sharp grassy-hopped boho-styled golden pilsner.
PETE’S WICKED BAVARIAN STYLE OKTOBERFEST
Bavarian-styled celebration brew with sticky chocolate, sweet malts, berry fruitiness, and soft nuttiness. Fresh water crispness soothes moderate hop bitterness and piney undertones.
PETE’S WICKED BAVARIAN STYLE CELEBRATION ALE
Pedestrian amber-toned Oktoberfest could use spicier seasoning, more musty berry assertion, and wilder floral fruitiness. Closer to a fizzy pilsner.
PETE’S WICKED AMBER ALE W/ NUTMEG & RASPBERRY
Possibly farmed out by Pete’s Wicked to Washington State brewery to make use of sparkling Northwest water (which adds crisp flow to persistent fruitiness). Lively up-front hops brighten raspberry extract and sweet wheat as nutmeg seasoning and piney hints spice up the zesty backdrop. Finish becomes a tad mainstream, but this is one fine fruity treat.
PETER’S BRAND PILSENER
Distinct musk-like hop-grained aromatics and crisp-watered bread-like yeast mouthfeel could be mistaken for Heineken (Holland’s better brand) in a heartbeat. But heavy carbolic fizz and soapy finish become obtrusive obstacles, narrowing its appeal. Canned version gets metallic.