Ale Asylum - Unshadowed

This hefeweizen presents a lightly hazy, bright straw color topped with a cap of vibrant white foam. Hefeweizens are yeast-driven beers, with the top-fermenting Bavarian yeast strains generating a wide array of aromas, with banana, clove, and bubblegum typically being the most prominent. Unshadowed is no exception as it provides those notes in abundance, augmented by some herbal spice and delicate lemony citrus from the hop contribution. In the flavor department, that lemony hop note joins the banana esters to produce a fruity character on one hand, while the herbal hop note joins up with the clove tones to deliver some spicy character on the other hand, as tangy wheat provides central structure. Refreshing on the palate and a joy to drink on a hot summer day, we are perfectly content to enjoy this brew a la carte. But why stop there? Grilled shellfish with lemon aioli or lemon garlic butter, German sausages, chicken tacos, or a snack of Cheddar, Edam, or Gouda make for excellent pairing options. Cheers!

Madison, Wisconsin's Ale Asylum got its start back in 2006 when partners Dean Coffey, Otto Dilba, and Otto's wife, Hathaway, began brewing in a small industrial park location. Dean and Otto met while working together at the now closed Angelic brewpub in downtown Madison. Dean dreamt of being able to brew on a larger scale than what the brewpub could offer, and to bottle his beer and sell it at retail. Otto was ready to build a business and use his marketing skills to grow it. When Angelic decided to quit brewing to focus solely on being a bar, the time was right—Ale Asylum was founded, using Angelic's cast-off brewing system.

Fast forward to 2012. Ale Asylum had grown too big for their small 8,000 sq. ft. facility, so they built a brand new 45,000 sq. ft. brewery on a 4.5-acre plot of land that provides them plenty of room to expand in the future. Their old 13-barrel brewing system was replaced by a 33-barrel system, and a much larger bottling line was purchased from Atlanta's SweetWater Brewing Company that enables them to produce up to 277 bottles per minute, as opposed to the old line's 70. In addition, visitors to the brewery can enjoy a variety of brews and pub-style food in Ale Asylum's large Tasting Room and outdoor patio. In December of 2014, Ale Asylum, in partnership with restaurateur Tim Thompson, opened the Ale Asylum Riverhouse in downtown Milwaukee, so now "inmates" (as the Ale Asylum team likes to call their fans) in Wisconsin's largest city and beer haven have an Asylum all their own. The brewery currently produces several core beers plus around two dozen rotating seasonals and limited-run beers. For more info, call 608-663-3926 or visit aleasylum.com.