North Peak Brewing Company: Vicious American Wheat IPA- Behold the Shape-shifter
Saturday, February 2, 2013 at 11:14AM | by Wes 
I was able to bring a handful of brews back from Michigan on my last trip. One of them was Vicious by North Peak Brewery. I have had a few different beers from this Traverse City based brewery, and I have enjoyed the majority of them. This one is different however. Vicious is an American Wheat IPA which is a style that I honestly cannot recall ever having.
Vicious smells extremely malty with notes of cedar, pine and citrus. The façade was chest nut brown with a mild carbonation and a wispy head. This is a beautiful and serene looking beer. It has a certain glow that seems to really extenuate and adorn a pint glass brilliantly. North Peak has a real gem here.
Hopefully your interest has been as piqued as my own by this beer. Wheat beers tend to be light and fruity while IPA’s tend to be bitter and hoppy so I am curious to see how the two mesh… Happily this beer is a successful collaboration of styles. The wheat base provides a sweet and bready texture that is well nuanced with citrus hops. Vicious has a very full flavor that ends with a piney hop finish. It really does taste like a wheat beer that morphs into an IPA as it splashes across my palate. This is a beer that needs to be had by all due to its broad appeal.
ABV: 6.7%
Consumed: Pint Glass
Verdict: Buy A 12-Pack
