I couldn’t decide. There I was at Stout’s Growlers in Canton, Georgia and I couldn’t decide. I was leaning towards Second Self Thai Wheat from what may be Georgia’s newest brewer (they’ve opened in this the fall of 2014), though I’m not sure if Pontoon Brewing is actually newer. But you see they also had Founder’s Breakfast Stout as well, and I certainly wanted a growler of that, too.

I only had one growler with me, but the staff at Stouts, excellent sales folks that they are, offered to lend me another, so I ended up getting a 32-ounce growler of each. Problem solved, right? Well, not completely. See, whenever I go to the growler shop we end up talking a lot about beer, and in all the discussion my bottles got mislabeled. So, when I went to open the bottle labeled as Second Self Thai Wheat, it was actually the Breakfast Stout. So I had to drink them both. Poor me.

Anyway, I had chosen the Second Self Thai Wheat first as this seemed a natural to pair with the dinner I was preparing. Second Self, located in Atlanta proper, is going live with four beers. In addition to Thai Wheat, they offer Red hop Rye, LIPA (light IPA), and Saison.

Of the Thai Wheat they say:

This SPICY American Wheat beer is as EXOTIC as the country that inspired it. This beer uses both fresh LEMONGRASS and GINGER to give it a refreshing aroma and taste taking you on a trip across the globe. We keep the beer DRY letting the spices stand out on their own giving you a unique experience.

Second Self Thai Wheat has an alcohol content of 5.1% by volume and 18 IBUs. I paid $6.50 for a 32-ounce growler at Stout’s. It runs $10.99 a six-pack, a little high.

Second Self Thai Wheat pours to a brilliant golden color with a generous head formation of loosely packed bubbles and a vibrant citrusy lemongrass and pungent ginger nose. Taking a sip, I get crisp tart wheat in the palate and then the spices emerge and take you for a wild ride right into the surprisingly balanced finish. I love ginger and you certainly get it here, along with plenty of zesty lemongrass aroma and flavor. As the beer warms, a respectable hop bitterness emerges and balances nicely.

This was delicious, very refreshing and the beer does not overpower. Very balanced overall and a perfect match to my strip steak cooked in garlic butter and Worcestershire, baked sweet potato and mixed vegetables. An excellent first effort from Second Self.

And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box .

*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.

(B)=Bottled

(D)=Draft

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