O’so 3rd Wheel: A poor substitute for sunshine and warmth

After three consecutive days in long underwear, I find myself constantly fantasizing about summer. Bike rides, evenings on the Terrace, minimal threat of frostbite… On my walk to work this morning, sunny, warm hallucinations were the only thing keeping me from taking a purposefully sharp left into the frigid depths of Lake Mendota.

Since my faith that warmth will eventually return to the barren tundra grows weaker with each passing day, I thought it appropriate to attempt restoring my confidence by cracking open a vestige of summer. O’so Brewing Company’s most recent warm-weather release, 3rd Wheel Belgian Blonde, seemed a perfect candidate.

Plover-based O’so made a strong entry into the WI beer scene during 2008 with a solid set of year-round offerings, and has put out some tasty seasonals and special releases (mmm…Picnic Ants). 3rd Wheel, unfortunately, was not quite as impressive as its predecessors. Thoroughly dominated by citrus flavors, 3rd Wheel lacks the yeasty complexity normally expected of a Belgian. Combined with abundant carbonation, 3rd Wheel winds up tasting more like a beer-flavored soda than a true Belgian. Though disappointing to say the least, drinking 3rd Wheel is still better than going outside. The facts: