Grade: A-

A guilty pleasure doesn’t have to be a bad thing.

In the fruit-flavored beer category, Sam Adams Cherry Wheat stands out above the rest of the crop.

The majority of fruit-flavored beers feature an overpowering fruit taste that creates a scenario in which the drinker can forget that they are drinking a beer.

However, Cherry Wheat possess a sweet cherry taste that complements the bitter elements of the beer as opposed to overpowering the beer.

Cherry Wheat debuted in summer 1995 as a seasonal offering and was so popular the brewery continued production year-round, according to the Sam Adams Web site.

Whenever a seasonal beer is so well received by the consumer it becomes a year-round brew, it is a safe-bet that the beer found a niche audience.

Though Cherry Wheat has a 5.4 percent alcohol content, the smooth, cherry taste masks the alcohol flavor. The body has a medium feel to it and actually tastes similar to a lighter beer instead of a darker beer.

I recommend Cherry Wheat to anyone who likes cherries and beer. Sam Adams pays extra attention to the cherry taste in Cherry Wheat, so anyone who likes a medium-bodied beer and the taste of cherries should give this brew a chance.

“Cherries are added at two different points during the brewing process,” according to the Sam Adams web site. “Once during the mash and again during finishing.”

The aftertaste is an excellent example of how a fruit-flavored beer should end.

The well-balanced cherry taste to the brew echoes in the aftertaste, which leaves a hint of cherry flavor for a few seconds. The aftertaste gives a similar effect as Frederick Miller Classic Chocolate Lager, only with cherry instead of chocolate.

Though Cherry Wheat produces a fairly thick foam when poured into a glass, you really aren’t missing out on much if you drink it from the bottle.

If you enjoy Leinenkugel’s Honeyweiss or Berryweiss but are looking for a flavored beer that tastes more like beer, go try Cherry Wheat now.

Also, avoid Cherry Wheat if you have some terrible childhood truama related to cherry flavored cough-syrup because you might have a flashback.

If you don’t like flavored beers, Cherry Wheat probably won’t change you into a believer, but I’d still recommend the brew with a meal.