This week we start a new trend on the site, which is focusing on specific types of beers. This week I will be sharing three beers that share a low ABV percentage. As many beer geeks know, most of us tend to put more focus on the bigger (more extreme) beers out there. I want to focus on some that aren’t quite as big, but are equally as great. Today’s beer is the Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier, which is probably my favorite Hefeweizen on the market. It just tastes better than the others I’ve had and balances out very nicely. While really just a German version of our wheat beers here in the United States, Hefeweizen are much more complex in their yeast strains leading to more of a banana bread and clove aroma and flavor. So now that the weather is finally starting to warm up, let’s start drinking some lighter beers. Enjoy!
Check out all sessions of The Hopry here.
This beer can be found in these states.
On the iPod: Canned Heat “Going Up the Country”
Brewery: Weihenstephaner
Beer: Hefeweissbier
Style: Hefeweizen
Location: Freising, Germany
ABV: 5.4%
Rating: 95/100
Posted by John Graham on September 13, 2010 at 4:49 PM
Hefeweizens are were I started experimenting with non BMC beer and I tried as many I could find, American and German. I came to the conclusion that I prefer German over American %90 of the time because the German Hefes have more of the estery flavors. I really like the banana, orange and bread dough characteristics the best. My favorites are Ayinger, Franziskaner, Paulaner and Weihenstephaner, in that order. My favorite American are Flying Dog In Heat Wheat and Sierra Nevada Kellerweis.
What I dislike about a Hefeweizen is when it has a metallic or weird band-aid flavor to it. I have tried several Schneider & Brooklyner Hefes and they always have that flavor, to me. I wondered if the beer was old or something but someone suggested that it’s just the combination of my taste buds and there yeast strain. Maybe so.
On a final note: Leinenkugel’s Sunset Wheat, what is up with that beer? When it gets warm it starts to smell like blueberry pancake mix or as some describe it “Fruity Pebbles”.