Tucher Helles Hefe Weizen

Why I tried this: Jon and I decided to have a quick after work outing to World of Beer UCF since we hadn't done that in a while. It's usually pretty quiet during the week day right after work, and sometimes I really like how quiet and personable it can be without the huge crowd. I was browsing the draft menu, and the only new item I recognized on the list was a hefeweizen from Tucher that I had not had before. Having had a beer or two from Tucher before, I ordered their Helles Hefe Weizen.

Smell: Wow, there's some spice in there. I got a strong smell of clove and other various spices, plus your usual grains and wheats.

Taste: A lot. Your first sip starts off with grains, wheats, and a strong clove taste. This fades to allow other spices to come through, also allowing in a very faint hint of banana and less so, citrus. It ends in a very mild bitterness. All the way through, this beer is exceptionally smooth, and the unfiltered nature of it makes the texture almost a bit creamy.

No questions asked, this beer gets an empty pint glass award. This is simply one of the best hefeweizens I've had, of any style, ever. I was just simply blown away at how balanced, complex, flavored, and drinkable this beer was. The smell and taste is just outstanding, and the presentation, also great. The beer looks a hazy gold due to the unfiltered nature, which I feel definitely strengthens the experience. Unlike some hefeweizens, this one doesn't rely on fruit nearly so much, instead focusing on what makes a hefeweizen, a hefeweizen. And, it does it amazingly. Get this beer. Now.

--Jeff

Sierra Nevada Kellerweis Hefeweizen

Why I tried this: I had one Sierra Nevada a while ago (I don't remember which) and I was not a big fan so I decided not to try another one. Recently, one of the managers at World of Beer UCF, Paul, told me I need to give them another shot. The first I tried was the Torpedo and I really liked it, review on that to come. When I saw the Kellerweis at WoB UCF I decided to give it a try.

Smell: Scent of grains and slight spice. There is also some yeast in the scent.

Taste: Strong wheat is what I noticed first. Not overpowering though, smooth and delicious. After that this beer faded into a nice fresh hoppy flavor with small amounts of lemon flavor. About this time the spice flavor of the beer begins to make itself noticed. The finish of this beer was slightly bitter but still quite refreshing.

I would give this beer a ranking of an empty glass for sure. This beer was very, very enjoyable. I had a rough start with Sierra Nevada back in the day but Im glad Paul pushed me into getting another beer by them. Their beers are pretty easily working their way into my top favorites and this beer is no exception to that rule.





--Jon

Victory Whirlwind Witbier

Why I tried this: A few days prior I had received a text message from WOB UCF that they were going to have a brewery night with Victory brewery on Tuesday night. Brewery nights are exciting because you get to try beers that you may otherwise never see in your region, so of course I had to go. I was hanging out near the bar talking to Bobby a bit about football (soccer), and ordered the first Victory beer listed on tap, the Whirlwind Witbier.

Smell: Pretty typical for a wheat beer. This being a white wheat, it was a bit lighter, but still had your familiar wheats and oats scent, plus a little lingering spice.

Taste: I got a lot of very clean wheats, coupled with a bit of citrus. Not too sweet, just right. The nice thing about it was that although it seemed simple, the flavors all blended very well and were of extremely high quality. The cleanness of the beer made it very drinkable, and not in a watery adjunct kind of way. Awesome.

Overall, I'd have to give the Victory Whirlwind Witbier a quarter empty glass. This was probably one of the better white wheats I've had, which is pretty high praise coming from me, as I love any and all wheat beers. It's not a strong beer by any means, but it's quality and is simply a pleasure to drink. I'd definitely recommend this beer if you like a good hefeweizen, or especially white wheats. Wouldn't mind getting it again now and then.

--Jeff

Hofbrau Hefeweizen

Why I tried this: We were watching the Manchester United v Chelsea game for the UEFA Champions league at World of Beer UCF with Jerry, one of the owners. Manchested United won, so we needed a victory beer. A 22oz of Hofbrau it was.

Smell: Mostly of wheats and grains, with a little bit of lemon. Very fresh smelling, and quite nice.

Taste: About the same as the

smell. It had an earthy flavor to it, on top of a bit of lemon and some mild sweetness I couldn't place. The beer was very crisp and refreshing.

Overall, I'd give this beer a quarter full glass. It was a good hefeweizen, but there really isn't too much to say about it. It has your usual wheat and earthy taste/smell to it, with a hint of lemon and a sweetness to balance out. It was drinkable, but not overly flavorful. If you are looking for something a bit stronger or more complex, this might not do it for you. Otherwise, would recommend.

--Jeff

Paulaner Hefeweizen

Why I tried this: Josh from World of Beer recommended I try this since it wasn't already on my list, and it was supposed to be a pretty good hefeweizen. Sign me up.

Smell: Had your typical wheat scent, with a hint of clove spices, and something sweet I couldn't pick up. Very nice.

Taste: The first thing you get is an immediate taste of banana, followed up with barley wheat and a slight spice. The sweetness of the banana lingers all the way down, and the beer is just supremely creamy and smooth.

For a pretty attainable beer, I was expecting a more watered down and mainstream flavor. Instead, what I got was a top notch hefeweizen that failed to disappoint. The smell is quality, and the taste simply delicious. The banana and wheat mix very well, providing a strong taste in a creamy, smooth beer. Overall, this beer gets an empty glass award. Highly recommended!

--Jeff

Magic Hat Circus Boy

Why I tried this: It was a nice day and lunch time was looming. Instead of making some food we thought it would be a better idea to go to World of Beer for a liquid lunch. While at the bar, I asked Josh what hefeweizen I should get. He recommended Magic Hat Circus Boy. I hadn't had it yet, and I really enjoyed Magic Hat #9, so I went with it.

Smell: It has a light spice note with a hint of lemon. Not a very strong wheat smell, which I thought was unusual.

Taste: Pretty damn good! You get a medium bodied flavor of lemon, orange citrus, and a slight spice hop, with a moderate amount of wheat. This beer was really crisp, probably due to the light hops, and went down very smoothly. All in all a great taste.

Overall, I'd have to give this beer an empty glass. This was a hefeweizen that didn't scream "Look at me, I'm a wheat beer!" but was nonetheless a very good beer of the style. This is the third beer I've had from Magic Hat, all three having been very enjoyable. I'm definitely starting to like this brewery. If this were on tap, I wouldn't hesitate to order it, and I think along with offerings from Sea Dog, this Circus Boy will be one of my go to hefeweizens in the future. Highly recommend!

--Jeff

Sea Dog Apricot Wheat

Why I tried this: It was a 25% off loyalty Tuesday and I was browsing the bottle menu. This was still during my hefeweizen binge, so I was looking for another good beer and came across Sea Dog. I had really enjoyed their Bluepaw and was pretty excited to see another beer by the brewery that I hadn't had yet, so I went for it.

Smell: Not too much here, just a note of apricot and wheat. Simple enough, but pleasing to the nose.

Taste: Incredible. I might actually like this one more than the Bluepaw, although I really wish it were on draft to make that comparison. You get nice wheat notes and a fairly good blast of apricot flavor. It's not overpowering, and it's not too sweet. It's just damned good. The beer is pretty crisp and goes down very easy.

It looks like Sea Dog has another winner on their hands. This is the second beer I've had from them, both hefeweizens, and both have been fantastic. With a light smell, but a great taste, I can easily say this is one of my favorite hefeweizens, and would definitely recommend this to anyone who wants a good beer. Hope I see it on draft soon. This beer gets an empty glass award.

--Jeff

Brooklyner Weisse

Why I tried this: I've really been in the mood for hefeweisens lately, and this was the only one on draft that I hadn't tried yet. Our waitress Panda said it was good, so I went with it.

Smell: Wheat and spice, perhaps clove. Also had a hint of citrus smell to it.

Taste: Pure, unfiltered wheat with a citrus bite. Very good, very drinkable and refreshing.

Brooklyner Weisse was a pretty good hefeweisen. Brewed in New York, this 5% ABV Bavarian wheat beer had quite a few things going for it. It was drinkable and refreshing, making it an excellent beer to drink during spring or summer. It had a pleasant, spicy and fruity smell. And, it had fairly good flavor. I've had better Hefeweisens, but this did not disappoint, and so I award it with the almost empty beer glass rating. I'd probably get this again if it were still on draft.

--Jeff

Starr Hill The Love

Jon enjoying some Love

Why I tried this: Jeff and I were at World of Beer the day the Starr Hill Brewery guys showed up. However, we didn't get a chance to stay and talk to them because we had to leave early. We decided the next time we went to WoB we would try some of their beer. We sampled all three WoB had and decided to start with a hefeweisen that goes by the name of "The Love".

Smell: yeasty/wheat smell with some citrus scent. A nice refreshing scent.

Taste: This beer has a very smooth well rounded flavor. None of the flavors are overpowering and it makes for this beer to be very enjoyable. Wheat and sweet deep dough flavor up front that slides into a citrusy finish.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I would give this beer an 8. This beer smells great and tastes very refreshing. All of the flavors make this beer very well rounded and nothing is really overpowering. The only thing I would actually of liked in this beer is a stronger flavor. This would be a nice refreshing beer to drink on a hot day or something to relax with.

--Jon

Had the beer as well, and wasn't quite as impressed with it as Jon. The smell was your typical wheat with a hint of orange peel and possibly banana, with the taste not differentiating much from the smell. I agree it was refreshing and drinkable, but oddly it felt a bit flat and just had weak mouth feel. Could probably do with having a slightly bolder taste. I'd probably give it a 7/10.

--Jeff