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

Terrapin Sunray Wheat Beer

Why I got this: This beer was suggested to me by one of my favorite bartenders, Jackie. She typically recommends good beers to me so I went with it. On a side note Jackie also needs to shotgun a beer with Derrick and I again. I'm not exactly sure how to spell Derrick, Derek, or whatever so he's going to have to get over it.

Smell: Well I made the mistake of not smelling this beer before tasting it. Going in for the second sniff... This beer has a grainy, sweet smell, like a Belgian ale.

Taste: When I first started drinking this beer I absolutely did not expect at all a Belgian flavor. This beer tastes like a classic grainy Belgian beer. The flavor is a very very grainy malty bread flavor. The finish of this beer beyond the malts is somewhat sweet and sugary. This beer's title made me expect something a bit different going into it. The classic Belgian ale flavor and bite was a bit of a surprise to me but hey, what do I know.

This beer receives a quarter glass remaining. I was delightfully surprised by the flavor of this beer. This is a very good beer from Terrapin and I have loved many of their recent beers that I have had. While I enjoyed this beer very much there are plenty of beers I would rather have. If you are looking for a beer with the described flavors above that you haven't had this may be a good recommendation.



--Jon

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

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

Sea Dog Bluepaw Wheat Ale

Why I tried this: I was sitting at World of Beer UCF with my wife Kristy, and my friend Derek. I had been on a stout and porter binge for the longest time, so I really wanted to break the mold and go for something a bit lighter, a bit more refreshing. Kyle recommended a wheat beer, so I went with Sea Dog Bluepaw on draft.

Smell: Notes of wheat and blueberry are definitely noticeable. The smell is light, but pleasing.

Taste: Outstanding. This is a very clean, crisp, refreshing wheat beer. Golden wheat, malts, and a mix of blueberry play with your palette in a very fun way. It's simple, yet effective. On top of that, when you're finished, you get to eat the blueberries that are floating around in there. Yum.

When this beer came to me, I kind of freaked out when I noticed huge objects floating in my beer. Turns out they were whole Publix blueberries. Guess I should have read the description more carefully. Sea Dog is a brewery from up in Maine, and I really found their Bluepaw Wheat Ale to be excellent. It was a clean, refreshing wheat beer brewed with blueberries that had a great taste that didn't overwhelm. All in all, just a very pleasant beer to drink, so I award this an empty glass. I'd get it again, and again, for sure.

--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

Franziskaner Dunkel-Weiss

Why I tried this: I had recalled Scott mentioning this brand several times, and saw this particular beer on draft at World of Beer. It was described as a mix between a Dunkel and Hefeweisen, which sounded right up my alley.

Smell: It has a strong scent of yeasty wheat on top of roasted malts. I can also detect a hint of fruit and spices. Very pleasing.

Taste: Has a strong, roasted, malty flavor. There are undertones of wheat, followed by a hint of cinnamon, which was a pleasant surprise and explained the spice smell. Overall, one heck of a taste.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I would give this beer an 8.5/10. Franziskaner's Dunkel-Weisse is one heck of a beer. It has what you like about a hefeweisen, mixed with what you'd expect in a dunkel. You know you're in for a good drink once you take a whiff. At 6.0% alcohol, you couldn't taste any over all of the flavor, which was great. I'd definitely get this beer again, and strongly recommend it.

--Jeff