American Hefe Proper
Breckenridge Brewery

American Hefe ProperAmerican Hefe Proper
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From:
Breckenridge Brewery
 
Colorado, United States
Style:
American Pale Wheat Beer
ABV:
4%
Score:
68
Avg:
2.75 | pDev: 21.09%
Reviews:
44
Ratings:
49
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Oct 31, 2013
Added:
May 20, 2003
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
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Ratings by Mebuzzard:
Photo of Mebuzzard
Reviewed by Mebuzzard from Colorado

3.48/5  rDev +26.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
I light/medium copper, hazy pour. Good head strength, but not retainablility.
Lemon and grass aroma were predominant, some sweetness of malt, but only barely.
Tasted like a wheat pale, but light. Almost too much carbonation or something. Just seemed more fizzy than flavorful. However, it did have a pleasant taste, it was just thin.
Some crispness in the finish, easy drinking, but not my cup 'o tea
Oct 30, 2006
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 2.5 by jaydoc from Kansas

Oct 31, 2013
 
Rated: 2 by ejimhof from Pennsylvania

Mar 23, 2013
 
Rated: 2.5 by bzach from Indiana

Oct 16, 2012
 
Rated: 3 by netshark from Colorado

Sep 01, 2012
 
Rated: 1.5 by Stoutsman from Kansas

Jan 14, 2012
Photo of hopdog
Reviewed by hopdog from Pennsylvania

2.95/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
Serving type: 12oz bottle.

Poured a medium and slightly hazy golden color with an averaged sized white head. Aromas of wheat and citrus (lemons). Tastes of wheat and the same citrus/lemons, with a very light tart finish. Thin body.

Notes from: 12/14/06
Dec 18, 2008
Photo of 1fastz28
Reviewed by 1fastz28 from Illinois

3.02/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
pours a really pretty cloudy orange color with a big white head, and some sediment floating around, smell is nearly non existent, some slight slight citrus scent but thats it. taste is average, not alot going on but it does have some nice hoppy flavor to it and, its has a really easy drinkability to it, would probably be great on a hot day
Dec 06, 2007
Photo of iceball585
Reviewed by iceball585 from New York

2.55/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
A- Pale straw yellow color, cloudy, thin ring of head around the glass, lots of sediment floating throught

S- Pale malts, lemons, pepper, spices

T- Heavy spices, pale malts, salty, wheat, grass, hints of citrus

M- Medium body, slightly fizzy, lingering flavor, oily finish

D- Not really a fan of this one

This was an interesting beer. Not really something I'd choose to get again.
Oct 13, 2007
Photo of enfield249
Reviewed by enfield249 from Michigan

3.45/5  rDev +25.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
A - Pale, cloudy yellow. Almost looks more like a whit. Small head.

S - Slight spicy smell, coriander or pepper.

T - First thing that hits me is the slight sourness. Then, I get some of the spice.

M - Slight aqueous quality that I noticed right off. Kinda thirst quenching, if thats what you want.

D - Meh. Not awesome, not bad either. A different take on the style for sure. Low alcohol which I like, and you don't see often enough.
Jul 25, 2007
Photo of BretSikkink
Reviewed by BretSikkink from Mexico

2.78/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Golden brew, head is short and very frothy light. Lacing is good, however the retention is quite poor. Too clear to be a Proper hefe.

Diacetyl and pale malt, I suppose a whiff of wheat chaff. No hopping detected. Flavor is more of that, little hopping and an off lemongrass flavor. Weak and thin, a little watery. They could play up the tart character, but I would switch recipes. Boring.
Jul 06, 2007
Photo of BuckeyeNation
Reviewed by BuckeyeNation from Iowa

2.68/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
Bright lemony amber topped by an airily soft eggshell colored head. Large bubbles form on the bottom and sides of the glass and take turns zipping rapidly upwards. Although the meringue-like foam leaves a good bit of soap sudsy lace, a lack of visible hefe hurts the appearance.

The nose is most reminiscent of a macro lager. No way, no how does this beer smell like an APWA. It's primarily pale malty with a whiff of buttered toffee. The brewery isn't lying when they say that it's 'hopped sparingly'. I can't appreciate the Fuggles or Cascade at all.

The scores just keep on tumblin' downward. If the flavor profile had mirrored the nose, I wouldn't have been too disappointed. Unfortunately, American Hefe Proper has that sour, lemon juice-added flavor that some beer of this style is known for. I can't begin to guess why it tastes like this, I just know that this is yet another Breckenridge beer that doesn't measure up.

Maybe more barley malt and less wheat is the answer. More sweetness and/or more bitterness would at least have covered up the mouth squinching tartness that almost reaches the level of a Flanders red. The final pours murks thing up nicely, but it doesn't change the flavor profile one whit. I guess that's what one gets with a bland ale yeast.

The mouthfeel is on the light side of medium and lacks any sort of volume at all. In fact, it borders on watery on the swallow. I doubt that even a perfect amount of carbonation would have been able to pull it above average. As is, it's definitely below average.

American Hefe Proper is not a good version of a style that has a hard time impressing me on a good day. However, I've had too many Breckenridge beers to have had my hopes up. It might be okay as a food washer-downer, but solo... never again.
Apr 27, 2007
Photo of BadRockBeer
Reviewed by BadRockBeer from Colorado

3.98/5  rDev +44.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5
Serving Type Sampled: 12oz. Brown crown-top bottle. Label includes “Bottled on Date.” Label reads “A hefeweizen style ale, hand brewed for exceptional Drinkability, enjoy with lemon”

Appearance: Pours golden & cloudy, as I got to the last third of the bottle I give it a swirl in true Hefe tradition and dump it in. In turn I get a dense 2 finger head. Little head retention leaving a light lace.

Smell: Sour dough bread, wheat, yeasty

Taste: Light wheat malt, slight hit of fuggles. Very light simple taste.

Mouthfeel: Thin, spritzy almost over carbonated.

Drinkability: Great, complimented with an orange twist (sorry beer geeks), this is the best lawn mowing beer on the shelf.
Feb 13, 2007
Photo of kimcgolf
Reviewed by kimcgolf from Georgia

3.28/5  rDev +19.3%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Had a 2 ounce glass of this draft as part of a 6 beer sampler at the brewery. Honey-golden in color, with thin white head that diminished quickly, and no lacing. Had a pleasant wheat aroma, with a hint of citrus, mostly orange and lemon. Citrus did not come through on the taste, which was mostly wheat. Finish was dry and wheaty, but all and all, this was not a bad wheat beer.
Jul 29, 2006
Photo of russpowell
Reviewed by russpowell from Arkansas

3.24/5  rDev +17.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours honey to bronze with a 1" white head. No head retention or lacing

S: Slight wheat & yeast smell, plus a hint of lemons

T: tartness & hints of lemon & orange, followed by fruittyness. Finishes fruitty & slighltly dry

MF: Light to medium with okay carbonation

Drinks okay, just stuck between being a mediocre hefe or american what ale, not reccomended
Jul 09, 2006
Photo of dreadnatty08
Reviewed by dreadnatty08 from District of Columbia

3.12/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours a clear straw yellow brew with a half inch of head that all too quickly dissapates. Not very promising for a hefe, but with the American style so poor in comparison to true ones, it's not so bad. Aromas are hay, wheat, some sourness, a little spice and some citrus notes. Beer is particularly acidic, not balanced very well. Thin body and light flavor are what destroys it. Carbonation is high and appropriate for style. Overall, not a dissapointment since all American wheats seem to be bland and rather boring. Not particularly recommended.
May 27, 2006
Photo of jp32
Reviewed by jp32 from Michigan

2.59/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
One of the better freshness dating systems on the label, if only they would use it. I always find this odd.

Pours a pale golden yellow color with a fluffy white head. The nose is of bananas and other soft subtle fruit notes hidden behind an old musty smell. The head dissipates very quickly. The taste is okay. Drinkable. Nothing special with an unappealing bready aftertaste. I guess the flavor is decent. Much better than a bud light or miller, if thats saying much.
May 17, 2006
Photo of zeff80
Reviewed by zeff80 from Missouri

3.15/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
12 oz bottle poured into pint glass. A pale yellow color with a small head...maybe 1 and a half fingers. However, it did leave lacing as I drank it. There is a slight hoppy aroma. The taste is rather non-descript. It's not a bad taste, but it's not a hefe. It has a crisp, sharp mouthfeel. I suppose it is fairly drinkable, although I've only had one per tasting. However, it started to grow on me.
Apr 21, 2006
Photo of Bitterbill
Reviewed by Bitterbill from Wyoming

2.06/5  rDev -25.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2
Poured from 12oz bottle(room temp) a hazy light gold with a smallish head of foam that dissipated quickly.

The smell is slightly of wheat but mostly..it smells like a macro lager.

The taste is all lemony..tastes more like an alcoholic lemonade than a Hefe. Sorry Breckenridge, this attempt at a Hefe Weizen misses the mark by too much.
Apr 15, 2006
Photo of Golden2wenty1
Reviewed by Golden2wenty1 from Wisconsin

2.7/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
Picked up a single at Woodman's West here in Madison.

Pours a hazy golden yellow with a smallish foamy head. Nose is very subtle - a little musty yeast, and surprisingly, a little balsamic vinegar dominates, with a hint of citrus. Taste is on the bland side as well, musty yeast, a hint of bitter citrus, but overall dry and uninspiring. Mouthfeel bubbly and crisp, body is light to medium. A pretty lame attempt at a hefe weizen here, no clove or banana characters, wierd vinegar in its place. Not awful, but nothing special at all.
Mar 05, 2006
American Hefe Proper from Breckenridge Brewery
Beer rating: 68 out of 100 with 49 ratings