Hefeweizen
Rooster Fish Brewing Co.

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the Ithaca Ale House.

A: The hefeweizen is hazy, a clouded-over yellow-brown color. A white head, nearly a finger, comes with the glass. A few legs of lace are left behind.

S: The lemon wedge provides a sharp citric bite. Beyond that, back to the ale itself, there are plenty of banana and clove aromas. The sweetness is refreshing, crowding out any wheat aromas. Very enticing.

T: Bananas and cloves, a resounding sweetness. A wheat tartness follows on the heels of the yeast, adding a counterpoint to the ale. The yeast by-products are the stars, sweet and fruity. My last experience with Roosterfish's hefe wasn't so good. But this one? I like it just fine.

M: The hefeweizen doesn't shy away from its sweeter side, plenty of clove and banana. A lower carbonation suits this ale, keeping the phenols in one place for a longer period of time.

Spent the weekend touring the finger lakes region and it's various breweries wineries. RoosterFish was the first stop on our trip around Lake Seneca. I later picked up a bottle of their IPA which I hope to taste soon. I was impressed with their Hefe while dining at the restaurant so I took a growler to go...

A - A nice cloudy golden yellow. Not as hearty as I usually like my hefe, but this could be a product of the sample being fresh from the tap and not bottled.

S - The scent of the banana stands out in the nose and in the taste. It is not unpleasant, other than that there aren't any notable scents.

T - The sweetness of the coriander and banana really stand out in this Hefe. It goes down real smooth and is a pleasure to drink.

D - Smooth brew. Not too overpowering, nicely done. I'm looking forward to the other brews that I picked up from this brewery.

M - Nothing better than fresh beer. Just finished my liter growler. This beer would be great to enjoy on a hot summer day. Just like today!!

A cloudy yellow body with about a finger of bright white head that disappears rather Quickly. Not really any lacing.

The aroma has a touch of peppery coriander, banana bread, a wheat twang and just a touch of sourness.

The taste is really more like some kind of American wheat ale and not a hefe. A touch of tartness, and only a bit of banana and pepper. There are wheat flavors too.

Light body with moderate carbonation.

Ok beer.

had this on tap at a local restaurant.

appears to be a little less cloudy than a typical hefe. but still a little hazy, orange golden. smells of strong citrus fruits and yeast. taste is predominatly orange/ grapefruit with a doughy yeasty finish. mouthfeel is med body with smooth silky carbonation. excelent drinkability.

Had this Hefe on draft at Dinosaur BBQ in Rochester while we were up visiting family.

Hazy yellow color with minimal head (strange for a wheat beer, but it could have been the tap). Smell was pretty clean - no cidery notes like one of the other reviewers mentioned. The taste was a clean wheat beer - a little bannana on the back end of the taste, but it has many similarities to an American Wheat. Mildly sweet finish. Overall, an easy drinking beer on a hot night - easy enough to drink several pints in one setting.

This beer poured a hazy yellow with a single-finger head that didn't last long. The smell doesn't remind me much of a hefe, but reminds me more of fresh cut grass and a little bit of a appley slightly-off cider smell. Weird, I know. The taste starts off with a bit of sweetness that gives way to some fruit and spices, semi-reminiscent of a hefe but not exactly what I expected. The mouthfeel is slightly thick with a moderate amount of carbonation This is a pretty drinkable beer, but I'm not sure if my review is so different from everyone else's because of how old the keg of beer was, but it doesn't really taste off or anything. Hell if I know.

presented with a cloudy pale gold, no head at all
smell was like a weak "hard" cider
taste is bad doesn't have any hefeweizen characteristics it just tastes like a weak hard cider and was basically just gross
mouthfeel was watery thin
drinkablity is well I'm hoping there was something wrong with the keg or the lines because this was disgusting and was only finished for the sake of having liquid with food

Appearance- It was a good looking beer. A hazy gold color with lot of bubbles in the body. Good head and lace.

Smell- Is great it has a very nice weizen aroma. Great bread banana and clove tones.

Taste- The taste was a disappointment after the smell. All those tones were in the flavor too but they were weak. On that that note there was no aftertaste either. It still tasted good just weaker than I thought.

Mouthfeel- A medium body with average carbonation.

Drinkability- I love hefe so I am going to go with good but it is light.

My Franzikaner glass hosted Summer Sky's big frothy head, only to be disappointed by the quick fade to a thin sudsy blanket. However, the hazy rich gold tones displayed the prolific carbonation nicely.

Moist banana bread gets right in the nose, allowing room for pears, coriander, vanilla and lots of good stuff. Again, Summer Sky falls just short of the pop I had experienced in the café. I have got to get over the geekieness of taking notes while eating out.

The flavors follow the aroma, with added honey and maybe some oak. The finish has a quick touch of bitterness, but the flavors stand-up very well.

The medium body, is a little oily, with a nice dryness.

Summer Sky, just like it's namesake, is a treat to enjoy as much of as you can get. Hopefully they star bottling this, so it will be easier to get. This growler was quickly finished.

If you ever get to Watkins Glen, give the Wildflower Café and the village a try. The whole experience is well worth the time.

The beer pours a cloudy gold color with a thick frothy white head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is exceptional. It has a wonderful banana/clove scent complimented with a solid pale and wheat malt base. It's light and refreshing. The taste is decent. It has a nice hefe taste, but there seems to be a bit more hops than needed. It goes down easy, and though it's tastey and refreshing, it finishes slightly bitter with a light hop presence. The mouthfeel is fine. It is a medium/full bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is an easy drinker, like most hefes. The hops should be toned down a bit. It takes away from the yeast character and that's what makes these beers so damn good.

Out of all of Rooster Fish's ales, this is the one that most impresses me. In appearance it is cloudy and looks a bit like a glass of honey, a sensation enhanced by the scent of cloves on the nose. A single sip and a swirl around the mouth invokes a complex range of taste sensations, from buttery on the back of the tongue to floral, spicy apple, and savory herb highlights in the front. A very nice sipping wheat ale. If you happen to try this at the Crooked Rooster Brewpub like I did, you might find it the perfect way to round out a day hiking in the lovely gorges that abound in the Finger Lakes area.