Yellow Humpy Hefeweizen
Madison River Brewing Company

a light and flavorful hefeweizen with some nuance to it, more complex than a lot of these are, especially at this lower abv, and i think a perfect take on the style for summer. its pale yellow, really light in color, with a consistent frosted haze to it and a tall white head, looks pretty in the glass. the aroma shows the usual notes of white wheat malt, green banana, and light spice from the yeast, which seems well controlled here, not overpowering, and quite clean as well, very appealing. there are also slight pine and earthy straw notes to this that give it a little more depth, some grassy sort of late hops too. the flavor is more than just a basic hefe, which is rad. it sure starts that way, the yeast pops right from the beginning, real fresh, and over a somewhat restrained grain base, dry and clean and still fluffy feeling. i get some definite fresh pine character coming on late, herbaceous and natural, with some late emerging rawness to the grain that i like as well, maybe raw wheat in the mix, with some hay and pollen and dried flowers and things as well, a more complex finish than a lot of these have, still yeast driven, but more than that going on for sure. clean at the end, awesome carbonation, and a real refreshing drink on a hot afternoon. i liked this a lot, and would rank it among my favorites from madison river to date!

Served on tap in a pint glass

Appearance – The beer is served a hazy golden color with a one finger head of white foam. The head has a fair level of retention, fading over time to leave a light level of foamy lace on the sides of the glass.

Smell – The aroma of the brew is somewhat odd and has a mix of yeasty and musty notes. Along with these dominating smells are a little bit of banana and a hint of clove.

Taste – The taste starts out with a big wheat bread taste mixed with some yeasty flavors and a good showing of clove. As the taste advances a little bit of banana hits the tongue, although this flavor remains quite light. The clove turns its intensity up more toward the end and is joined by some grassy flavors to leave a rather wheat bready and clove spiced flavor to linger on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – The body of the brew is on the slightly more chewy with a carbonation level that is rather low.

Overall - Decent, but not the best hefe out there in my opinion. I would have liked a little bit more sweetness with a toning down of the wheaty flavors a bit. Overall though it was worth a try.