Hot Spots Hefeweizen
Pizza Port Solana Beach

 

 

My pint arrived with no hint of a cap and the beer was a cloudy, opaque peach/pineapple juice colour. The aroma was slightly sour with some lemon and banana character. Mild bitterness with a lot of tropical fruit, bananas, light cloves and lemon. Medium to light bodied with moderate carbonation, smooth and off-dry. Decent overall and pretty easy to drink.

Pint at Pizza Port Solana Beach for four dollars

Reviewed on November 14, 2007

Color was a murky yellow with an orange tint, small white head that faded fast, no lacing

Smell was oranges and yeast, not much going on in the aroma, some pina colada type smells, but nothing substantial

Taste was full of wheat and citrus, left a dry aftertaste and had some bready accents, straw-like taste in the middle, and the oranges take over after that leaving a very fruity finish followed by lots of dryness

Carbonation was average, but the body was not very full, not a great mouthfeel

Could drink lots of these because they are so light and smooth, goes down really easily and goes pretty well with the pizza that is served here

Sampled on-tap at the Solano Beach location.

This hefeweizen poured a cloudy, golden color with white foam that settled and clung to the inside of the glass. The smell had notes off light banana and some yeast. The taste had a light yeasty flavor and very light banana and toasted coconut flavors. There was a touch of light sweetness and a hint of citrus. The mouthfeel was smooth with medium-light body and low carbonation feel. This was a mellow, easy-drinking hefeweizen, and was enjoyable, though not packed with flavor.

Solona Pizza Port generaly brews this real German style Hefewizen from spring through summer. And it usually goes through changes, getting better & more flavorful after a few batches. At the begining of the season, it's similar to a Franziskaner which is ok, but later develops into the wonderfull nectar that I love. At it's best, it is nothing short of perfect & awesome!

The pour from the tap has a low head & is rich amber, with a smooth unfiltered haze. The scent has ripe bannana, clove & fresh bread.
The flavor is similar but beautifully bigger, richer & complex. Sweetness is there, but not too sweet. It has perfect ballance & huge flavor.
This is THE best Hef I've ever had. Very close WAS a hef made by Kona Brewing a few years ago, which later seemed to change to a plain wheat beer. I won't defile this Hef by squeezing lemon in; at most just swipe the lemon around the rim. Goes good with some good pizza & a good IPA to alternate with.
I'm usually suspicious of all 5's, & would not give it if I didnt consider it perfect; but when early in the season it only gets 4's. :(

Ordered up a pint of this German-styled hefeweizen while waiting for a couple pizzas and spending an entire day at the San Diego Zoo with my little boy. Hot Spots arrived in a standard pint glass sans lemon wedge (thank you!) and had a turbid dark yellow color and a large, almost-going-over-the-side white head that hung around for a couple minutes. No lace was noted but a lot of tight streams of carbonation were noted rushing to the surface.
My nose was greeted with the standard banana-and-clove aroma I like in my hefeweizens. Also in there were notes of bready malts and some undefined tropical fruits. The taste had a good wheaty flavor, lightly earthy, and a solid fruity taste of bananas and maybe a bit of lemon zest. The clove flavor was also prominant along with a hint of pepper in the finish. The feel was light, crisp and dry.
Overall, this beer really hit the spot after a day of humping around a zoo in the sun. Very refreshing and highly drinkable. A good take at imitating the classic German hefeweizen.

Sampled from my girlfriend's pintglass after a hot day at Solana Beach.

Gorgeous yellow, cloudy white pour with a dense white head. The nose on this hefeweizen is strong and delightful. Banana and generic fruit. The taste was wheat and yeast and fruit in a mini-explosion. A surprisingly bold yet brief hop bitterness actually worked very well. Awesome thirstquencher. Also went great with the BBQ chicken pizza. Only thing I might say is it was a tiny bit thin, but I guess that is a good thing with this type of beer. Excellent overall. Only Schneider Weisse has had a more powerful aroma and powerful flavor.