Bierstrasse Hefeweizen
Woodbridge Brewing Company

Growler fill from the brewery on Sunday evening, July 15. Served at just over fridge temperature in a Franziskaner glass.

Appearance- An unbelievable layer of wheat malt settled at the bottom of the growler warrants a minute-long swishing of the unopened container. As thick as butterscotch candy, this beer is more opaque than any other hefeweizen I've yet to encounter.

On a traditional pour, this beer is a wall of mysterious murk... the head climbs four fingers tall and leaves big, thick, webby lacing behind. All is quiet now, and this beautiful unfiltered honey is a trophy on my desk.

Smell- A concentrated aroma of wheat malt, banana, clove... but this is the supreme balance I've been waiting for. Deliciously large and most generous, this is a truly exceptional nose worth driving many miles to experience. The hefeweizen lover's jackpot.

Taste- The introduction is a heavy dose of wheat malt, lasting for several seconds and imparting a wonderfully interesting toasted malt character. Immediately following this comes the banana and clove essence that delivers a totally authentic, kickass experience. I'm blown away at this point with the overall quality of this amazing, $10 growler fill.

Mouthfeel/Drinkability- a terrific balance of responsive carbonation and easy eloquence... and all day drinker for sure. This beer has exceeded my wildest expectations, while I keep in mind the brewer's remarkable talent that could only be improved by sharing his wares with more of us. What a pleasant surprise this evening to discover a gem of a locally crafted hefeweizen.

This beer was a cloudy yellowish orange with a thin white head when served to me.
The smell was a bit faint - mainly citrus - esp. lemon - and some yeast. A slight clove was detectible.
The taste was of a lemony wheat and yeast. It was medium bodied for the style. Some clove became noticeable as the drink progressed.
It had light, refreshing characteristics - very appropriate for the hot summer. It was creamy, but thin enough to be thirst-quenching - smooth.
Overall, it was a good brew and I am looking forward to trying it again! IMO - it is good enough, but - to improve it, I would have made the scent a tad bit stronger and would have had a bit more banana flavor to complement the clove- especially in the nose.

This hefeweizen pours the expected cloudy yellow-orange body beneath a hefty head of frothy white foam that drops shortly yet leaves some nice lacing about the glass.
The nose is more tartish and lemony than banana-ish, with a delicate spiciness. It's medium-light bodied and somewhat effervescent, as might be expected, and it lends an awakening zest to the tastebuds.
The flavor follows the nose, in that it's dominated by a lemon-tart acidity and clove over a delicately sweet, bready and wheaty malt - with limited banana characteristics (and certain weizen yeasts are chosen for just that!!!). It's not sweet or out of balance in any way, and it finishes dry and just a touch fruity.
Overall, a beautiful rendition of the style that's quite refreshing and highly drinkable!