Gordon Biersch Hefeweizen
Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant

3.89/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pretty nice pour straight from the brewery. Slight white head. Very hazy body but the scents were a bit mustardy. Taste is nothing like the scent, which is odd. Very nice and smooth with a lot of clove and banana. Very pleasant. Easy to drink and light, though not watery. Another good offering by GB.

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3.76/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

Look - Hazy golden orange with one finger of creamy white head.
Smell - bananas, yeast and the lemon that was thrown in my glass
Taste - somewhere between a weihenstephaner and a blue moon. A little over-carbonated for the style imo.
Feel - almost champagne-like with the carbonation
Overall- an enjoyable refreshing beer but not top class in the style

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4/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Hazy gold with two fingers of white head.
Smell is pungent wheat yeast herbal hops.
Taste is tangy wheat yeast bubblegum banana some herbal hops.
Mouthfeel is light to medium with good carbonation. The finish is lightly dry and balanced.
Overall a tasty hefe.

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4.02/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Picked up a growler 2-26-2017 courtesy of my buddy Mr. Doyle from his Black Friday growler book. Cost was a $2 tip to the bartender for the fill.
Beer poured orange with a nice white head initially that dissipated quickly.

Nose is classic German hefe yeast strain, bananas and cloves forward.

Taste follows the nose, banana and cloves blend nicely with the wheat malt base. Noble hops balance the malt sweetness nicely.

Mouthfeel is light to medium bodied and pretty smooth.

Overall this is a good representation of the style. glad i finally got around to having this!

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3.98/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Had it while in New Orleans on tap into a 0.25l glass. Very nice head and good lacing. Wonderful banana and clove smell and taste. I might have rated it a bit higher but had a Live Oak Hefe later that day when back in Texas. Puts it perspective!

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3.83/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Split a draft with my cousin Michelle's husband Rob during the 2017 US Figure Skating championships in Kansas City, Missouri. It was solid and a pleasant surprise for a hefe, since I was trying beers from the area. Recommend!

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4.26/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

On tap at an airport G-B. Look is medium orange and quite cloudy. A bit darker than most hefes. Smell is light banana and fruit. Taste is slightly "sharp" up front, with the yeasty esters coming later. Aftertaste is all banana, in a good way (I like my hefes this way). Not much of the clove or spice elements, though I do get some every other sip. Feel is fine for the style. Overall a solid example. I would be happy to have again.

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3.87/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Had this as a draft at their brewery in Tempe, AZ. Great amounts of wheat taste w/ a fruity smell/taste. Would order this again. One of there better selections of beers.

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3.19/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

On tap at the Atlanta brewpub. Not a favored style.

Look: hazy golden body with an off-white head.

Aroma: very fruity with a lot of citrus, some banana and a hint of yeast.

Flavor: follows the aroma. More citrus and less clove than average for style.

Mouthfeel: light-medium body and medium+ carbonation.

Overall: fruity hefe.

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3.77/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

I had this beer on-tap in a weizen glass at the Seattle location.

Appearance: cloudy medium yellow hue with a thick finger of creamy ivory foam. Quite attractive!

Smell: clove and some grainy wheat. Could be smoother, but overall pretty good.

Taste: heavy clove flavor with a bit of banana and some alcohol heat. I like the esters, but there's a little harshness here too that I don't love.

Mouthfeel: light body for the style with a good carbonation and decent creaminess.

Overall: not a bad hefeweizen, especially for an American take on the style.

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3.67/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

12oz brown bottle, sample from the brewery.

Cloudy peach hued brew, great looking head. Hint of banana bread and taffy with some faint powdered clove and bandaids with some bread in the aroma. Crisp and smooth, fluffy medium body. Bready palate, banana pith and banana bread, mild clove spiciness, lands dry with some faint phenols. Crisp and balanced, pretty drinkable as well.

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4.01/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Had this on tap at the Syracuse location in Destiny USA. A big, beautiful, 20 ounce glass emblazoned with the word "HEFEWEIZEN" shows up, and delivers. This brew is an excellent example of the style, and went perfectly with the flat steak I ordered.

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3.81/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Served on tap in a pilsner glass

Appearance – The beer is served a hazy yellow-straw color with a thick and billowy white head of three finger height. The head has a great level of retention, slowly fading to leave a moderate level of foamy lace on the sides of the glass.

Smell – The aroma of the brew is quite heavy of wheat and yeast. Along with these smells are aromas of coriander and clove as well as a little bit of a lemon and orange smells. Some sweet aroma, other then the citrus, are there as well with notes of bubblegum and some caramel.

Taste – The taste begins with a rather bready and slightly grainy wheat flavor. Along with these tastes there is also flavors of orange and lemon right from the start. As the flavors advance, a yeasty and spicy flavor come to the tongue; with the spice mostly of clove and coriander, as would have been expected from the nose. Shortly following these tastes, a light banana comes to the tongue with the graininess becoming almost entirely subdued. The mix of resulting flavors takes the taste to its end where a rather smooth Hefe flavor is left to linger on the tongue.

Mouthfeel-The body of the beer is on the lighter and slightly thinner side with a carbonation level that is on the slightly higher to average side. Both are quite appropriate for the wheat, yeast, and spice flavors of the brew and make a very easy drinking Hefeweizen; just as a Hefe of 5.5 % abv should be.

Overall – A rather good Hefeweizen overall. Very easy drinking with a nice blend of flavors.

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4.06/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

From a bottle, with a bottling date more in line with reason - a rare feat here in Singapore, dated May 7th of this year. Poured a semi transparent creamy orange into a class Weissbrau Pint Glass. Solid 2 Finger head built on a foundation of semi strong carbonation. Sweet aroma in line with the style. The description on the label does the beer justice, therefore making it hard to argue. Bananas, Bubble Gum, Citrus, and clove are all in there. I'd throw in caramel as well making the banana taste more like a bananas foster type dessert taste, but that might be a little to specific. The extreme fruity characteristics of the aroma take a back seat to the wheat flavour upon drinking it, which is exactly what you want. Well balanced, slight semi sweet dry finish makes you want to take another sip immediately. Sessionable and in my opinion solid for an American version of a German classic.

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3.56/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Pours a standard for the style, cloudy yellow with nice one finger head. Aroma of funky yeast and very strong banana. Taste follows with lots of banana, yeast funk, and a tad of bitterness. Not as sweet as some I have had, and I think this is actually very well done. Easy drinking and refreshing. Medium to high carbonation that gives is a nice bubbly feel for the summer days. Definitely one to try if at the restaurant.

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3.92/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

Consumed some time ago at a friend's place. Poured into a pilsner flute glass out of a 12oz bottle.

Pours a sunset orange amber complete with tons of bubbly carbonation in the glass and a cascading off-khaki head about 3-4 fingers high. Definitely shows itself to be bready and thickened with each swirl, and carbonation holds on relatively well in the glass right here. Doesn't look too unfiltered, but still is quite authentic to style if I've ever seen one. Carbonation lasts a good long while. Lots of lacing is left behind. Extremely well presented.

The aroma is definitely quite on-par with classic Bavarian weissbiers, with some key differences. Vibrant notes of citrus, caramelized banana, light clove, and bubblegum. Lots and lots of bubblegum. Almost to the point of adding extra sweetness that throws off some of the flavors. Nevertheless, the banana esters are spot-on, in spite of the fact that there's a toasted bready grainy character that overpowers the cracked wheat flavors, as well as some sharp bitterness. This is a hard type of beer to brew well - the flavors are all there, but it's almost refined so much that it's verging on a weizenbock, in spite of the low ABV.

The flavor is far more delicate and not as bubblegum forward, which luckily leads to a more satisfying drinking experience. Caramelized banana and toffee abound, combined with toasted wheat, some clove and dried lemon, as well as spices and a bit of bubblegum. Quite malty at the finish, but the yeast and wheat seems to cleanse the palate at the very end. Contains a ton of carbonation, but luckily this aids in making the flavor feel more creamy and filling overall. As most Gordon Biersch offerings, this is quite easy to drink, and does well on its own or paired with food.

I still hold the firm belief that this brewery, no matter how large it may be, brews some of the best German-style beers in the country, and this is no exception. It may have some quirky things going on, but it's quite authentic flavor wise and in feel, and definitely kicks all of these thinner, overtly citrusy wheat-focused beers in a heartbeat. It's pretty great stuff overall - worth checking out for the price.

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4.47/5  rDev +22.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This is the best Hefeweizen I have had since visiting Germany. Most American Hefeweizens are no more than an ale brewed with malted wheat. They have a more bitter flavor to them that you will not find in this beer. Between its beautiful unfiltered golden appearance, wonderful aroma, and unique and enjoyable flavor notes of banana, bubblegum, citrus, and clove, this beer is a perfect selection for any occasion.

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3.92/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.75

Bottled on date of 01/14/13

Appearance - Pours a cloudy, rustic orange with an off-white near 2-finger head. Fair retention. Spotty surface. Not much in the way of lacing, but not unusual for a hefe.

Smell - Citrus, bubblegum, banana and clove are are all there, and in abundance. This might be the most aromatic hefe I've ever had.

Taste - Clove spice, citrus and banana upfront and throughout. Bubblegum is hard to find on the tongue. Distant citrus pith bitterness in the finish.

Mouthfeel - Medium in body with lively carbonation. Maybe too much. Semi-dry finish.

Overall - Hard to believe I hadn't picked this one up before. Regardless, this is a commendable example. If the carbonation was a tad less prickly and with a touch more bubblegum found in the flavor as it is with the nose, this would be right up there with the best of them. Regardless, don't miss out if you see this. Grab one!

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4.5/5  rDev +23%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Happy Hour doesn't not get any better than at my local Gordon Biersch. This beer goes down so smooth. It's more of a spring and summer beer, but can really be enjoyed year round. It has a hint of banana that can be both smelt and tasted. If this beer was available in kegs, it would be a permanent staple.

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3.58/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Served on-tap at Gordon Biersch in Raleigh Durham International Airport (RDU)

A: Pours a cloudy golden orange in color with some light hints of golden yellow and apricot highlights along with moderate to heavy amounts of visible carbonation. The beer has a three finger tall dense foamy off-white head that slowly reduces to a thick film covering the majority of the surface of the beer along with a thick ring at the edges of the glass. Significant amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate aromas of wheat with a hint of breadiness along with some light to moderate aromas of lemon citrus and banana + clove. Smells like what I expect for the style though maybe a slight bit flatter than some of the exceptional ones.

T: Like the smell, upfront there was a light to moderate flavor of wheat which is followed by moderate amounts of banana and clove. There are light hints of lemon citrus and just a touch of earthy/spicy yeast. Minimal amounts of bitterness.

M: Just shy of medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation.

O: Easy to drink and enjoyable but unfortunately (or fortunately) I have been spoiled by having many great beers in this style... this is not a bad version of the style but just a little better than middle of the road.

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3.31/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

On tap at Gordon Biersch in Burbank, CA.

Pours a murky honey orange with a foamy off-white head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Foamy rings of lace line the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, wheat, yeast, spices, and a slight soapy aroma. Taste is much the same with spice and earthy flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of spice bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp and medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is an above average beer that seems somewhat unrefined in the aromas and flavors.

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3.6/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a twelve ounce weizen glass from the bottle.

Color is clear straw gold, meaning they have partially filtered this beer. More of a kristalweizen. Small white head.

Smell: Not that impressive. Not the same level of bananas, but clove, fresh wheat, sugar. It passes as a hefe, but barely.

Taste: Much better. Has a smooth, creamy taste, with a small amount of banana, some clove, minimal citrus, and a good portion of wheat malt. The yeast is filtered out of this brew, so realistically it would and could be far better with that left in.

Mouthfeel: Not nearly as creamy as German hefes. Possibly due to the filtration. Without the filtration, this beer would earn far higher marks - to be honest, it's actually a Kristalweizen.

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3.49/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Had this at Reagan National Airport. No fruit in glass.

A - Pours a cloudy golden color, one finger white head receded to a thin layer on top. Minimal lacing.

S - Citrus, slight banana and even slighter clove.

T - Good wheaty taste, slight banana and clove and a little orange. Would give it a 3.75 in this category if I could.

M - Creamy and smooth, good carbonation.

O - I have quite frequently been disappointed by their beer but this is one of the better GB offerings, which is good because I like their food. Could and would drink multiples. Would give it a 3.75 in this category if I could.

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3.73/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Had this at the Hopkins Airport in Cleveland

A - Pours a very hazy golden honey color, fairly big white head that quckly recedes leaving a thin layer on top. Slight lacing.

S - Mildly wheaty, some banana and cloves

T - Nice mild tartness, banana pudding on the finish, in between get cloves.

M - Creamy, mild carbonation

O - Not a bad rendition, maybe a liitle weak, but has a nice balance, and has a refreshing finish. A beer you can enjoy a couple of at one sitting

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2.8/5  rDev -23.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

The appearance was good,as expected a semi-blonde bubbly,brew with a nice foamy head. The odor was sweet,and malty,some spice the odor was quite enticing. This was my first and last Hefeweizen,nothing against the maker. I felt like I drank a beer that someone else had drunk from a baseball game that had a big wad of gum in her mouth. Honestly..down the drain it went. Overall its my loss ...just couldnt appreciate this style of beer.

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