North Fork Belgian Hefeweizen
North Fork Brewing

This should be called Bavarian Hefeweizen rather than Belgian. And...it stays true to style! I am very accustomed to American beers calling themselves Hefeweizen but really not resembling the title; instead, they are often Pale Wheat Ales of some other sort. This brew, on the other hand, looks, smells, tastes, and feels like a true Hef. Lucky for me, they did not try to give it to me with a lemon. The light golden-yellow liquid is cloudy but easily translucent with a little white head. Cloves and citrus come through in the aroma. The taste is a little bitter but grainy unmalted wheat and some biscuity malts balance the hops nicely, leaving a tangy residual pleasantness. Feels just like it should; tastefully carbonated with a slightly creamy medium-light body. This is the best Hefeweizen around, but that is not saying too much.

North Fork's printed menu lists this as Bavarian Hefeweizen. On the beer board it just says Hef. Somehow I wasn't expecting a traditional Bavarian-style wheat beer replete with a classic cloven nose (don't you just love a good cloven nose?) and related spice phenols. The Hef is dense ochre and sits sullenly in the glass with little carbonation and not a thread of lace or head. It also shows a touch more bittering than one might expect.

A worthy tribute beer, though when served past its prime it shows obvious decay. 4.8% ABV.

Had on tap 7/17/09 at the brew pub pizza shop. took the lemon out.

appearance: a hazy golden shade with a nice quarter inch of pure white foam on top that laced nicely down the glass.

aroma: spicy and and peppery/clovey yeast smell -- very, very minor banana.

taste: smooth with a nice pepper/clove taste upfront, just an occasional banana flavor with a well balanced hint of malt and bitterness to balance out the spice.

excellent beer!