German Wheat
JoBoy's Brew Pub

Purchased on draft at the brewpub, this looks nothing like and tastes very little like a hefeweizen. This was the first beer I’ve had from JoBoy’s, and hopefully the next one will be better.

Transcribed from notes:

This came with a finger of head that became wispy by the time that I got to it. Nose gave away its style as a Hefeweizen since it was as bananas as anything that I have smelled. Color was a milky lemon-yellow. Mouthfeel was silky smooth with a lot of banana flavor in the mouth. I was reminded of instant banana pudding as an impatient kid - it merely required water & vigorous stirring before it could be slurped down. I used to do this routinely, which may account for my dislike of banana esters as an adult. This was pleasant and drinkable and probably one of the better hefes that I have had in a while ( and for me/from me, that is high praise, indeed!).

Today is Su, 14 October 2018 & the occasion of Oh, Boy, It's JoBoy's New Beer Sunday (Week 712). I bought a Variety sixer of bottles on my last visit & I got pics taken, resized & approved yesterday, so all systems are green & go.

From the Bottle: "Based on classic German examples, our beer is a very refreshing wheat based ale. The low hop flavor and aroma and the style of the yeast help to bring out hints of banana and clove. It is well-rounded and flavorful with a relatively dry yet crisp finish."; "At JoBoy's we specialize in hand crafted beer & authentic southern BBQ."

I did some pretty intense in-bottle agitation before Pop!ping the cap to ensure that any lees that may have settled onto the punt were now back in suspension. I was a little surprised that no direction was given in this regard on the label. Hmm. The foamy head came rushing up to form three fingers of dense, foamy, rocky, eggshell-white head with good retention, leaving loads of lacing in its wake. Color was a cloudy Golden-Amber (SRM = > 5, < 7). Nose seemed kind of muted, as though it could not decide whether to be banana-forward or clove-forward & chose a middle ground as a result. Hmm. Mouthfeel was medium-to-full, not quite creamy, but big for this style. The taste was bready & yeasty and leaned more towards banana than clove, but both of those flavors were rather muted. It was not as I remember it from their original brews in Manheim back in 2010/2011, but c'est la vie. It was still a passable interpretation of a Hefeweizen, but since it is one of my least-favorite styles, I won't feel a pressing need to return to it. Finish was semi-dry, kind of spicy, still quite bready & a decent beer overall. YMMV.

 

 

 

 

On-tap at the brewpub.

A: The hefeweizen is a hazy orange amber color, just about right although the head is MIA.

S: Clove is strong, the dominant flavor within the hefe. It's pungent anise-like aromas crowding everything else out of the picture. No wheat, no banana to be found here.

T: Clove and more clove, with clove on the side. Don't get me wrong, I love that aspect of hefeweizens, but this ale takes it to new heights. I had to search under that spice to find the wheat's tart body. That tartness, as you'd imagine, is fleeting. The yeast and its byproducts own this beer.

M: The mouthfeel is sweet, lower on carbonation exactly as I'd expect it to be. The clove, good in spurts, gets a little heavy handed near the end.

a: Looks like a hefe, cloudy, murky, straw colored yellow with a thick, craggy white head.

s: All the right elements are here, some banana and bubblegum with a little more clove than average.

t: Lightly sweet bananas up front with a spicy clove bite at the end. I might have noticed some grassy hops as well.

m: Chewy and creamy.

o: There aren't enough good hefes around. This one qualifies though, I'm glad I got to try it.