Weizenheimer Weizen
Griffin Claw Brewing Company

 

 

Served on tap at the pub in a classic weizen glass, 20 oz of goodness. Straw in color, with a collar of white foam on top. Big, beautiful aromas of banana, wheat, spice, and lemon/citrus. Taste follows through on the aroma, with a beautiful, medium feel that quenches any thirst. Streams of carbonation are active throughout the session. Drinks fast, certainty on a hot day. Definitely one to try.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This brew was served from the tap at the Griffin Claw Brewing Company taproom in Birmingham, Michigan. It arrived in a house Hefe glass, showing a pale straw coloring, with darker hues of sunset orange towards the top of the glass. It held a two finger tall head of snow-white soapy bubbles, showing great retention, with the top of the liquid never being left bare for even a second throughout the tasting. Thick sheets of lacing were left around the glass as the liquid levels decreased and the bubbles boiled away. Haze was definite, but no outright sediment was noted. Carbonation appeared to be highly active. The aroma was authentic and bright, with huge phenolic plastics and sweet banana esters, light grassiness, clean wheat, vanilla, clovey spice, soft lemony hops, oatmeal, apricot jam, and brown sugar sweetness. With warmth, the grains came out in their truest, rawest form. Our first impression was that the flavoring was superbly balanced, with nice estery inclusions, hop balance, and a clean blend to the finish. As we sipped, the taste began with huge banana ester sugars, grassy hops, pale wheatiness, baby powder, puckering soapy bite, clove and cinnamon spice, basement mustiness, and Runt candy sweetness. The middle came to a peak with apple crumble warmth, butter-brushed pie crust, more of a bittered wheatiness, tin, honey, wheat breadiness, raw rye, and gritty pale malts. Washing through the end were notes of more ripe banana, orange juiciness, sea salt, booze, walnut bitterness, allspice, continued wheaty base, mineral, and chalky, biting baker’s yeast. The aftertaste breathed of juicy tropical pineapple juice, fruity bubblegum esters, dirty wet wheatiness, clove, grit of sand and dust, pale malts, browned banana, and brown malt sours. The body was light to medium, and the carbonation was medium. Each sip gave nice slurp, smack, cream, and froth, with pleasant fizz and reproducible slurpability. The mouth was left with a thick sugary coat that was more satiating than drying, and a light citric and grainy puck. The abv was appropriate, and the beer drank quite easily.

Overall, what we enjoyed most about this beer was its flavoring. That desirable essence of esters, phenol, and spice came out in full force here, siding nicely with the hearty, clean, and serious wheat base. While there are many beers that attempt this seemingly simple style, here we avoid that soggy, overly drenched wheatiness that drags not only the flavoring down, but the feel as well. This is kept freshly flavored and light to the touch, for an easy-going tasting. The more subtle notes of citrus and sourness also add a bit of mystery to it as well, giving you something to ponder in between sips. This is a terrific, “grown up”, appealing take on the style.

 

This is the best hefeweizen I've had in a long time.

A- Cloudy gold, good head retention and lacing, nice carbonation bubbles.

S- The usual hefe banana/clove smell but very strong and pleasant.

T- Again, the best I've had in a long time. The banana is present and the beer was sweet without being overpoweringly so.

M- Fairly thick, very pleasant. Would still be a good outdoor beer in the summer but it was nice on this cold, cloudy day.

Overall, I'd drink this all day if I could. Unfortunately, my desire to try new things trumped me ordering another.