Wheat
Side Launch Brewing Company

 

At my lady Pamela's house; canned and chilled, 473mL in a pint glass. From my favourite LCBO at Tecumseh Mall in nearby Windsor. Canned November 4/24. My 8th beer from the Collingwood, Ontario brewery, and 1st for 2026. Exquisitely embraced by Gracie the cat, with eternal love...

They have changed their labels now, so if anyone can upload a new picture it would be appreciated. Never works for me.

So this wheat beer pours a solid 2 fingers of foam. Foam head doesn't fade away quickly. Keeps some lacing.
Smell is what you would expect from this beer, so banana sticks out. Color is on the amber side. Taste is good. This is one of the top beers from Side Launch. I can tell you right now if I were to order again from Side Launch, I would be putting this beer in the cart. They ship Ontario wide, so that's awesome.

I drink German Wheat beers whenever i can like Weihenstephaner, Paulaner, Erdinger, etc and I can say Side Launch can give them a run for their money. I think Side Launch wheat beer is better than Paulaner Wheat Beer. They use a German recipe after all, and they use it well.

Great little wheat.... but does not compare to the top of the genre

Hazy and classically golden straw coloured in the glass, the head is a bit disappointing, about maybe one finger that dissipates over the course of one minute.

Strong yeasty aroma and a blast of wheat on the nose, very classic earthy and grassy hop whiffs here as well. Lastly is banana and cloves. Very basic profile

A savouriness to the beers first sip that is broken up by the effervescence. This gives it a very creamy wheat flavour, compared to some other hefe’s which are dryer and crisper, this is a very creamy wheaty, little bit yeasty experience. A little bit doughy on the back end, which is pleasant. Mild banana but a nice touch of phenols and cloves, general spices. Only the slightest hint of a hop presence in some earthiness to the flavour profile and some gentle straw like grassiness on the finish.

While the can says very effervescent, the carbonation is average for the style, not overly so. Lighter body than typical, the lighter carbonation and tiny bubbles explode in the mouth and gently fizz to give it a creamier sip. Doughy, grainy, earthy finish.

Overall, a very interesting offering. This is their flagship product, and I could see this being a world class beer if it tightened up in some areas. Nothing mind shattering, but that’s really not a bad thing considering how poorly Hefeweizen as a style is represented by local North American brewers. Unlike a few other styles, the absolute masters and top tier beers are still all German and European. I still enjoyed this quite a bit, and as I write this a very pleasant cereal grain wheaty doughy malt is on my palate from the last sip. It does everything a hefe needs to do!

 

Thanks to JLindros for sharing this can.

A - Poured into a Kate the Great tulip a nice hazy golden hue with a thin white head that fades to leave wispy head.

S - Big aromas of creamy wheat, tons of banana along with bright hefe yeast. Really solid.

T - Taste is similar to the nose with tons of creamy wheat and banana, nice clove and spices. Pleasant.

M - Mouthfeel is lightly carbonated, creamy, body is rather thin though.
Mmm.

O - Overall this was a solid enough hefe. Good creamy wheat and banana. Solid elements.

Serving Type: can

Picked up at a store in Ontario
POurs a decent creamy foamy but small head, that fades at a med pace, a bit of lacing, fair hazy medium orange-gold color

Nose is a nice hefe, raw doughy wheat, with a little bready doughy wheat, a little vanilla and honey like, with a nice banana, vanilla icing, a little clove like spice phenol, banana bread, creamy doughy, nice

Taste a bit lighter but nice, creamy doughy wheat, bready dough, plenty of banana again, banana bread especially, a little citrus and zest, light bitterness, doughy notes, mild vanilla icing and a little honey wheat, a bit of clove spice as well, dry finish with a fair bitterness that lingerings, maybe a touch too much

Mouth is med to a bit lighter bod, a touch thin, medium to a bit higher almost effervescent carb

Overall pretty good for a hefe from Ontario, nice base wheat, nice ester profile and phenols, a bit thin on the mouth but otherwise nice

 

 

 

Hefes are, largely, about the yeast. It is why only a few North American crafters get close to the Bavarian masters.
Side Launch did not its yeast right, though this is a hefe... a mild one, an undistinguished one. But still, an enjoyable one.

Looks are below average, I recognize the color; but where is the head?
Smells remind me of a hefe... if I imagine clove. Tastes are refreshing like a good hefe, but where is my banana?
OA: Because it is refreshing and from a part of Ontario that may need crafters, I give these guys a hug for trying.

Slightly cloudy dark straw color with poor activity. Weak foamy white 1-2 finger head, lasting around a minute, with poor legs and swirl. Flavors of wheat, sweet barley, light caramel, lemon, pears, coriander, banana yeast, and floral hops. Slick and oily full body with a moderate crisp. Medium strength finish, a bit spicy while more grainy and fruity. Some wet corn in there. Decent freshness and balance, though not as filling as a regular wheat beer. Not sharp enough, slightly dull, not enough "fluffy". The yeast is a bit crapped, me thinks. Overall average quality craft.

Pours misty golden colour with a thinnish creamy white head. Aroma tropical fruit, bubble gum. Flavour: fruit forward, very drinkable, slight graininess.

 

 

 

 

 

Great tasting weat beer, more on the light side but good flavour and easy to drink. Great session beer for weat beer enthusiast