Don’t Hassle the Hef
Westbound & Down Brewing Company

 

 

Poured from a 16oz canned on July 12th 2023

In the pour. 1 finger of fizzy white head formed on top of a golden body that at first poured clear, but after a swirl of the can, a thick haze appears.

Aroma is solidly yeasty and sweet with a light and subtle spice, but this is very much on the banana bread side of things. I like this.

The flavor is at first herbal and hoppy, but then a very nice, sweet, malty, banana flavor sets in, and becomes more and more crackery until the finish. There is a very slight herbal bitterness.

The feel up front is quite dry and a bit astringent, but once again the malt slowly comes in for a mellow, long, and slightly warm feeling. Still this is surprisingly dry. I'd say this is decently refreshing.

Overall a very nice local hefe. Some craft breweries miss the mark in the yeast character, but they got it down, and westbound if you will.

Born on 7/12/23 - tall can. Direct from the source.

Medium haze, lasting cap, oodles of lacing of assorted forms.

Big notes of bananas, ginger and cloves on the nose.

Quality Hefe, basically in the Bavarian style …. More bananas, more ginger/cloves…and some vanilla and yeasty notes pumping up the complexity.

Yum….worth seeking out and savoring.

 

Faint aroma of banana, malt, and spice. Taste is very spice forward with a backbone of banana-honey malt. Body is smooth and refreshing. A solid choice, reminiscent of Weihenstephaner's hefeweizen.

 

Light straw-colored pour with a solid one-finger white cap. This is a very capable knock-off of a Bavarian hefe-weizen. Both cloves and banana flood the nose, the flavors are mellow wheat with a dry citrusy finish. You might not be in Munich, but if you close your eyes and sip, you can fake it.

 

Sweet wheatish flavor...a bit of banana and bumble gum on the aroma and taste.....cream of wheat maltiness...very drinkable. Pretty solid Hefe...Enjoyable.

L: Pours a clear straw yellow with a large white head and a little lacing on the glass.

S: Toasted bread and banana, notes of banana, clove and some hefe yeast.

T: Toasted bread, banana, clove, a kinda strong bitterness. The bitterness is a touch strange.

F: Smooth creamy body.

O: A solid hef but definitely not my first choice.

Bought two 16 ounce cans from Beer Drop. Poured into into an authentic hefe glass (can't remember the German.)
But the authenticity stops there. While the first pour gave me a big head, I admired it and put the glass down and turned to stir dinner on the stove and came back a few seconds later and the head was 4/5ths gone. A sign of a weak yeast. That weakness continued in the very muted Smells. I give barely above average points for the Taste as this Hef is refreshing and lemony and balanced. In my mouth, I swallow this fast... too thin. In addition to flaccid yeast, W&D's active list on BA has only one wheat beer; so they may not have enough experience to adjust the plumbing for wheat and the beer, in at least two ways, falls flat quickly.

As for my micro-review of W&D... In a mountain resort town's old Main Street, W&D seems to have a cool taproom with a typical food menu (but at least they try to make the food good.) And don't forget, W&D is not even seven years old; so, the best is yet to come.

16oz canned 9-14-21. Opened 2-5-22.
2 finger white, head - fine bead and good retention with some spotty/wispy lacing. Golden color with more clarity than expected after an aggressive pour. Active carbonation swirling up. Banana, bubble gum, and wheat aroma. Similar flavors as in the nose, more of the banana and bubble gum - no clove or spice, but pleasant overall. Full body, soft mouthfeel, and creamy carbonation. Medium length finish and surprisingly dry. Very Good.

Partially hazy, yellow body with a thin, patchy head, fizzy and short lasting. Some wheat smell mixed with a slight bit of banana and cloves; spicy. The taste follows along the lines of the smell; a little bit of lemon; a bit of phenol bitterness. Light to medium body; feels watery.

I've had some great beers from this brewery, but their take on a "'Bavarian style' hefeweizen ale" lacks depth and complexity. The smell is the closest thing I remember from living in Germany and enjoying a hefeweizen. The taste has some similarities, too, but lacks the fullness and roundness I expect from this style.

Poured out at 55° F; no dating information found on the can.

I remeber liking this before I really understood what I was consuming, definitely need to try it again