Hefty Nuts
SunRift Beer Company

 

a really exciting brew, my favorite from my visit here, a coconut hefe, which i have always thought made sense, but you dont really see it. ill start by saying that without the coconut, i am not sure how compelling this would be overall as a basic hefe, its a little thin, not bubbly enough, lacking full wheat flavor, and maybe just a tad underdeveloped in terms of the yeast, not bad, but certainly not excellent. its the coconut that makes it, and it transforms something seemingly pedestrian into something quite special, i loved this even with its flaws. the pour is hazy dull straw yellow colored, some bubbles visible but not much head from the tap, not as lively as i need this style to be, especially with the tropical element, it looks unrefreshing, and thats not ideal. the aroma though is awesome, fresh raw coconut flesh and light banana, almost a pina colada thing happening, very light to me without a ton from the wheat, a dry cereal complexion there, and some soft pear and white grape esters, beachy but not forced, not sunscreen, not cheap. the flavor is so good, the coconut extremely natural but also subtle and not dominant too far above the base beer, its almost like some coconut water was used rather than flakes or whatever, it has that mild, wet, refreshing island vibe without being anywhere near over flavored. it enhances the light but earthy wheat now and more as it warms, it marries to the yeast profile insanely well, pick up elderflower and honeydew notes, and finishes pretty clean for a beer thats not all that dry and still yeast forward, wow. if it wasnt for some other cool selections on their menu i could have made a whole evening of this one. if this was a little more dialed in it would be epic, but the coconut part is awesome and its cool in even an average example of a hefe. definitely worth seeking out!