What's Hefenin'
Sparge Brewing

this is truly bad, i had such higher hopes for it, had to leave half a pint at the bar and sneak out, just couldnt do it. i always expect and hope these new breweries to have the sense that if they get a batch this wrong they will dump it, what ignorance or arrogance or both to be serving this! it fooled me too because it looks pretty good, rightly pale straw yellow colored and cloudy but not heavy looking, with nice carbonation evident, a short but lasting white head and good web lacing to it. the aroma is rough through, i know right away the ferment is wrong, its chemical and sharp, and i wonder if its just done so hot that its almost unrecognizable as a hefe or if something else is at play, but its way off, even if there are some banana and clove esters behind it. the flavor is the same, familiar from other beers in the past, a flaw no mistake about it, and not subtle enough to drink through. there is some pale earthy wheat behind this, a stone fruit note, some decent body, and even appreciable attention to water chemistry it seems, but what brewer who drinks any beer at all tastes this and says, yup, the ferment is fine, run it? what a terrible execution on this, just brutal, soapy, tangy, way off the mark. cant remember the last beer i just straight up walked away from in public. terrible first impression here, even though the service was awesome and the space was cool, this thing is a disaster.