Ramstein Double Platinum Blonde
High Point Brewing Company

 

 

 

 

a: murky burn orange and copper color. some yellow notes towards the botom of the glass. not as large as a head as you'd expect from a Hefe

s: wheat, banana, clove. some bubblegum, lemongrass, and sweet grains. a touch of malts towards the back. not a lot going on, but you don't need the aroma for a Hefe to be complex so this is nice

t: sweet malts and some earthy sweetness. wheat and a big grassy note with some lemongrass too. pretty strong clove presence in here as well as a bit of ripe banana. the slightest bit of alcohol at the back of the tongue

m: fuller side of medium with moderate carbonation. i'd like to see a bit more carb in this

o: decent Hefe, but i think it's missing some of the big qualities that the best of the style have. would like a bit more out of the flavor and a bit more in the mouthfeel

 

Ever have a bunch of a beers from a brewery and not have one for years, only to review something from them for the first time in ages and get taken back to all of those classic brews? This was that beer as I hadn't had anything from High Point in ages, even though they're one of the closest breweries to where I live here in New Jersey. Full of wheat and no perceptible alcohol, this was fun stuff that was full and a bit deeper and heavier than your typical Hefeweizen.

This poured a cloudy goldenrod with a moderate head topping it off. Very little lacing was left behind as the suds left behind from each sip slid down the side of my pint glass. Usual aroma of banana and clove in the nose with some apple and rustic farmhouse flavors underneath that along with some bright wheat. Lots of Ramstein's trademark yeast in the taste as this had a Belgian slant to it with some pear, outdoorsy funk, and sugary stickiness to go along with more familiar first impression that hit me. More funk and some spicy bread emerged in the aftertaste as this was so easy to enjoy, with just a bit of an adjustment on my part.

Booze? It's here but you'd be hard-pressed to find it and I only felt a bit of kick in as it was a bit strong for a beer of this type. Dated 7/19 with "CAN RUN #1" written underneath it, there wasn't any sediment to be seen aside from the haze that one would expect from Ramstein. Balanced and low in carbonation, this was nice to have a mild night and had me glad that these guys are finally on board with the canning. Hope to see the Winter Wheat and other classics from them follow suit soon!

Had it out of a 16oz can, fresh.

It's a pretty good wheat beer, but not a great one. A little undercabonated for my taste. Look is very hazy, almost like a NEIPA with a golden yellow / light orange. Thin head on this. Good smell, yeast heavy.

As for the taste, it doesn't quite match up to what I consider to be the best example of the style, Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier. The taste is good, but slightly bready? I think the lack of carbonation takes it down a notch for me. Tastes almost like it was naturally carbonated via secondary fermentation. It has that small bubble feel that you don't get with carbon dioxide. It just doesn't quite have the depth of flavor that I would like from a hefeweizen. That said, it is a really solid beer and does get better as you drink it.

In terms of alcohol, they really hid quite a bit of ABV in this. You can't really taste it.

Overall quite good, but not great.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This beer was a pale yellow, with the clean crisp flavors you'd expect from a great weissbock.

great hefeweizen, on par with the german giants. apples, pears, bananas, wheat, solid

 

 

 

On tap at the Hilton Hotel in Parsippany. Pours a hazy, cloudy pour with moderate frothing. Pungent aroma replete with wheat, lemon, and hay. Acidic flavor. Not a great depiction of the style.