Zirkus Boy German-style Hefeweizen
Magic Hat Brewing Company

 

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a Dogfish Head tulip

L: Clear light golden pour. Thin (especially for a hef) white head with modest lacing.

S: Wheat and grains... light lemon citrus.

T/F: Follows the nose. Crackery grains and citus. Lemongrass... mild spice and yeast. Tame and light... easy drinking. Light bodied with fizzy carbonation.

O: A nondescript hefeweizen. Mild and inoffensive... light and crushable. No bad flavors.

 

 

 

 

 

12 ounce bottle into weizen glass, bottled on 2/9/2017. Pours fairly hazy/cloudy pale golden/yellow color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense and fluffy white head with good retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Nice spotty foamy lacing clings down the glass, with a moderate amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Aromas of big lightly tart lemon, banana, bubblegum, clove, pepper, pear, apple, wheat, cracker, biscuit, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast earthiness. Very nice aromas with good balance and complexity of fruity/spicy yeast, lemongrass, bready malt, and light-moderate earthy hop notes; with great strength. Taste of big lightly tart lemon, banana, bubblegum, clove, pepper, pear, apple, wheat, cracker, biscuit, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast earthiness. Light herbal/grassy bitterness, yeast spiciness, and tart/tangy wheat on the finish. Lingering notes of tart lemon, banana, bubblegum, clove, pepper, pear, apple, wheat, cracker, biscuit, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/spicy yeast, lemongrass, bready malt, and light-moderate earthy hop flavors; with a great malt/bitter/spiciness balance, and zero astringent flavors after the finish. Light-moderate increasing dryness from bitter/spiciness and carbonation. Medium-high carbonation and light-medium body; with a very smooth, moderately crisp, bready/grainy, and lightly sticky balanced mouthfeel that is great. Zero warming alcohol as expected of 4.5%. Overall this is a delicious hefeweizen. All around nice complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/spicy yeast, lemongrass, bready malt, and light-moderate earthy hop flavors; very smooth, crisp, and refreshing to drink. Very flavorsful for the low ABV. Really nice well rounded and prominent German yeast complexity, with great malt balance; and doesn't overdo the lemongrass flavors. A very enjoyable offering.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This isn't really a hefeweizen. It does have the banana/clove flavor from the yeast and an unfilteted look Otherwise, it has a thin-watery mouthfeel, weak taste and a metallic aftertaste. Try Franzikanser Hefe side by side.

Color - clear light golden color with not much head
Smell - grainy with no real German style scent
Taste - slight banana and clove but something different, I think it's that lemon grass... grainy and slight lemon. Not what a hefe should be
Feel - syrupy with a pretty light carb
Overall - not that good