Hefeweizens available in Minnesota (2021)

Discussion in 'Great Lakes' started by ZAP, May 9, 2021.

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  1. ZAP

    ZAP Grand Pooh-Bah (4,048) Dec 1, 2001 Minnesota
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Just found spanking new Schell Hefe today...excellent....leans cloves and lemons and I prefer a little more banana in there but it is elite as most years.

    I also know Utepils has a very good Hefe.

    Revel Brewing in Park Rapids has one too. I was going to head there to bike today and try it but they were closed so I changed my plans.

    Not sure who else is producing this style this year in Minnesota. My personal favorite in this style in general is Ayinger if you can get it fresh which is like finding bigfoot. Weihenstepher is a close runner up.
     
    #1 ZAP, May 9, 2021
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  2. gatornation

    gatornation Grand High Pooh-Bah (10,388) Apr 18, 2007 Arizona
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Love Schells for sure every spring.Fair State also has a very good one.
     
    #2 gatornation, May 10, 2021
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  3. ZAP

    ZAP Grand Pooh-Bah (4,048) Dec 1, 2001 Minnesota
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Fair State is the best in the state in my opinion for Hefe (and maybe overall) but very limited...wish they'd do that year round but I'm sure they have their reasons..would be good to know when it hits this summer....My clear #1...then I shade Utepils and then Schells but all are legit..
     
    #3 ZAP, May 10, 2021
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  4. gatornation

    gatornation Grand High Pooh-Bah (10,388) Apr 18, 2007 Arizona
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I picked some up (FS )at Ale Jail last Thursday.
     
    #4 gatornation, May 10, 2021
    Last edited: May 10, 2021
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  5. MNAle

    MNAle Initiate (0) Sep 6, 2011 Minnesota

    F44 has it (according to their online ordering system).

    Other MN hefes:
    Bauhaus Wheat Sweats
    Steel Toe Sommer Vice
    Utepils Ewald The Golden

    I haven't tried any this year, yet.

    Utepils hefe had this over-done sour taste 3 or 4 years ago, and I just plain did not like the Fair State hefe as a hefe - the expected flavors were either weak or non-existent; too bitter, not enough yeast flavor.

    Maybe it's time I gave them another shot.
     
    #5 MNAle, May 10, 2021
    Last edited: May 10, 2021
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  6. ZAP

    ZAP Grand Pooh-Bah (4,048) Dec 1, 2001 Minnesota
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    yeah there was one year I was underwhelmed with Fair State Hefe a few years back but the past couple years its as close to Ayinger I can find..
     
    #6 ZAP, May 10, 2021
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  7. cheeseheadinMinneapolis

    cheeseheadinMinneapolis Pooh-Bah (2,011) Sep 20, 2017 Wisconsin
    Pooh-Bah

    Zap it's still Maibock season, your trying to make it Heffe season too quick.
    I know that's ok....but in the end it's a losing battle. At least you don't punt and flop over.
     
    #7 cheeseheadinMinneapolis, May 10, 2021
    Last edited: May 10, 2021
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  8. JMN44

    JMN44 Pundit (809) Sep 19, 2013 Minnesota

    I love hefeweizens!
    By far my favorite MN hefes are Schells and Utepils with Fair State and Steel Toe much lower as they seemed much more bland to me.

    Fair State is one of my favorite brewers so I'll get their Hefe another shot this summer if I see it in cans at a store. I wish Fair State would can Zoot again - I liked that Wit.
     
    #8 JMN44, May 10, 2021
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  9. tonye

    tonye Devotee (377) Oct 28, 2009 Minnesota

    I've been really enjoying the Fair State Hefe lately. I hope it sticks around all summer.
     
    #9 tonye, May 10, 2021
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  10. Chaz

    Chaz Grand Pooh-Bah (3,668) Feb 3, 2002 Minnesota
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    In before someone mentions Dancing Man. It’s 7-something percent, dammit, basically a Helles weizenbock! And it isn’t even available in Minnesota. :rolling_eyes:
     
    #10 Chaz, May 10, 2021
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  11. ZAP

    ZAP Grand Pooh-Bah (4,048) Dec 1, 2001 Minnesota
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Are you getting it in cans at stores or from at the brewery?
     
    #11 ZAP, May 10, 2021
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  12. tonye

    tonye Devotee (377) Oct 28, 2009 Minnesota

    In cans (4 x 16oz) in stores.
     
    #12 tonye, May 10, 2021
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  13. morimech

    morimech Grand Pooh-Bah (3,803) Nov 6, 2006 Minnesota
    Pooh-Bah

    I haven't enjoy Schell's Hefe since they went to canning that beer. Seems more like a kristalweizen to me now. I prefer Fair State and Utepils. I think Enki still brews theirs but I haven't drank a beer from them for a couple of years. Schram Brewhaus does one that I like quite a bit. I think it is a flagship so it is always on.
     
    #13 morimech, May 10, 2021
  14. keilerdunkel

    keilerdunkel Savant (1,014) Apr 8, 2004 Illinois
    Trader

    How does the Schell’s compare with New Glarus’s various hefes? NG has the best in the region, from my experience.

    I can’t get either locally, but I remember Schell being solid.
     
    #14 keilerdunkel, May 10, 2021
  15. gatornation

    gatornation Grand High Pooh-Bah (10,388) Apr 18, 2007 Arizona
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Always liked Dancing Man Wheat a little more than Schells , Even more so with schells being in cans Like @morimech stated above .
     
    #15 gatornation, May 10, 2021
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  16. keilerdunkel

    keilerdunkel Savant (1,014) Apr 8, 2004 Illinois
    Trader

    thanks- I’ll still have to try the Schell’s when I can.

    I don’t know what it is with cans and hefes. I’ve noticed that the ones I’ve had - Dovetail, Urban Chestnut, and even the various canned German ones have been lacking ‘something’ that I can’t quite put my finger on. I always chalked it up to drinking too many hoppy beers in the weeks before I try one. (Not) good to hear that I’m the only one.
     
    #16 keilerdunkel, May 10, 2021
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  17. gatornation

    gatornation Grand High Pooh-Bah (10,388) Apr 18, 2007 Arizona
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    The Dancing Man is hoppier ,drier and has a higher ABV like 7% (i like lower ABV ) than Schells .
     
    #17 gatornation, May 10, 2021
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  18. MNAle

    MNAle Initiate (0) Sep 6, 2011 Minnesota

    Yesterday, I did a side-by-side-by-side comparison of Schell's, Fair State, and Utepils.

    It was not a blind tasting.

    The write-up is here.
     
    #18 MNAle, Jun 19, 2021
  19. Chaz

    Chaz Grand Pooh-Bah (3,668) Feb 3, 2002 Minnesota
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    The last one I had from Urban Chestnut was in a bottle! I am so far behind the times... but then again, they don’t distribute to Minnesota, either.
     
    #19 Chaz, Jun 19, 2021
  20. ZAP

    ZAP Grand Pooh-Bah (4,048) Dec 1, 2001 Minnesota
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    very interesting. I find this years Schell...at least the batch I've had (maybe different brewing batches) very clovey.....good that way...I prefer a little more clean banana..interestingly enough I was at a grad party that had all three on Saturday and I had them one after another in a very unscientific fashion while talking to people and would have rated them Schell, Fair State, Utepils....all had good dates...Fiar State was a better the last time I had it last year but was still a bit above Utepils which was fine..

    But with that said I found a new batch of Ayinger hefe (Brauweise) recently (Jan 2021 dates) and this completely blows away any local hefe....I'm going back to buy up all they have tomorrow.
    This would be like a 4.9 score if not 5.0.....the others from MN in the low 4's to high 3's...
     
    #20 ZAP, Jun 21, 2021
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