Weinhenstephaner Hefe Weiss Bier

Weinhenstephaner, The World’s Oldest Brewery, Est. 1040

Hefe Weiss Bier

(Yeast) (Wheat) (Ale)

This is a great beer! Upon drinking this ale (I know, it contradicts the name Bier, but it is indeed an Ale), I realized exactly why the brewery has been in operation for 970 years!!! Compared to Budweiser’s establishment of 1876…. Well, 134 years pales in comparison… no pun intended.

This brew threw my taste buds for a loop at first. When I poured it into my glass, it had a nice, fluffy head and dark color. I was truly expecting the dark brew to taste like a dark brew, i.e. porter, nut brown ale, etc. So was I ever surprised when it turned into an exceptionally smooth and light on the palette, not heavy, smoky or sweet. In fact, it was more like a summer wheat ale than a dark ale. According to one of my favorite brew reference sites, Beer Advocate, Weiss Beers are:

“A south German style of wheat beer (weissbier) made with a typical ratio of 50:50, or even higher, wheat. A yeast that produces a unique phenolic flavors of banana and cloves with an often dry and tart edge, some spiciness, bubblegum or notes of apples. Little hop bitterness, and a moderate level of alcohol. The “Hefe” prefix means “with yeast”, hence the beers unfiltered and cloudy appearance. Poured into a traditional Weizen glass, the Hefeweizen can be one sexy looking beer.  Often served with a lemon wedge (popularized by Americans), to either cut the wheat or yeast edge, which many either find to be a flavorful snap … or an insult and something that damages the beer’s taste and head retention.”

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/style/89

I agree whole heartedly on the lemon (or lime) wedge: Either it’s done to cover up the wheat/yeast flavor (such as when one puts an orange slice in a Bell’s Oberon… For Shame!) OR it’s to GIVE the beer flavor, such as Corona or even (dare I? OK!) Blue Moon.

Weinhenstephaner is most definitely one of those beers that, regardless of the size of the bottle, you ALWAYS pour into a glass; and NEVER, under ANY CIRCUMSTANCES serve it (or consume it) with a fruit garnish.

Drinkability: 10/10

Taste: 10/10 (Yes! That damn good!)

Smell: 9/10

Color: 8/10

Refreshment: 8/10

Smoothness: 10/10

Overall: 9/10

Michigan Brewing Co. Celis Grand Cru

I got this beer in a 12-bottle variety pack; this pack had a Celis Grand Cru, Celis Raspberry, and two other Celis beers. All four are labeled “Authentic Bavarian Style Ale.” Fortunately for me, there was only one of the Grand Cru. The color was VERY blonde and the appearance was very light and bubbly. In the glass it almost looked like a bubbly wine. Funny how things sort of look how they taste: This beer tasted just like a Chardonnay; very light, yet bold at the same time. It had a full, long finish and bitter aftertaste. I am not a fan.

Rating:

• Drinkability – 2 out of 5
• Flavor -3 out of 5
• Refreshness – 2 out of 5
• Smell – 3 out of 5
• Overall – 10 out of 20
• Price – Part of a 12-bottle variety pack, $19.99
• Style – Michigan Brewed, Authentic Bavarian-Style Ale

Monday Beer Review of The Week: Franziskaner Hefe-Weisen

This weissbier (German: “white beer”, usually spelled Weißbier) is, as the name predicts, German, and according to German law, weissbeir must be top-fermented, making it an ale. As it is a Hefe-Weiss (yeast white), meaning the yeast has not been filtered out, thus resulting in a very cloudy appearance.

This particular Hefe Weisen has a rich, brown – yet slightly red – color, again, cloudy, and produced a nice, full head when poured into a room temperature glass. The ale was stored in a 50°F (10°C) wine cellar, allowing the flavors to be more well rounded. I also allowed the ale to breath for a bit in the glass prior to tasting it, which was probably quite beneficial.

Speaking of taste, talk about misconceptions: This cloudy ale appeared to be a dark, malty, rich ale; on the contrary, this weissbier had a soft, smooth, fruity taste – I detected a lot of citrus (lemon), as well as banana, clove, and wheat, with subtle hints of pepper. I enjoyed this beer with a bit of extra sharp (yes: processed orange Kraft) cheddar cheese. The milk fats helped the flavor of the beer develop and stick the palette very well. And, yes, it is THAT DAMN GOOD!

Drinkability: 10/10

Taste: 9/10

Smell: 8/10

Price: $6.50

Overall: 9/10

Samuel Smith Nut Brown Ale

Samuel Smith Nut Brown Ale

Samuel Smith’s Nut Brown Ale is ultra smooth and very close to a porter in both taste and texture: The epitome of nut brown ales. As this is a 550ml bottle, it is unquestionably an ale to be drank from a mug. However, I decided to take a sip from the bottle; no comparison. The odor and flavors do not develop while drinking from the bottle.

I made a lunch out of the Nut Brown along with a Vermont Cheddar (Big Ten Cheddar, $15.69/lb) and Salami: A German Landjaegar. The Natural American Cheddar, German Salami, and British Ale worked very well together: The salami has sharp, spice flavors, while the cheddar is smooth as silk. Combined with the nutty, malty ale, this was a perfect snack meal.

Drinkability: 9/10

Taste: 8/10

Smell: 7/10

Price: $4.50 for Imperial Pint (18.7 fl oz) 8/10

Overall: 8/10

Monday Beer Review Of The Week: Samuel Adams Noble Pils™

Samuel Adams® Noble Pils™ is, as the label states, very unique in the fact that it is brewed with all 5 Noble Hops; “the term Noble Hops traditionally refers to the four varieties of hop which are low in bitterness and high in aroma.” (Wikia, 2010) These European Hops are named for the cities from which they originally were cultivated, much like that of wine grapes, such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot, but I digress. The hops are Hallertau Mittelfrüh, Tetnanger, Spalter, and Saaz. The Saaz hop is Bohemian; the other three are German as one might expect. (Wikia, 2010) These are the foundation of hops across the board. In a sense, these are the direct ancestors of the Adam and Eve of “hop-dom”. Fun fact: Hops are a dioecious relative to Cannabis Sativa, (Bella, 2009) meaning that hops are related at the genus level to marijuana.

This beer is brewed with all four of the aforementioned Noble Hops – which is similar to making a blended wine of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, and Chianti – a very rare brew, indeed. Noble Pils Lager is replacing Samuel Adams® previous spring seasonal, White Ale™ (Philly, 2010) and has a terrific flavor.

Noble Pils has the taste of green – if you can taste green, it would be this beer. It makes me think of spring. With a bitter front taste and a smooth finish, this lager speaks the language of spring – in like a lion, and out like a lamb. The color is bright yellow and completely clear. This is a tremendous brew to start a spring day off with.

Rating:
• Drinkability – 4 out of 5
• Flavor -4 out of 5
• Refreshness – 5 out of 5
• Overall – 13 out of 15

My sources of information:

http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/20100129_Joe_Sixpack__Why_you_can_t_make_ice_bock_in_the_U_S_.html http://www.bellaonline.com/ArticlesP/art52210.asp

http://beer.wikia.com/wiki/Hopshttp://www.samueladams.com/world_of_beer.aspx

Monday Beer Revie of The Week: Leinenkugel’s Creamy Dark Lager

Ultra Malty Lager with enough hops to taste bitter, yet smooth. This beer is no where close to a stout, but that is OK with me; defined taste, great smell, and powerful after taste, this is my favorite Leine’s brew to date!

Tasty out of the bottle, but even better in a mug. This beer is better slightly cool rather than cold; the flavors get lost when the brew is held below 40 degrees.

Drinkability: 8 out of 10
Flavor: 7 out of 10
Refreshness: 6 out of 10!!!
Smell: 8 out of 10
Price: $6.99 for a 6-pack, right on par for this type of beer; 8 out of 10
Overall: 8 out of 10. My personal favorite Leine’s brew to date!

Monday Beer Review of The Week: Leinenkugel’s Classic Amber Lager

Very smooth and caramelly, the most notable tastes are the malts. Exceptionally smooth, especially when drank from a frosty mug. Very well developed flavors with caramel and malted barley as the primary tastes. This amber lager TASTES like an ale; slightly more hoppy than malty, this beer is not bitter at all, yet crisp enough to be smooth and balanced. Malt to hop ratio – 60:40 malt.

Drinkability: 8 out of 10
Flavor: 8 out of 10
Refreshness: 7 out of 10
Smell: 8 out of 10
Price: $6.99 for a 6-pack, right on par for this type of beer; 8 out of 10
Overall: 8 out of 10.

Monday Beer Review Of The Week: Leinenkugel’s Red Lager

Nice, crisp flavor with strong hoppy notes. This beer actually tastes better out of the 12-oz long neck than from a frosty mug; bitter, yet smooth.

I can really taste the “red” AND the “lager” in Leinenkugel’s Red Lager. The malts are dominated by wheat, with some barley notes. Very drinkable… Clearly this is a lager. The taste is powerful on the front, and have a very light after taste. Very balanced.

Drinkability: 7 out of 10
Flavor: 6 out of 10
Refreshness: 8 out of 10!!!
Smell: 5 out of 10
Price: $6.99 for a 6-pack, right on par for this type of beer; 8 out of 10
Overall: 7 out of 10. Very balanced lager. Great for football.

Monday Beer Review Of The Week: Leinenkugel’s Fireside Nut Brown Ale

Nut brown ales: somewhere between a pale ale, amber ale, and porter, this style of brew is nice and malty and perfect for chilly-to-cold weather. Leinenkugel’s Fireside Nut Brown Ale is no different: Distinguished hazelnut malty ale with tastes of chocolate and caramel, this is a great late fall ale.

Light brown in color, which is the first thing one will notice when Fireside is poured into a beer mug, this ale has lots of autumn flavors, especially hazelnut and chestnuts… “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire….” (Thanks Frank!) Highly recommended drinking for anyone who likes the maltiness of a porter and the clarity of an amber; unlike English Nut Brown Ales (Sammy Smith makes the ultimate!) this ale is lighter with more caramel flavors. Perfect for drinking while raking the leaves

Drinkability: 8 out of 10
Flavor: 7 out of 10
Refreshness: 7 out of 10!!!
Smell: 7 out of 10
Price: $6.99 for a 6-pack, right on par for this type of ale; 8 out of 10
Overall: 7 out of 10. Leine’s is great, but doesn’t hold a light to Sammy Smith, but what can one say to a twist-top 12-oz compared to an English pint? There really isn’t a comparison. This is a great American ale that doesn’t try to compete against the English, but rather to re-invent the Nut Brown Ale for the good ol’ US of A.

Poor Man’s Beer Review

So I went to a party a week or so ago, and the choices of brews were really limited: Budweiser, Miller (and their respective “light” counterparts) and Molson Canadian. So I ordered a Bud. This is my favorite blog on beer, because it is the simplest, easiest written blog I have ever done.

Budweiser:

Taste: 1/5

Drinkability: 1/5 (but when consumed in mass amounts, 3/5)

Flavor: 0/5

Overall: 1/5

Consensus: Budweiser is like a tall, ice cold piss in a glass. But at least it was cold.