We're guessing that most of you have run into a Hefeweizen before-a German-style wheat beer ("weizen") with yeast ("hefe") in suspension, which is known for its cloudiness, and subtle clove and banana characters, and often comes garnished with lemon. Light, flavorful, refreshing, and with a moderate alcohol by volume (ABV), these unique ales are delicious session brews. When decanted properly into a tall, slender Hefeweizen glass, well, everything in the world seems like it's going to be just fine-as long as your beer glass stays half-full.
'Buzzards Bay Hefe WeizenSo what happens when a craft brewer out of Westport decides to brew a traditional Hefeweizen using a lager yeast strain? You get Buzzards Bay's interpretation, brewed with Canadian two-row pale malt, malted wheat, Vienna malt, Magnum hops for bittering, and traditional Tetnang and Saaz hops for flavor and aroma. However, as yeast plays a big role in the development of beer characters, let's see how throwing a lager yeast into the mix changes things.
The Taste After pouring most of the bottle into a traditional Hefe glass, we swirled the last bit of the beer to grab the yeast for the final pour- recommended for the style. What arose was a thick, bubbly white head; the wheat proteins did their job, as the lace stuck to the glass most of the way down.
A bit fruity; with notes of green banana, angel food cake, faint clove, and a kiss of powdery yeast. The aroma offers traces of lemon and apple as well. A bit Hefe, a bit lager and a bit Belgian-esque? Odd.
Intense clove flavors attack the palate-one side stays spicy, and the other shows a maltiness and sweetness. Some tropical fruitiness; strong, fresh apple and bubble-gum notes; and more biting phenols meet in the middle-like a train wreck. Peppery and bitey yeast, with an unpleasant pithy and tannic astringency. Smacks of lager-esque sourness, under a faint lemon. Some sweet malty flavors attempt to well up amid the chaos, but they get killed halfway through. Finishes dry, with a gummy character akin to Bazooka bubble gum, and lingering phenols.
Final Thoughts Buzzards Bay "Hefe Weizen" is pretty flamboyant for 4.5 percent ABV; and man, is this beer is all over the place. The clove characters are overpowering, and the overall abundance of misplaced complexities knocks drinkability to the ground after a few sips. It simply lacks balance, and is way too odd for such a delicate style. Hefe lovers might want to look elsewhere; or you can give it a try and be your own judge. Part of their "Limited Releases" series, out now, and available in 12-ounce bottles and six-packs.
Note to Buzzards Bay: Sometimes there's something to be said for hundreds of years of German brewing tradition. Stick with an ale yeast next time.
Checkout: buzzardsbrew.com
Respect Beer.