This past Saturday’s Sip with us Saturday beer was quite a classic.  For the past couple of weeks we’ve tried to choose beers that may be less daunting and more palatable for the beer drinker who is curious or dabbling in non macro beers.  Ayinger’s Brau-Weisse is a classic Hefeweizen.  We’ve noted in the past that Hefeweizen can serve as a great beer to be used for beer evangelism.  I myself find the style quite palatable.

Unfortunately, this review is drawing on a great deal of memory, as on Saturday I was experience the start of a cold and my sense of smell and taste was quite suppressed.  After an email from Scott (of Manland) suggested opening up our SWUS reviews to those who participate in our weekly tasting, I thought this a perfect opportunity to supplement my review.  So if you drank this beer, Email Me a review and I’ll add it to this post.

The Pour:

My eyesight was unaffected by my cold!  This beer is a great illustration of a Hefeweizen.  The moment the beer pours into the glass an effervescent rush of carbonation surges through the hazy straw colored liquid to produce a billowy head.  It is beautiful and just looks thirst quenching.  The natural haze (wheat protein, suspended yeast, and magic) suggests a hearty beer.  As the beer sits, an endless stream of tiny CO2 bubble support the diminishing head.

The Nose:

I love the smell of wheat beer.  Regardless of the yeast strain utilized by the brewer, there always seems to be a real earthy/sitting-in-a-field aroma.  There are slight banana notes, clove, yeast, honey, and lemony citrus.  There is no need for putting a lemon is this beer (as if there ever is a need).  The citrus qualities are blossoming from within.

The Taste:

Refreshing is the word that comes to mind.  The beer is well balanced.  It not too sweet nor too bitter, but both elements are present and emphasized at different points in the drinking experience.  The banana flavor is less apparent than in the aroma, but still noticeable.  While I personally detest banana flavoring in food/drinks, it is delicious in the beer.  Paired with the citrus and clove flavors, it is uniquely enjoyable.  The beer finishes with a nice tartness.  Not sour, per se, but tartly bitter.  There is a light candy flavor the resides on the taste buds.

Overall Thoughts:

It is important to note that while this is a full bodies beer, the illusion of lightness is achieved by the prevalent carbonation.  There is a dry quality to it that is fantastic.  I feel that this quality alone will be enticing for the average light lager drinker.

Nate’s Review:

Overall Satisfaction: ★★★¾☆ 

Among other Wheat Beers: ★★★¾☆ 

What did you think?