I love Hefeweizens - if I were to pick one type of beer and that's the only beer I would drink for the rest of my life, I'd pick a Hefeweizen. So, with that said, I have tried a lot and have high hopes when I try one I haven't had before. Quarters Guy suggested Santa Fe Brewing Company's Hefeweizen when he recommended the Odells IPA. I was happy that I was not steered wrong on this one, as it's a good Hefeweizen.
Without the traditional lemon, the beer has good flavor. No taste of hops or really any bitterness. There is that hint of sweetness, but that almost is eliminated by the addition of the lemon, which replaces sweet with lemony goodness. In fact, once the lemon is floating around in the beer, there is a really clean freshness to the brew as a whole. I'd wager it's got to do with acidity of the lemon juice, but it's a nice taste.
I did a little research on this, as I got to thinking about the lemon. Apparently, this is an American "thing" and the Krauts in Germany typically frown upon the lemon. Thinking back when I've made some ill-fated trips to the Hoffrauhaus in Lost Wages, Nevada, I can't recall (much) seeing any lemons in the place. That beer definitely didn't need any of the citrus acidity.
Lemon or not, the Santa Fe Brewing Hefeweizen is a good overall Hefeweizen. The price is pretty fair, running about $7.00/six pack at Quarters, and it's local, so you're supporting the guy up I-25. This isn't my favorite Hefeweizen by far, but it'll do in a pinch.
If you're a fan of the Hefeweizen or other wheat beers, I would highly recommend the following:
Flying Dog In Heat Wheat - http://www.flyingdogales.com/
You can find the Santa Fe Brewing Hefeweizen in a whole bunch of places, including Quarters, Smith's, Albertsons and Kelly's Liquors. If you want to go staight to the source, Santa Fe Brewing is located just off I-25, south of Santa Fe (right near those outlet malls in what used to be Wolf Canyon).
2 comments:
You are so right about Hefeweizen. Outside of the witz bier (like the American Blue Moon), its the only beer I can drink - actually have almost forgotten what a hopped beer tastes like!
I'm glad to know about this one. I have been trying to brew at home a good German wheat hefeweizen and its killing me. A very hard beer to brew and bottle - the ultimate challenge.
You are correct about the Germans not putting 'fruit' in their beer. In fact, they would NEVER do something like that as it messes up the Schaum - the head. When you have a Hefeweizen poured over there, it should take about 7 minutes to get to your table as the server must keep waiting or knifing the foam off the top to get you to the .5 Liter mark. Anything less than 7 minutes and you have not gotten the real thing!
Rob's new almost "in-law"
Larry Hallas
I've considered doing some homebrewing, but haven't been able to make the committment yet! Some of my friends and I go to a local brewery and they do a "brew your own beer" deal. The hefeweizen we made there once came out pretty good, but I've had the same hefe there and the taste can really vary. Seems like a tough beer to perfect.
Didn't know that about the Schaum - learn something new every day!
Post a Comment