Summit - Hefe-weizen

Tonights review is of a style that's a summer time favorite of mine, hefe-weizen.  You will see this style on your local craft beer store shelves listed under a number of different monikers such as weissbier, weisse, hefeweizenbier, weizenbier and basically any other derivation of the word 'weizen'!  They all roughly translate into the same thing, yeast wheat.  The origin of the name is very basic - wheat malt is one of the primary ingredients within the beer and the yeast in this beer is never filtered out after fermentation has completed.  Thus, yeast wheat!

This style of beer is also unique in the way that you are supposed to pour the beer out of your bottle.  Most unfiltered, bottled beers will have a layer of yeast sediment on the bottom.  In almost every case other than the hefeweizen style you want to do everything you can to keep that yeast from entering your glass.  However, with hefeweizen, part of the experience and overall flavor profile of the beer comes from the yeast.  So when you go to pour your hefeweizen out of your glass you want to do it in three steps.  Step 1 - Pour the first 2/3rds into your glass.  Step 2 - Swirl the remaining 1/3rd in the bottle to stir up all the dormant yeast at the bottom.  Step 3 - Pour the yeasty remaining 1/3rd into your pint and watch as your beer comes alive with a subtle cloudiness and effervescent, fluffy foam.  If you don't believe me that those last two steps make a difference you can take a taste of your beer before steps 2 and 3 and see how it changes after you finish your pour.  Its night and day.

Summits Hefe-weizen was just released to stores in just the past few weeks.  That means freshness for us up here in MN where the brewery is only 15 min away from my house!  Hefeweizens ideally should be consumed fresh.  These wont age well at all due to the yeast eventually breaking down within the bottle which will produce some funky flavors.  So the sooner you can get it after its bottled and packaged the better.  And while some German breweries may be able to produce a more authentic example of hefeweizen, its generally pretty tough for us out in the Midwest to get a fresh example.  Having a high profile and award winning brewery right at your doorstep can be the best way to experience a weissbier.

This pale golden beauty initially fills my pilsner glass with a crystal clear beer as the yeast is still settled at the bottom.  After going through steps 2 and 3 the brew changes into the cloudy, fluffy hefeweizen I expected to see.  A lofty white head threatens to flow over the brim as I finish pouring the last few drops.  Loads of clove, banana and lemon zest comprise a very pungent aroma which further lends itself to the taste.  More spicy clove, citrus and hints of banana flow through into a dry finish.  The mouthfeel is very light and fluffy with the carbonation helping to accentuate the crisp finish.

Overall - A great summer beer.  For the price, you cant beat it.  This brew has everything you would want in a hefeweizen without being overly complex.  For those of you who have never had the style before, Summits example would be a great place to start.  Just make sure you get it fresh!

German Beer Tasting at the History Theater

Today certainly is a winter weather day. We are expected to get around 12-16 inches of snow with 2-5 foot snow drifts! Shoveling my way out of the front door is not going to be a good time. Although, a fire and a few beers will definitely be in order which I cant complain about. Good thing this is all hitting today since last night was The Christmas Schooner play and our German beer tasting. The play was great. Lots of excellent singers and very impressive young actors. The family in the play is of German decent which made for some pretty funny, dry humor. If you are in the area and haven't seen or heard about it you can find more information about it here. Go check it out! One of my wifes students is actually the lead kid in the play!

But, you aren't reading this blog to hear about a musical... you want to know about the beer! Or at least that is our assumption... Prior to the play Dunz and I had the opportunity to taste six beers of German origin. While we wont write a full review on each beer we were able to take some solid notes about each one while tasting it. My wife also took notes that we will include since I am almost positive she has at least three times as many taste buds as I do. That woman can taste damn near anything thats included in a beer.

Our first beer was a Pilsner brewed by Warsteiner called Premium Verum. It was very clear, clean, crisp and refreshing. Something that I would love to drink on a warm summer day. The noble hops were present but not a bold characteristic in this brew. The pils malt and lager yeast made for a very smooth and clean finish. Our first taste of Warsteiner's Pilsner seemed slightly tart but quickly went away after the malt and nobel hops hit your pallet. I could drink a number of these beers. Nice, mild, very quaffable. Overall - 5/6.

Next up, one of the few breweries in Germany who's flagship beer is a dark beer! Kostriker's Schwarzbier is a deep, opaque ruby red when held up to the light. The nose has a mild roast and a slight coffee and chocolate smell to it along with some fruit up front. The flavor was a little thin, even for a lager. The flavor profile is mild. Im now starting to think all of our American craft beers have blown up their flavor profiles so much that European brews seem dainty in comparison. However, this beer is still clean and easily drinkable. A good option for an everyday beer when you are in the mood for something with darker beer characteristics. Overall - 4/6.

Following our Schwarzbier comes an Oktoberfest from the Monks! Marzen Fest brewed by Weissenohe has been in one form of existence or another since 1050! Talk about a historic beer. This orange/amber beer seems slighly cloudy which leads me to believe its not filtered. Plenty of malt in the nose with some caramel and hop aroma coming in at the end. The flavor is nice, not bitter at all. Malt is what makes this brew. Very smooth, low carbonation allows you to drink a lot of this beer without feeling full. Thats what an Oktoberfest brew is supposed to do, right?! One more taste brings some bready characteristics to this 5% abv fest bier. Overall - 5/6.

Our fourth beer in this seemingly fantastic German lineup is Hacker-Pschorr's Munich Gold. A Helles style beer (apparently made to compete with the already dominant Pilsner style in Germany). Pours golden with a very slight haze to it. A sweeter aroma is present in this brew along with a bit more body than the pils we tasted earlier and slightly more bitter. Seems to be a beer for people who want more malt characteristic and want to avoid the sometimes "skunky" flavor you get from Pilsner malt. (Want to know why some pilsners smell that way? Find more information here. Warning, geeky beer stuff following that link!). Good beer, better suited for your fall or spring climates as far as I'm concerned. Still a well brewed beer. Overall 4.5/6.

Second to last we have an Eisbock brewed by Kulmbacher. An Eisbock, style wise, is left to sit at sub 32 degree temperatures after fermentation is finished. This forms water crystals in the beer which are then scooped out and set aside leaving a more potent brew for consumption. Our example was a potent 9.2% abv but you wouldnt know it without reading the label. The aroma was a complex raisin, fig, caramel mix that melded together very nicely. The first step emphasized those aromas on your tastebuds and gave an extra sweet and alcoholic warmth to the finish. This deep mahogany colored brew is very nicely done. My favorite for the session. We were able to purchase any of the beers we drank during this session half off during intermission of the play and we both chose this Eisbock to drink. Overall - 5/6.

Finally, we finish with Paulaner's Hefe-Weizen. A nice, cloudy orange which is to be expected with unfiltered wheat beers. A fruity, citrusy aroma is prominent upon first whiff. The taste easily backs this up. A well composed beer that will have Blue Moon fans immediately won over. A quality beer for anyone looking to diversify from American attempts at the style. Also, my wifes favorite of the night. Overall - 5/6

The History Theater is having another beer tasting similar to this one on March 25th, 2011 where they will taste beers of the Twin Cities. Expect local brews from the smaller guys in the area. Sorry Summit, I think you have reached "big craft brewery" status around the area since you were not mentioned in the line up.

Thanks for reading our German beer tasting experience. Let us know what you think in the comments and feel free to pass our blog along to others! More followers means more comments which also means better reviews because you are telling us what you want!

Prosit!