I don’t know about you, but I found this a hard, long winter. This is the first time in 20 years of homebrewing where the weather prevented me from brewing in March (I brew outside). I have always found a warm day or two in the latter half of March to dust off the equipment after a cold winter. Not this year.

So, the sun is finally appearing and the last vestiges of the latest snowfall are slowly melting. It got me in an upbeat mood. So to jump start spring I opened a bottle of Granville Island Robson Street Hefeweizen, which recently hit Alberta shelves. I remember having this a couple of years ago fresh at the brewery pub in Vancouver, and thought it would be worth a try.

It pours a murky pale orange with a thick blanket of white head, leaving a touch of lace. The aroma is sweet with fruit, mostly banana, and some yeastiness. I also pick up soft wheat qualities. The first sip starts with banana and bubblegum, soft wheat malt sweetness and a touch of clove. The finish is silky and sugary. As the glass works toward empty, I find the sugar and banana edge toward the front, pushing the gentle spice to the background. It has a very smooth finish.

This is a smooth, quiet version of the style, leaning toward fruitiness and sweet, rather than clove spiciness. It misses some of the intricate balance I look for in a Hefe. It doesn’t match the German classic versions (including Weihenstephaner), but it is an intriguing interpretation. Its profile might be too sweet for my preference, dropping a sugary finish, rather than a crisper, more refreshing linger. However, it is flavourful, summer-y and enjoyable. Maybe it is one of those hefeweizens that could benefit from that ruddy wedge of lemon (which I normally avoid religiously) to balance the sweetness.

Certainly I don’t regret forking over the money for a six pack of this beer. I’ll likely save the last five for a particularly warm May afternoon on my back deck.