One style I never tire of drinking is Hefeweizen, especially in the summer. I love its simple complexity (if you know what I mean). It is refreshing, offers a fairly straightforward palate, but has such wonderfully complex aromas and flavours from the yeast. I love how it is both relaxing and attention-getting.
But one of my ongoing frustrations is getting my hands on a well-made version. Hefeweizens are notoriously delicate and fickle beer, meaning the array of classic German versions we receive are not at their prime – especially if they have been sitting around for a couple of months since arrival. It doesn’t mean that they aren’t still wonderful (take this for example), but I often wonder just how fantastic they would be back in Germany.
I have found Canadian-made versions to be a bit hit-and-miss. There are clearly some exceptional examples, such as Denison’s out of Toronto (which I eagerly await its impending arrival in Alberta), but there are also a fair number of mediocre versions as well (I see no reason to name them here). Yet, my search continues.
Which is a long-winded way of saying that my latest column in Vue Weekly was a review of Muskoka Brewery’s Summer Weiss (read it here), which was the latest in my quest for a quality hefeweizen.
Does it pass? Well, I am never that binary. I really enjoyed the estery finish of the beer. It had a cascade of banana, clove, coriander, orange, lemon and clover honey that had me smiling. My complaint was with the start. I wanted more soft, earthy wheat character from the beer. It seemed almost watery at first.
I enjoyed it enough to consider it for a Vue review, but it is not without flaws. But, to be as fair as I can be, I take into consideration that hefeweizens are very difficult to brew. I have tried my hand at it a few times, with clearly mixed success. Hitting all the notes in just the right proportion is hard.
And the quest continues on…
August 26, 2012 at 12:41 AM
I haven’t tried the version on the shelves here, but I did try some fresh at the brewery last year, and was quite pleased with what I tasted. Not sure if this year’s version is any different, if it lost a little in the travel, or if I was simply mystified at a North American brewer brewing a hefeweizen to style and not just calling their American wheat beer a hefeweizen.
August 26, 2012 at 10:30 AM
I recently tried the Howe Sound King Heffy Imperial Hefeweizen. One of the nicest I’ve found this summer, I’m sure the short trip across the rockies helps keep it fresher. It’s 7.7% so not quite as nice to sit in the sun and have more than one but still lovely.