Hefeweizen, Weissbier, Hefeweiss, Dunkelweiss: German summer wheat beers reviewed
You’re thirsty. Very thirsty…
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It’s now officially summer here in New Hampshire, and today at least promises to be pretty sunny and hot. The kind of day that makes a young man’s fancy turn to thoughts of beer. Not shitty beer, like Bud Light or Pabst (it has a special place, yes, but this isn’t it), but rather seriously tasty German wheat beer, known in these parts alternately as Hefeweizen or Weissbier.
What makes the German ‘Weissbier,’ or ‘white beer,’ unique is the use of of wheat malt alongside the traditional barley malt. For those interested in the details of the beer’s production, this site has a nice explanation of the brewing process. Regardless of the details, it’s safe to say the addition of the wheat malt creates a light, cloudy brew whit a distinct whitish tinge, earning it its popular name. The beer is unfiltered, and its taste does require a little getting used to, especially if you’re used to the watered-down taste of a typical domestic. Once you’re past that, however, you’ll probably notice how good it tastes, and how much more flavorful it is than a typical lager.
Now, where to get a good Hefeweizen? Well, to start with, you can get the UFO Hefeweizen offering from local brewery Harpoon, which offers a basic example of what a Hefeweizen could be, if the people at Harpoon were only willing to go the full lengths to create a truly wheaty beer, rather than a beer that is merely filled with an abnormal amount of wheat clouding. BeerAdvocate.com users give it an 81, a pretty fair rating given its reasonable price and wide distribution stateside.
As good as the UFO is, you’re not going to get the real experience unless you try a German Hefeweizen, and those can be a pain to find. If you’re in the New Hampshire area, try the Smoke ‘n’ Barley in Tilton, or if you’re in the Philadelphia or Eastern Pennsylvania area, you want The Beeryard. Both of these places have the rather popular Franziskaner Hefeweizen, which is a definite step up from the UFO, much more full-bodied and tasty, and more refreshing on a hot day. If you’re not near either of these two stores, and your local beer store doesn’t carry it (or can’t, because of arcane distribution laws), you can get Franziskaner (and all the other weissbiers reviewed here) at BeerGeek.biz, as long as you live in the following states: CA, CO, DC, GA ID, IL, IA, LA, MN, MO, NE, NM, NV, NH, NC, ND, OH, OR, SC, VA, WA, WV, WI, or WY.
While you’re on there, you should pick up some Paulaner Hefe Weiss, some Julius Echter (also available at the Smoke ‘n’ Barley), some Weihenstephaner Hefe Weiss, and some Erdinger Dunkelweiss.
The Paulaner is comparable to the Franziskaner–tasty and satisfying, but still not quite the off-the-hook wheat experience that a weissbier can be. For that, you need one of the latter three–the Echter, the Weihenstephaner, and the Erdinger. The first two of these are true Hefeweizens, and both are unfiltered, leaving the beer with a creamy complexion and a delicious, almost chewy drinking experience. The Erdinger is a Dunkel (‘dark’)-Weiss, and is even darker in color and richer in taste than the other beers described. It is, however, seriously heavy, and not everyone (myself included) enjoys its taste. It’s over-the-top, though, so if you’re looking for that, you’ll find it in the Erdinger.
In Germany, a popular variation on Weissbier is Radler, which is a drink made by mixing the beer with some apple juice. This cuts down on the bitter taste and alcohol content, making it a favorite for people seeking to avoid dehydration in the summer heat.
It tastes like crap though. Don’t do it.
Comments
Rtoo (Jun 22, 2006)
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Rtoo
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