2008 Woodie Awards
The Beer Police
This week: Hefe-Weizens
Brett Sowerby
Issue date: 12/10/07 Section: Style
Drifting away from the American pilsner that is ubiquitous in the college community, I thought it would be nice change of pace to dive into the world of Hefe-Weizens - pronounced hef-e-viz-en. From German, Hefe meaning yeast and Weizen meaning wheat, Hefe-Weizen is a beer with its roots deep in German history, dating back to 1040 A.D. In addition to purchasing three different beers, I picked up a lemon as well to determine if citrus adds to the flavor of this particular brew.
I began with the Widmer, the cheapest of the bunch, which was the only American-made Hefe-Weizen I purchased, hailing from Portland, Ore. After pouring the Widmer, I noticed it had a nice golden color to it. That being said, it was also a bit too far on the transparent side for my liking. The Widmer hit the pallette with a bitter undertone. After several sips, the wheat flavor stood at full attention. Once accustomed to the Widmer's flavor, I decided to throw the lemon slice in. This did wonders for the Widmer's bitterness. The small slice of lemon added subtle citrus flavors that lightened the heavy tones of this beer.
Moving on to Franziskaner, how could one go wrong with a beer that has a drunken monk on the label? After struggling with the foiled cap for too long, I poured a glass of the Franziskaner. This beer promoted itself as being brewed and bottled in Munich, Germany. Just from the visible opaque attributes that the Franziskaner had, I could tell it had a fuller body than the Widmer. The Franziskaner was delicious - and didn't even warrant the use of a lemon slice. For the sake of science, I added the lemon slice to determine the effects it would have on this beer. To be honest, the lemon did not actually enhance the flavor of this German beer. If anything, it subdued the delicious flavors that made it stand out originally and gave it a citrus bite it did not have before.
The Schneider Weisse Hefe-Weizen also hailed from Germany. It also claimed that it was the "original German Hefe-Weizen." Pouring out the Schneider, it came out with a much thinker head and was a much darker brew than the other two, weighing in at a deep amber instead of the blonde that the other beers had. Although the most expensive of the three beers chosen, it may be worth the price. The Schneider had almost none of the bitter undertones that the Widmer had. It hit the back of the tongue with a smoothness the other two lacked.
I began with the Widmer, the cheapest of the bunch, which was the only American-made Hefe-Weizen I purchased, hailing from Portland, Ore. After pouring the Widmer, I noticed it had a nice golden color to it. That being said, it was also a bit too far on the transparent side for my liking. The Widmer hit the pallette with a bitter undertone. After several sips, the wheat flavor stood at full attention. Once accustomed to the Widmer's flavor, I decided to throw the lemon slice in. This did wonders for the Widmer's bitterness. The small slice of lemon added subtle citrus flavors that lightened the heavy tones of this beer.
Moving on to Franziskaner, how could one go wrong with a beer that has a drunken monk on the label? After struggling with the foiled cap for too long, I poured a glass of the Franziskaner. This beer promoted itself as being brewed and bottled in Munich, Germany. Just from the visible opaque attributes that the Franziskaner had, I could tell it had a fuller body than the Widmer. The Franziskaner was delicious - and didn't even warrant the use of a lemon slice. For the sake of science, I added the lemon slice to determine the effects it would have on this beer. To be honest, the lemon did not actually enhance the flavor of this German beer. If anything, it subdued the delicious flavors that made it stand out originally and gave it a citrus bite it did not have before.
The Schneider Weisse Hefe-Weizen also hailed from Germany. It also claimed that it was the "original German Hefe-Weizen." Pouring out the Schneider, it came out with a much thinker head and was a much darker brew than the other two, weighing in at a deep amber instead of the blonde that the other beers had. Although the most expensive of the three beers chosen, it may be worth the price. The Schneider had almost none of the bitter undertones that the Widmer had. It hit the back of the tongue with a smoothness the other two lacked.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Paul Garrard
posted 12/10/07 @ 3:43 AM EST
Wheat beers are the perfect accompaniment to most foods. A very versatile beer. Hefe-Weizen is pronounced: heffer-vite-zen
hilda274
Hillary
posted 12/11/07 @ 1:36 AM EST
I also believe Sam Adams makes a nice Hef :)
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