Back from a two-week beach-bender in Maui and ready for a brew! Let's start w/ a homebrew that I received from my buddy Greg:
Look: Poured into my favorite tulip glass out of a 12 oz bottle - Not much head retention because, well, there's not much head. (This is not too surprising per most of the homebrews I've had.) Finally some of that carbonation yeast kicks up in a few seconds, releasing a low lacey head. Color is a really beautiful hazy golden per the hefeweizen style.
Smell: Smells like a hef too! Lemony citrus and esters are apparent, and it has an almost light smell. The fragrance makes it hard for me resist drinking it...so why wait?
Flavor: I expected a sweeter flavor to match the esters I smelled, but the lemony citrus is what powers through, almost breaching the sour ale barrier. I've sampled some of the best sour ales and am not a sour ale fan, but these I like.
Mouthfeel: Really, really good. The carbonation is not too much or too little, despite poor head retention. Coats the mouth beautifully and the body is just right for the flavor.
Drinkability: You could put back a few of these. Smooth, light refreshing flavor, solid beers for a summer cookout or just a relaxing Friday night. The Hefepoizen is not bad...not bad at all. Good work, Greg!
Thanks, Rob. My critical nature makes me feel as though you might have some bias, but I agree with all you say. There is absolutely no head, but it is very drinkable, which is why I chose it. Although I drink Hefes with no lemon or orange, I tried both with Hefepoizen in anticipation of our Super Bowl party, and both made it worse, IMO. Anytime you want another, or to go try some new ones, you know I'm in!
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