The neck of the bottle contains pouring directions, instructing the drinker to pour two-thirds into a glass, swirl the rest of the beer, then pour on top. Following these directions the beer poured out a cloudy golden yellow with a one finger pure white head with good lacing. Aromas consist of clove and banana with a dry spice base. There is a hint of orange citrus as well. Very nice traditional Hefeweizen aromas all around.

A bit of bready elements are on the first taste, along with lots of good yeast flavors. The banana and clove from the nose come through as expected mid-palate. There isn’t much noticeable citrus, though some hints of lemon do come through. With the clove there are some other spices that I can’t put my finger on. The mouth feel is decently full, which works given the breadyness of the beer.

There is something different about the Kellerweis compared to other Hefeweizens, and that’s a good thing. A little more body, some extra complexity, and a great refreshing finish. If Hefeweizens are your thing this is certainly one to stock up on.

Rating

90
out of 100

For this review I’ll be sampling the bottled version of The Love, but there isn’t much of a difference between the bottle and draft versions. Out of the bottle it has a cloudy orange color with some hints of yellow. There is a 1/5 finger head that sticks around for a bit and ends up as a disc atop the beer. There’s some lacing left behind on the glass as well but not too much. Aromas are typical of a Hefeweizen with banana and wheat, and hints of citrus. A touch of clove is in there to liven things up a bit.

The taste packs a good citrus punch to start with a lot of lemon coming through. Following that the clove comes through backed up by some wheat flavors. It’s very refreshing and fruit centric. My only worry is that the amount of citrus could get tiresome after a few, making this not too much of a session beer in terms of flavor. There needs to be a bit more hop bitterness to add another dimension. On the palate, it’s fairly light with enough carbonation to keep things lively.

The Love is certainly a refreshing Hefeweizen, however, my only complaint is that some hop bitterness needs to be added to reign in the citrus. Don’t get me wrong though, this is a great summer beer and ranks among some of the better Hefeweizens out there. If you are looking for something that goes to the lemon side of citrus, this is your beer.

Rating

88
out of 100

The Wheatland pours a pale straw like yellow and has a large active off-white head. The head doesn’t stick around too long but does leave some spotted lacing on the glass. The aromas have a wheat backbone with some good spice notes. Clove is the most prominent with a touch of orange zest and a hint of malt that lingers nicely as well.

The taste doesn’t differ much from the scent, wheat overtones with some spice and hopes. The taste has a nice bread element that’s bright and refreshing. The clove from the nose is present but not cloying, and finishes crisp with no lingering aftertaste. The mouth feel is a bit thin having a good amount of carbonation, which really makes this beer easier to drink on a hot day.

The Wheatland is what you want from a summer beer — refreshing and simple. I do wish it had a little more body and perhaps some more pronounced spices, but otherwise it does what a basic Hefeweizen should: it provides refreshment with some spice and wheat.

Rating

84
out of 100

Poured into a Weizen glass, the body is a traditional golden color with definite haziness to it. There is a cream colored, frothy and well retained head that left some signature lacing. It’s evident this beer is unfiltered as some floating sediment can be seen in the right light. The aromas open up in a traditional Hefeweizen manner – floral and citrusy. Notes of banana come through, with all shining through the hops and barley more than anything.

This Weizen is brewed in accordance with Reinheitsgebot, the German Beer Purity Law of 1516, which is no longer in effect. Originally, the law stated that beers can only be produced using water, barley and hops. As of 1993 – yeast, malt and cane sugar have been permitted. The flavor profile opens up with a distinct wheat characteristic followed by subtle bitter undertones. More banana comes through mid palate, as well as a certain toasted malt element that leaves this finishing a bit dry.

I really enjoyed the Flensburger Weizen and it’s traditional take when being brewed, in accordance with the traditional German Purity Law. If you’re able to find a bottle of this, I highly recommend picking it up. And thanks again to Carl for bringing this bottle up from Florida!

Rating

93
out of 100

Title photo from: Flickr

The Meadow Road pours a slightly hazy golden color with plenty of carbonation that leads to a good two finger fluffy white head. Already this beer is starting to live up to being a true Hefeweizen. The aromas are pleasantly spicy with a moderate amount clove coming through nicely. A bit more subtlety, are hints of citrus (orange peel) and banana.

The flavors mirror the aromas nicely with citrus, though this time mostly lemon, leading the way followed by some hints of banana. The backbone is, as expected, a good yeasty-wheat flavor that nicely surrounds the other flavors. This medium-bodied mouthful ends on your palate with the slightest hop note, just enough to remind you they’re present.

Considering I’m three out of four beers into the Penobscot Bay Brewery offerings, this has been the best one yet. It’s an absolutely solid example of a good Hefeweizen, by no means the best, but still a quality beer. It’s great take on the traditional German/Bavarian-style, while adding some American flair.

Rating

74
out of 100

The Royal Weisse is actually the beer that kept Shane coming back to Sly Fox, and in my opinion really got him started on craft beer. The Sly Fox is also something that I grew up with. My family would go to the original Phoenixville, PA location at least twice a month when I was growing up and when they opened the Royersford, PA one about a mile from my house the frequency of our visits went through the roof. I’m going to try and keep this review unbiased and not let nostalgia get in the way.

The Royal pours a cloudy pale, gold color with a decently fluffy white head. The head fades to a thin layer after a few sips and leaves a medium amount of lacing on the glass. The aromas coming off the beer consist of sweet wheat malt, hints of banana, citrus scents, and a hint of pepper right at the end.

The Royal has a fairly large flavor compared to the Kira that I reviewed yesterday. The Royal is smooth drinking with flavors of wheat, orange, banana and a bit of spice, there is a good amount of sweetness at first. The back end has a bit of a bite, just enough hops and bitterness to make the beer more complex. The elements that you want in a Hefeweizen are there: refreshing, flavorful, crisp, and relatively smooth.

Deciding the rating on this one was hard, I had to separate my nostalgia and sense of home from my palate. I also took into account the reactions of those who have tried the Royal for the first time, craft beer newbies and experienced drinkers alike. The Royal is also not 100% true to the Hefeweizen form, though it does take some fun creative liberties (such as less banana and more orange). Taking into account all the factors I believe that I was able to come up with what I feel is a fair rating for a great beer.

Overall: 7.5/10