German Wheat Beer, Brewed in America
Written: Sep 09 '02
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Good complexity; Enjoyable Summer Beer
Cons: A little lighter bodied than I prefer
The Bottom Line: This is a good summertime beer, with citrus and clove flavors that make it a good social beer acceptable to most palates.
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| Bryan_Carey's Full Review: Bert Grant's Hefeweizen |
America’s Pacific Northwest is home to many excellent brewers of craft beer, thanks in part to the abundance of freshly- grown hops that exist in this part of the United States. This area has dozens of small brewpubs, and a few larger operations, too. One of the better- known of these larger craft breweries is Bert Grant’s Brewery, located in Yakima, Washington. And one of this breweries’ flagship products is Bert Grant’s Hefeweizen, a product brewed year- round and available in many parts of the U.S.
Basic Characteristics of This Beer:
Bert Grant’s Hefeweizen pours to a golden- tan color and the body is a little bit cloudy. The foam level is low, although the bubbling action is pretty good. The aroma of this beer combines a mixture of spice and grain, with floral accents.
The word “hefeweizen” is German for “yeast wheat”, and it’s precisely the combination of wheat and special strains of yeast that give hefeweizen beer it unique flavor. Bert Grant’s Hefeweizen is no exception. This product combines flavors of wheat malt, clove, yeast, and a touch of citrus and other spices to produce a refreshing, warm- weather beer that taste great with a slice of lemon added.
Grant’s Brewery makes this product using pale and wheat malt along with ale yeast and Cascade hops. If you have sampled many different beers in your day, then you know that Cascade hops are native to the Pacific Northwest and they impart a citrus- like taste to beer. When I first sampled this product, I knew immediately that it was made with Cascades. The lemony- orange citrus taste is evident and it adds to the complexity and overall flavor.
Food Compatibility:
This product has good versatility. The first food items that come to mind to eat with this beer are chicken (in most any form) and fish, but it would also match up nicely with other light meats, like pork and turkey. It would go well with most any snack food, and also with lighter meals like soups and salads, or even a bowl of fresh fruit. And, given its light, refreshing character, it would make a good beer to just sit back and sip while sitting in your favorite lawn chair or while lounging in a hammock. It goes well with the summer season and with social activities.
Final Thoughts:
Bert Grant’s Brewery produces many fine malt beverage products. I have sampled most all of them at one time or another, but I haven’t written a review on one of Bert’s beers until now. The main reason is because, here in southwestern Ohio, our local distributor cancelled the contract that it once had with Bert Grant’s Brewery for about three years. The last time I recall seeing Bert’s products in the store was back in 1999. Now, in the summer of 2002, the contract to sell Grant’s beer has been renewed, and I can start enjoying them once again.
I first became acquainted with this brewery back in 1998 when I attended the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Colorado. I met Bert Grant in person, talked to him a little about his products, got a copy of his short autobiography and, of course, sampled some beer. I enjoyed all of his brewery’s products and I was interested in buying them in bottled form when I returned home to Ohio. When I got back, however, the contract to sell in Ohio was close to expiring, but I was unaware of this. When I realized what had happened, it was too late. Grant’s products were off of the store shelves and would remain off until the summer of 2002.
Hefeweizen beer is one style that some will love with a passion, while others will absolutely despise it and race to the nearest drinking fountain after imbibing a sip in order to wash out the taste. I admit, I have to be in a certain mood to enjoy most brands of hefeweizen. Some of them offer unusual combinations of flavors (due mainly to the strain of yeast that is used) that include such tastes as bubble gum, banana, bread, and yeast. Bert Grant’s Hefeweizen is not quite as many other hefeweizen craft beer. It’s complex without being offensive or overbearing, and it’s the type of beer that many newbies to this style will enjoy.
Overall, this is a very good example of the hefeweizen style of beer. I would probably rate it a little higher if it was even more complex, but it’s still very good and it will be acceptable to most anyone who tries it, and that includes both rookies and beer connoisseurs alike. It’s a good, refreshing beer for summertime, or most any other time!
Recommended:
Yes
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