Firehouse Hefeweizen
The Firehouse Brewing Co.

Firehouse HefeweizenFirehouse Hefeweizen
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From:
The Firehouse Brewing Co.
 
California, United States
Style:
American Pale Wheat Beer
ABV:
Not listed
Score:
72
Avg:
2.83 | pDev: 19.43%
Reviews:
25
Ratings:
27
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Oct 31, 2015
Added:
Jan 27, 2007
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by DoubleJ:
Photo of DoubleJ
Reviewed by DoubleJ from Wisconsin

1.51/5  rDev -46.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1
White Hawk IPA was a failure from my pre-set mix pack, and also included in is a beer that considers itself "World class beer for a worldwide cause". I'm not talking about Live Oak Hefeweizen, I'm talking about Firehouse Hefeweizen! On to the beer:

Pretty clear for the style. Creamy mustard yellow in color, decent head and retention. Faint banana, DMS, and astringent grain in the aroma. The taste...um, am I drinking a bad light beer? Thin watery feel with a spritzy carbonation. There's some faint malted wheat in the taste with an unappealing aftertaste. Gag! There go my reflexes, which is not a good sign. You can join White Hawk in the sink.

Two bad beers in one night? If this is "world class beer" as the label states, then I'm the King of France. Utterly boring and offensive.
Jun 16, 2008
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 2.99 by Cynic-ale from Texas

Oct 31, 2015
 
Rated: 2.5 by KlayWey from Idaho

Jul 21, 2014
Photo of thegodfather1076
Reviewed by thegodfather1076 from Ohio

3.33/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
This beer was served out of a 12oz. bottle dispensed into a glass....

Presentation - Nice label and I love the fact the a portion of the proceeds go to charity.

Appearance - Pours a cloudy golden color with a 1 finger white airy foam head that dissipates slowly into a nice frothy ring.

Smell - Smells of sour citrus with hints of lemon and orange. Also has a nice wheat smell plus a little clove.

Taste - Taste is more of orange then lemon with a nice sweet wheat/corn flavor. Hints of spice.

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied with a medium amoun of carbonation.

Drinkability - Good flavor and overall presentation make this a pretty drinkable offering.

A decent hef that I enjoyed. Not the best of this variety but worth a try plus a portion of the proceeds go to charity.
Jun 17, 2011
Photo of rarbring
Reviewed by rarbring from Sweden

3.23/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
The beer is foggy golden, has a white firm head that leaves a little lacing.

The smell is "wheatish", some oranges, some spices.

The taste is upfront sweet, orange, then spice, clove mainly, and citric peel.

Light carbonation, small bubbles, soft texture. A slight dryness.

Cudos on having some bitterness, otherwise fairly mediocre.
Mar 25, 2011
Photo of armock
Reviewed by armock from New York

3/5  rDev +6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
A - Poured a hazy orange color with a white head that leaves lacing behind

S - Is of wheaty malt with some clove

T - Follows the nose wheaty malt with some clove spice

M - This beer has a light body with medium carbonation to it

D - Your average attempt at a hefe here that comes across as average at best a decent beer for a warm day in the sun so it has its time
Oct 10, 2010
Photo of srandycarter
Reviewed by srandycarter from California

3.06/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
A - Murky apricot, stark white head, lots of clingy lace.

S - Grass, lemon are there, but thick sour smell binds it.

T - Thick cloying malt base, a little sour, lemon zest finish.

M - Med to light body, less carb than would have liked, not much balance for me.

D - Good to try.
Aug 22, 2010
Photo of garymuchow
Reviewed by garymuchow from Minnesota

2.92/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Bought this cheap, and in MN of all places (why is this beer here?).
And since it doesn't appear to be anything special, I'm not going to make a special event when drinking it. Mid-afternoon drink after exercise.
Loud and fizzy pour with a yeasty lager like initial aroma. Partially cloudy yellow-gold-amber with smallish head (is there wheat in there?) that settles down to a smear quickly. Mild wheat aroma eventually shows up, but so does mild pale malt. Seems pretty uninspired.
Very mild spiciness in flavor up front along with a soft yeast flavor. Flat malt flavor then mild bitterness. Mild sour tangyness adds a thirst quenching attribute.
Light body with ample carbonation that is prickly and enhances the tangy flavors.
There are aspects of this that are okay. Mostly it just seems like as bland a product as possible to please the masses.
There is a heavy yeast sediment on the bottom of the bottle, but it wouldn't be worth sampling.
"World-class beer for a world-wide cause". The second part may be true, but the first part is not.
May 20, 2010
Photo of callmescraps
Reviewed by callmescraps from Massachusetts

2.5/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
Another one I got in a mixed pack. So far it's been a disappointing group, so hopefully this one is a winner.

Appearance- Cloudy straw color. Half inch of white foamy head leaves quickly. A couple of strange floaties that are not making me happy.

Smell- A little bit of a sweet adjuncty smell. Sour and spicy. Smells a little spoiled.

Taste- Light citrus. A real lemon bitterness. Then a sweet corn/adjunct flavor. Too sweet.

Mouthfeel- A little thin. Unpleasant.

Drinkability- I'd usually say it goes down smooth, but it's too sweet.

Eh. Not going to have this one again. I usually like hefe's and even a decent one tastes pretty good to me. This one can't get to that rather low bar. Pass.
Jan 15, 2010
Photo of WVbeergeek
Reviewed by WVbeergeek from West Virginia

2.92/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2
Pours a murky cloudy yellow peach tinted color with a bright white overcarbonated head, the cap about flew off when I popped it. Scant sporadic lacing lines the sides of my pint. Smells very ciric and bready in nature, with a lot of powdered yeast aromas. Minimal phenols of bubblegum, clove, and trace vanilla notes. Tastes like a home brew all around from the metallic offness to the graininess that comes as a miscue from every direction, I didn't think California based breweries made bad wheat beers. Completely forgettable and I'm pretty sure these brews are marketed at Whole Foods, although there aren't any in my local area. The flavor begins to weigh on me after a few sips but it's nothing I can't make it threw, there's just way too much yeasties goin on that are usually pleasant in this style. However, that's not the case here I feel that after taste after swallowing my B complex vitamins. Mouthfeel is decent but there's something here that coats the sides and the carbonation never carries it enough in the right direction. Light to medium bodied beers should never feel cloying, this one manages it. Drinkability overall is piss poor not a beer I would revisit anytime soon.
Sep 02, 2009
Photo of jeremyd365
Reviewed by jeremyd365 from Michigan

3.38/5  rDev +19.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours a cloudy golden with no head and low carbonation. Not much nose to it.. mainly malty with perhaps a little orange. The flavor isn't bad--mostly malty wheat with maybe a little fruit. It's got a thinner side of medium body. Overall it's a pretty drinkable, yet plain, hefe. This is my first from Firehouse and hope the Pale that I bought is a little more exciting.
Aug 24, 2009
Photo of LilBeerDoctor
Reviewed by LilBeerDoctor from New York

3.53/5  rDev +24.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Bottle thanks to Naven. Bottled on 3/31/09. Pours a cloudy light orange with a thick white head. Aroma of sweet malt, wheat/bread. Flavor is very bready/wheaty initially with a slightly sweeter, citrusy finish. Not flashy or particularly special but pretty solid.
Jul 14, 2009
Photo of Bighuge
Reviewed by Bighuge from Minnesota

3.11/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Hazed yellow. Bubbly ivory white head. Lace is sufficient. Aroma is sweet and bready and doughy. Spice and yeastiness is missing. Flavor is doughy too. Little else. No brigntness to this wheat ale. Missing hop accents and yeasty esters. Doesn't make this bad, just incomplete. and kind of bland.
Jun 24, 2009
Photo of malty
Reviewed by malty from Michigan

2.31/5  rDev -18.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
Pours a cloudy, murky straw color with barely a 1/4" white head, (and I force poured it). Large carbonation bubbles at a moderate pace are visible.

Uneventful nose of yeasty esters and wet cardboard - that's it.

Flavors of slight sour citrus rind and a crushed sweet tarts. No clove, banana or bubblegum. Some yeasty funk happening, but nothing noteworthy.

Mouthfeel is a bit lighter than what I would expect (even) for an American Wheat Ale. A bit watery with quick-to-die carbonation.

Drinkability is OK. If this were served ice cold at a ballpark in the dead of summer, I'd drink one.

This should be described as an American Wheat Ale due to its lackluster composition and not having ANY of the big 3 components of a true 'Hefeweizen'; clove, banana & bubblegum. Take the word 'Hefeweizen' off of this label because it's not. I'm going to pour the remainder down the drain.
Mar 22, 2009
Photo of donkeyrunner
Reviewed by donkeyrunner from Massachusetts

3/5  rDev +6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Firehouse brewery? Three firemen here in MA got in trouble for being drunk and coked up on the job. Imagine the irony. Ha!

Pours an opaque, pale yellow cloud with a decent white head. No lace or retention. Smells like pizza dough.

Tastes like a malted lemon poppy seed but not as good. Corn sugar and wheat.
Jan 12, 2009
Photo of far333
Reviewed by far333 from Connecticut

2.55/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2
Hazy straw yellow colored with a bright white head that leaves a quarter-inch cap. Light aroma of yeast and lemon.

Faint and low flavor of lemony malt, not too yeasty. Seems watered down and off-style. Thin mouthfeel, a little bubbly. Not too drinkable.
Dec 23, 2008
Photo of magictrokini
Reviewed by magictrokini from California

2.63/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
Cloudy yellow pour with a good white head. Yeasty, sweet aroma with wheat overtones. Flavor is also sweet, but more wheaty with the taste of straw. Could use more bubblegum/clove to counter the bitter wheat. Still, American Wheats are not high on my list of beers anyway.
Dec 08, 2008
Photo of barleywinefiend
Reviewed by barleywinefiend from Washington

3.01/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
Picked up from Liquor Emporium in Lompoc, CA.
Poured a cloudy yellow with a small white head. Nose is a little bit of banana, cloves and citrus. Taste was masked little bit behind some carbonation or something but it was not that bold. Taste of banana and citrus with maybe some honey and lemon on the tail end. Mouthfeel not so good or promising. It was better on initial taste than on moutfeel. Taste subsided.
Oct 31, 2008
Photo of Durge
Reviewed by Durge from Connecticut

4/5  rDev +41.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Enjoyed on tap at the Fish Market Restaurant in San Diego this poured into a tall cold glass a very frothy cloudy milky yellow tan color with skimpy white head and fair lacing. The aroma is a lemony hearty wheat, pleasant. The taste is an enjoyable, edible and tangy citrus wheat with lots of tiny bubbles and effervescence. A bit tart, easy drinking and very refreshing. A great starter beer and summer quencher. Good tasting, bright and worth a try any time.
Oct 12, 2008
Photo of BuckeyeNation
Reviewed by BuckeyeNation from Iowa

2.65/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
Barely blurry amber with soda-like carbonation. A thick slice of eggshell colored froth sits atop the liquid. Unfortunately, it's almost featureless and isn't tacky enough to leave much residue on the sides of the glass. An uninspiring look.

The aroma is usually the first reliable indicator of whether a beer is a hefeweizen or an APWA. Firehouse wants us to believe that this brew is the former, but it smells like the latter. Nothing but bland wheat and untoasted barley.

American pale wheat all the way. In spite of the brewery's claim that 'delectable banana notes' are present, they aren't. It tastes like a standard ale yeast strain was used. If a true Bavarian yeast was used, the folks at Firehouse should ask for their money back.

Hefeweizen tastes like an ale brewed by one of the Big 3. It's all kinds of grainy, has a hint of cream ale sweetness, and is at least as bitter as it is tangy. A little lemon peel would have been nice. In the end: too simple and too shallow.

As feared, the mouthfeel is too light and too harshly bubbled. Not quite soda-like, but close. No creaminess, no softness... no thanks.

Since it lacks any sort of spark, Firehouse Hefeweizen has no hope of setting my world ablaze. Like Firehouse Pale Ale, this offering struggles to be average. The cause is a definitely a good one. The beer is not.
Sep 08, 2008
Firehouse Hefeweizen from The Firehouse Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 72 out of 100 with 27 ratings