Half-E-Weizen - Rogue Ales

gkunkle

Oregon

3.33/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a hazy yellow color with decently sized white head, leaves a little bit of lacing. Smells of wheat and spices. It is lacking the traditional banana/clove smell. You can taste the wheat, coriander and ginger. This rogue offering is more bitter than a typical hefewizen. Mouthfeel is medium with average carbonation. Overall, it could be a fine beer, but it is certainly not what I expected for a hefewizen.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2010 04:02:34 | More by gkunkle

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I had to pick one up for 2.99 at my local bottle shop for a bomber.

A - Pours a hazy yellow with very minimal head which may be due to it being slightly old. Hope it is not skunked.

S - Slight bitter with very mild banana and clove. Mostly smells like pale malt.

T - Starts off bitter with a mild sweetness and finishes dry Not really much banana but I do get slight clove and bread.

M - Very light and refreshing.

D - Glad it wasn't skunked or terrible tasting for 2.99. If you can find it fresh (and can somehow tell) it would be a fantastic brew. Very nice.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2010 05:58:47 | More by DrDemento456

Clamwacker

Oregon

3.93/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I usually stay away from Rogue beers, mostly because they are far more expensive than they are worth. Even here in Oregon, where it's brewed, this bottle of MoM Hefeweizen cost $6.49 -- outrageous.

I had to get it, though, because the picture is of Mo, of Mo's Restaurant fame. Perhaps one might think it's just some nondescript old lady, but the cigarette in her hand gives it away.

I was a bit disappointed with the appearance, since I was sort of in the mood for a true Hefeweizen, when the beer poured clear gold with little head. It's another one of those beers that reminds me of a urinalysis test jar. Not really a bad thing, just not the most appealing color. On the bright side, the last glass has a nicer appearance due to the cloudy yeast being dredged up from the bottom of the bottle. Always one of my favorite things about pouring Hefeweizens.

The ginger comes out right away in the nose, without any warning, and I am not a huge fan. It almost gives it sort of a sour or even stale aroma.

The taste is pretty amazing, but I am sort of a sucker for coriander. Calling this beer a Hefeweizen is sort of a lie -- it used to be known as "Half-e-Weizen" before they changed the label, which I guess is more appropriate. In any case I would call it a Belgian Wit that misplaced its orange zest.

The mouthfeel is great. The extra bit of carbonation in this beer works well to help move the flavors around on your tongue, sort of bringing out each note one by one.

It's pretty drinkable, if you're rich. I had no problem getting rid of the 22 ounce bottle I bought, but for $6.49 I won't be getting a second one any time soon. There are far too many offerings right now for much cheaper, and frankly many of them are much better as well.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2010 03:44:46 | More by Clamwacker

Mora2000

Texas

3.25/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Thanks to my brother for bringing in this beer from Louisiana.

The beer pours a hazy straw color with a white head. The aroma is very heavy on the wheat and lemons. I also get some peaches, syrup and sugar notes. The flavor is heat, oranges, lemon and surprisingly, some mint. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Overall this beer is a bit disappointing.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2010 01:32:31 | More by Mora2000

AWolfAtTheDoor

California

3.5/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This review is for the Mom Hefe.

Fairly vigorous pour resulted in a foamy head, and reasonable lacing throughout the session. Very pale in color.

Bottle says that it is brewed with coriander, and it pretty much dominates the smell.. I think?

This is a really interested hefe. I'm generally a purist when it comes to beer styles. At least the bottle notified me that it was brewed with coriander and ginger. It's not a bad beer by any means, but a very interesting interpretation of a Hefeweizen. This beer tasted a bit off until I got to the second half of the bomber, and made sure I got all the goodies off of the bottom and into my pint glass. That seemed to smooth the taste out a little bit. It's a bit on the bitter side, but it's not hop bitter. Not exactly my favorite flavor in a beer, but it's ok.

This beer was PRETTY dang carbonated when I first poured it. Ended up a little smoother towards the end. Crisp like moth hefes, with a lingering bitterness from either the spices, or maybe even the Saaz? I don't think it's the Saaz though because at 30 IBU it shouldn't be this bitter. Me thinks the ginger is the culprit.

Overall, an interesting beer. I would suggest at least trying it, but this is definitely not something I would have on a regular basis.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2010 03:40:20 | More by AWolfAtTheDoor

CampusCrew

Florida

3.3/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

had this at the huge kickbacks dinner in Jacksonville, FL. I took some notes but mostly doing this from memory.
Appearance: cloudy, unflitered wheat
Smell: spicey bready malts
Taste: spicy, ginger like flavor. I thught this was a german style, guess not

Serving type: on-tap

08-17-2010 17:23:02 | More by CampusCrew

DoubleJ

California

3.23/5  rDev -10%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

22 ounces, on to the beer:

Pours like a kristalweizen with a wheatfield yellow color, no haze, and a billowy head on top. Lacing and retention are adequate. The coriander aroma is easy to pick out, along with some oatmeal notes. We're smelling like a witbier so far...

The coriander flavor is very minor in the flavor comparde to the smell. While I like the body and malt sweetness, the ginger is distracting and it becomes very bitter tasting in the aftertaste. The carbonation is under control, nothing pounds on the palate, which in this case I like.

Calling this a hefeweizen is an insult to the style. It's a spiced wheat ale, ok? It's decent, I'm not crazy about it, but if I were grading this as a hefe, scores would drop in each aspect.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2010 23:52:39 | More by DoubleJ

sensorglitch

Ontario (Canada)

2.65/5  rDev -26.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I poured this beer out from a growler. It poured out with a decent color and the carbonation looked interesting at first. However, I didn't like how it seemed to be pretty see through. It didn't have any of the tell tale cloudiness of the hefes that I tend to like.

The smell was ok, I could catch a little coriander in it, however it wasn't a strong smell. The taste was uninspired, I could taste the spiciness to some extent. However, I wouldn't call this a better hefe taste, compared to other hefe's I have had.

It had a bit of carbonation, not bad after taste

The drinkability was pretty decent, I could see myself having a few of them on a hot summer day. However, I just wasn't really overall impressed.

I would definitely say this isn't a high-point of what I have seen from Rogue. Overall this is a very mediocre hefe.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2010 22:43:01 | More by sensorglitch

bigfnjoe

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +10%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass.

A- pours a very pale yellow with a huge 3 finger white head. Lacing is good as per the Rogue standard....a little spotty though.

S- very mild aroma of lemon. Not a whole lot going here.

T- a nice burst of bitter lemon to start...getting slight hints of coriander and orange peel, but the lemon is what overwhelms. Its not the bitterness you get from a piney IPA...just more of a sweet bitterness, if that makes sense. Its quite nice, actually.

M- feel is real good. Very light, has a nice watery texture to it...yeah, you're probably laughing at me liking a watery, thin texture...but look at the style. You're not supposed to have something heavy and thick.

D- I'm all about this. Great summer beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2010 02:09:01 | More by bigfnjoe

scott451

Ontario (Canada)

3.38/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Swirl poured the bomber into a glass mug. A fluffy bright white head on a hazy gold. The head soon diminishes to a thin layer. Good lacing. Smells of coriander and spices. Tastes of Lemon and coriander. The strong lemon is a bit of a surprise. I detect no ginger but it is listed as an ingredient. A bit of a bitter finish. Medium body. Drinkability suffers from the finish but still not bad.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2010 04:46:22 | More by scott451

atigerlife

Hawaii

3.6/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a light golden [I did notice haziness with in my second glass but not the first], meddium white head that has good lasting power. Decent amount of tiny white carbonation rising.

Aroma of hay, spices, wheat and light malts.

Taste has some unexpected bitterness, not overpowering but more than I would expect in the style. Also some grass, lemon, coriander and a light ginger.

Mouthfeel is dry, med/light body and cleansing.

Overall, an interesting beer but certainly not stylistically usually. Rather refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2010 16:50:02 | More by atigerlife

UCLABrewN84

California

2.73/5  rDev -24%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Purchased as Mom Hefeweizen (for Mother's Day?).

A - Slightly hazy pale orange with a 2 inch white head that fades to a small cap. There is little lacing on this beer.

S - Smells like watery ginger ale, floral notes, and a medicinal scent.

T - Bitter herbal taste up front with a faint ginger/medicinal taste on the finish. Not too good.

M - Somewhat flat. Bitterness hits the entire mouth and not in a good way.

D - Not very good beer. I am glad I was able to try it in Hawaii as I have not seen it where I live in California.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2010 05:53:43 | More by UCLABrewN84

Lukecook

New Brunswick (Canada)

3.58/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

poured from 750 ml bottle into a pint glass

A- golden straw color, one finger of head, minimal lacing.

S- mainly ginger and light wheat aroma.

T- some citrus flavour but like the smell the ginger seems to dominate.

m- light body, high carbonation.

D- overall this is a decent beer I would not search it out but would buy it occasionally if it was readily available to me.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2010 13:16:20 | More by Lukecook

mdfb79

New York

3.43/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 22 oz. bottle into my Duvel tulip.

a - Pours a yellow golden color with one finger of white head that has nice lacing and retention. Light carbonation evident.

s - Smells of faint citrus but that is about it. Not much going on.

t - Tastes of bready malts, citrus fruits, and wheat.

m - Light body and high carbonation.

d - Not that great of a hefeweizen. Not much at all to the smell and taste was a lot of wheat and bread. Easy to drink but would probably not have again.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2010 00:33:19 | More by mdfb79

DoktorZee

Alberta (Canada)

3.53/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a large 650ml bottle - rotated to ensure any sediment was recovered. No obvious date of brewing on the bottle or best before date.

A - cloudy yellow/light orange with moderate carbonation. Moderate head disappears with no lacing fairly quickly.

S - not as much nose as I had hoped; slight citrus with a bit of yeast.

T - less of the delicious yeasty flavor of some of the popular German Hefeweizens, with a slight ginger bite at the back of your throat. Not getting any of the coriander, and no citrus. Could be more concentrated.

M - decent to drink with a fairly pleasing balance even though it's got only moderate power. Smooth with slight ginger bite at the end.

D - quite drinkable, but doesn't less so than a classic Hefeweizen. Goes down quite easy.

Decent beer; pretty unique with the addition of the ginger, but didn't find enough coriander coming through. Not sure I'd get this again.

[Just looked at the style on this one and it's noted as a Witbier - of course the bottle of MoM Hefeweizen says otherwise - thinking about it in retrospect its style certainly is closer to a Witbier - doesn't really change the review that much for me though.]

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2010 00:19:39 | More by DoktorZee

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Split a bomber with a friend. They weren't a big fan, but I enjoyed it. The wheat has a smooth, lightly caramel character, certainly darker than most wits. The gentle malts are then complimented by the ginger and coriander, though the ginger is significantly bigger than the coriander.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2010 15:25:44 | More by tempest

bmwats

Louisiana

3.48/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 650 ml bottle into an imperial nonic.

A: Light straw color. Pretty heavy carbonation pours into a 1 finger bubbly white head. Quickly settles. Leaves a bubbly blanket on the surface. Small pockets of carbonation cling to the sides of the glass. A little spotty lacing quickly retreats into the body of the brew as you drink.

S: Lightly malted. The spice components come out strongest. Otherwise, a kinda' non-distinct nose.

T: A little malty, a subtle hop. Sweet and very subtly bitter flavor of the ginger and coriander really highlight this. Very nice combo. Nothing really stands out strong, just a nice even flow.

M: Very light body and refreshing brew. A little sweet in the front (kind of a surprising sweet that takes you a little bit), and a little dry in the finish. Has a steely tinge in the aftertaste as well.

D: Probably drink this one a little slower than the normal representative of this style. Again, a distinctive aftertaste especially compels you to slow the pace.

Decent atmosphere. Appearance is pretty nondescript. Nose does have some nice spice components that stand out a bit. The palette is mostly the spice components. As with most of this style, the grain components are pretty non-distinct. The spice really adds some interesting character to this brew. Overall, this is a good quaff.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2010 03:41:01 | More by bmwats

July2Nov

Hawaii

3.98/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

* Note - Labeled as "MoM Hefeweizen" - bought from Whole Foods.

Appearance: Nothing to impressive, a bit hazy, but clear for the most part. Lots of carbonation that led to a 1/2 inch head.

Smell: Typical of a hefe: has that slightly "skunk" smell with a sweet scent that comes through at the end.

Taste and Mouthfeel: Very light, upfront, probably due to the low abv...just the way Mom would have it!!! Has a dry feel to it during the middle period that reminds me of seltzer water. The malts creep up on you at the very end of this beer. The bottle says that there is coriander and ginger brewed in it, but it's so light that you can barely taste them. However, the coriander does poke it's head out in the aftertaste.

Drinkability: This one is not complex, but sometimes it's the simple things in life that can also be the most rewarding. This would be perfect for any gathering or activity that involves: the heat, the outdoors, a body of water and a ice cold cooler. Enjoy - It's apparently "MoM" approved

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2010 03:54:22 | More by July2Nov

pmccallum86

Minnesota

3.98/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a light golden color with a white thin bubbly head.

Smell is very fresh; citrus and lemon zesty notes come through a lot. Light bready malt aroma as well.

Taste is very pleasant. Light, crisp, refreshing. Great Hefe, probably my favorite beer from rogue. Good citrus and spice flavors with a light malt finish.

Mouthfeel is very crisp with medium to high carbonation.

Good drinkability, quite a nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2010 18:14:41 | More by pmccallum86

flagmantho

Washington

3.98/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from 22oz bomber into a pint glass.

Appearance: slightly hazy light golden color with about a finger of white head, which quickly dissipated. OK.

Smell: light, citrusy, wheaty smell with a little hint of coriander. Ginger is also noticeable but very, very light. There's a light, white-pepper kind of smell as well, but unfortunately there is also a hint of skunkiness. Not sure how this could be in a brown bottle in the fridge, but nonetheless it is there.

Taste: well, if this is billed as a ginger witbier then it is quite to style. Flavor is light, wheaty, slightly citrusy; the coriander isn't as present in the flavor as it is in the aroma. Overall, pretty good.

Mouthfeel: medium-light body but a nice well-integrated carbonation which yields a good mouthfeel.

Drinkability: extremely drinkable. Light and refreshing but with a good flavor.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2010 21:55:35 | More by flagmantho

srandycarter

California

3.53/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Murky light pale, cotton white head, leaves to disk. Some cling lace.

S - Wheaty, grainy, smells like a Macro lager, for the most part.

T - Nice malt, little hop bite, spicy, a little Asian style. This would make a nice side to Chinese or Thai.

M - Balance is nice, good carb and coating. Clean finish.

D - Not my favorite, but very easy to drink!

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2010 03:51:36 | More by srandycarter

lbaker

Indiana

3.85/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

(a) Poured into a 32oz mug with a thick and creamy head...very remincient to a hefewiezen. Pale in color, see through, decent carbonation. (4/5)

(s) This really does smell like a good german hefewiezen. Strong scents of clove, citrus, bananas. Smells great. (3.5/5)

(t) Tastes more like a Pilsner rather than a witbier. I've had alot of witbiers, like my fav, but this one is excellent and im not sure if it tastes like a white beer. Strong tastes and texture of a hefewiezen but it feels like a pilsner. (4/5)

(m) Light on the tongue like a witbier, little more heavy than what I expected. (3.5/5)

(d) Decent drinkability. Pairs well with comfort food and a great summer brew. (4/5)

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2010 02:27:13 | More by lbaker

buschbeer

Ohio

3.45/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I poured into a pint glass to a couple inches of off white head. It is a hazy yellow/orange in color. I smell yeast and citrus. The taste is pretty weak. I get some coriander. I actually get the ginger too. At first I thought it was a sour off taste, but then I read that it was made with ginger. With that in mind, I guess it does taste like it's supposed to. Overall, it's a pretty mediocre beer. It does drink quite easily, but I've had better hefeweizens.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2010 02:47:23 | More by buschbeer

vette2006c5r

Wisconsin

4.03/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Half-e-Weizen was a light yet flavorfull beer. It poured a rich golden color, and there wasnt too much of a smell to it. it tasted pretty similar to other witbier, but just a tad more flavorfull. Very easy to drink, and not much of a aftertaste, deffently worth a try

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2010 05:47:32 | More by vette2006c5r

jwhawkins81

Ohio

2.88/5  rDev -19.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Aroma - Sweet malts with hints of coriander and spice. Still not what I would call classic Hefeweizen.

Appearance - Pale yellow with a slight cloudiness. No head retention at all.

Taste - Tastes more of a lager beer than hefeweizen, really. There is a bite in the flavor too that I'm not exactly thrilled with. Not particularly a bad beer just not what I expect from a craft hefeweizen.

Notes - Not really a lot of carbonation which was also disappointing. Maybe I picked up an old bottle.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2010 19:37:16 | More by jwhawkins81