The Love - Starr Hill Brewery

AgentMunky

Alabama

4.3/5  rDev +19.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 2L growler into a pilsner glass. Filled today at the Starr Hill brewery. Freshly tapped. This is the third time I've typed this review (the site crashed, then logged me out), so expect a brief review.

A: Two and a half fingers of wispy head. Gorgeously unfiltered; cloudy, translucent, and completely opaque. Yellow edges, honey-brown core. Good lacing. Great looking beer.

S: Banana, tart yeast, lemon zest, and maybe a hint of spice. The distinctive yeast is the best part about it.

T: Yum. Lemon peel to start, smooth sweet spice on the maintaste, and slightly dry on the aftertaste. True to the traditional style, but expertly made.

M: Less carbonated than from the bottle, but still with enough pizazz and spice to keep it interesting. A bit puckery.

O: Fabulous beer. Criminally underrated. Highly drinkable and immensely pleasant. One of the best hefewiezens I've come across and one of my favourite beers from Virginia. Will drink whenever I see it. Definitely recommended.

Serving type: growler

07-29-2011 00:14:51 | More by AgentMunky

TPSReports

Alabama

3.63/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a day old growler into a tulip glass. Nice white head, but it didn't stick around long. I didn't notice that strong banana that everyone else mentions in the nose. Citrus and spice for me.

Taste was pretty clean with citrus and sparking carbonation. Minimal hops, which suits me just fine. Pretty drinkable, this could be a session beer.

As I'm one to do with wheat beers, I added a bit of lemon and the result was pretty good. I think I prefer it with the hit of a small lemon wedge.

Serving type: growler

06-20-2009 20:07:48 | More by TPSReports

thlayli87

New Jersey

4.06/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Beer pours a hazy amber color with two fingers of white head that looks so soft and inviting that I'd like to lay down and take a nap on it. Nose reveals fruity esters, yeast, and spice. Banana flavor dominates, along with some coriander, and a pleasing yeasty finish. Mouthfeel is nothing remarkable, a bit thin. Overall this is a pretty good hefeweizen. I'm pleasantly surprised by this because it's by a relatively new brewery, and it's a somewhat difficult style to nail. But this is solid.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 00:02:44 | More by thlayli87

Guden

Maryland

2.25/5  rDev -37.5%
look: 2.75 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A- pours a light gold with just a tiny head. No lacing. Didn't realize it was a hefe until I poured (only says wheat beer on the bottle and was part of mixed sixer). Guess its a krystalweizen.

S- strange, banana but also some sour apple, sour cherry and mustiness. Just a touch of spice.

T- the banana and spice come through better in the taste but the finish is still puckering apple. Acetaldehyde?

M- fairly thin with moderate carbonation. I'd like more body for a hefe but in this mess of a beer it's probably better this way.

O- drinks like a banana-wheat Budweiser. Looks like one too. Starr Hill seems to have some serious production flaws in their beers outside of the pale ale. Not impressed.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 01:20:48 | More by Guden

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a brown 12 oz. bottle. Has a cloudy dark golden color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is of banana, clove, spice. Taste is good, refreshing, banana's, spices, wheat, very easy drinking. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall is a solid beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 10:05:05 | More by tone77

tlazaroff

Virginia

1.83/5  rDev -49.2%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Sour apples and tart hard candy on the nose. I don't think it's supposed to smell like this.

Straw-yellow in color with a crisp BIG head at first but the head completely disappears very quickly and leaves no lacing.

Again with sour apples, very tart, almost puckering. Tastes nothing like it should. It's super carbonated, and a light body. I'm guessing I got a bad bottle. I will review this again when it's fresh.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2012 16:07:50 | More by tlazaroff

tdm168

North Carolina

3.55/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - bright, cloudy yellow with a large, bubbly, fizzy, white head that fades quickly

S - white grapes, apples, straw

T - straw, grapes, banana, some faint spice, mildly tart finish

M - medium bodied, crisp, well carbonated

This is a pretty basic beer. It has notes of straw and complex fruit from the yeast. Some more spice would help add to the simplistic flavor profile. It's not a bad beer, but there are definitely better Hefeweizens out there. I'll pass on this beer in the future.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2012 12:02:42 | More by tdm168

Minkybut

Virginia

2.4/5  rDev -33.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

I poured This nast beer into my tumbler at 45 degrees. The beer was cloudy yellow ugly pouring with no head at all. No lacing no nothing. The smell was sour as was the taste. Like a Bad Belgium beer that had sat opened for a month. Very disappointing and I guess it could just have been a outdated variety pk I got hold of. Regardless, I'm not trying another ever.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2012 01:25:57 | More by Minkybut

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.83/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from bottle into pint glass

Appearance – Pours a hazy yellow golden color with a medium white head. The head faded very fast to give only a light amount of lacing.

Smell – The aromas are heaviest of wheat and yeast. There are notes of pepper and banana as well as a very light citrus flavor.

Taste – The taste starts out wheaty and a little on the sweeter side; the sweetness is of a citrus orange nature. The sweetness fades slightly over time as flavors of yeast start to work their way into the taste. A light peppery and banana flavor accompany the yeast and take the flavor to the end.

Mouthfeel – The body of the beer was on the average thickness with a carbonation level on the higher side of things. Both fitting,but rather average for the style.

Overall – Not a bad brew and quite easy to drink. Well worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2012 23:23:49 | More by Darkmagus82

SiriusBock

Virginia

3.65/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Poured hazy (as it should), with two fingers of head and good lacing.
S: Not much of a smell in the head, other than some hops, but surprisingly not wheaty
T: Classic wheat taste, heading toward the clove side, not much banana. I got a lot of a grape nuts flavor and some fruit
M: Relatively thin, not watery, but I figured the haze would provide a bit more mouthfeel and thickness than it did. Still ok

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2012 11:11:47 | More by SiriusBock

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a dirty brown (much darker than most Hefe's) with a 1/2 inch of rocking head that has some kick ass lacing.
A not so impressive twist off but would bring in the BMC drinkers...

S - Smells of mild wheat and hops. Mostly spice of coriander and clove with mild fruity yeasts.

T - Well it's quite a good representation of the style with balanced yet strong spice and a fruity yet dry yeast character. Little hops and mild wheat yet they do give me a pleasant drinking experience with a fresh water taste.

M - Light to medium its fairly easy to finish.

Overall it was a great beer and I just found out it was bottled 12/22/11 so it even drinks great after 6 months of age. Recommended!

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2012 03:17:29 | More by DrDemento456

BryanCarey

Texas

3.6/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured out of the bottle, this beer is yellow/golden in color and a semi- aggressive pour produces a solid head of foam, but it eventually settles into a thin layer as you drink. The nose on this beer is one of clove, wheat, some grassy notes, banana bread, and a touch of citrus.

This beer has a flavor that matches the nose. Cloves are obvious, but there is also some banana, wheat malt, and yeast. There isn’t much hop character, or at least you don’t notice it because the flavor keeps coming back to the clove and spice. There is still enough bitterness to keep the flavor balanced.

Starr Hill The Love Wheat is a good summer brew that offers some nice refreshment. The spice/clove character is more pronounced than the other qualities, so it could be a little beyond the expectations of some wheat beer lovers. But it is still a good brew that most will find to their liking.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2012 16:55:46 | More by BryanCarey

marlinsfan4

Maryland

2.7/5  rDev -25%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Part of a mixed sampler pack:

Pours a slightly cloudy golden color, very reminiscent of a BMC lager actually. Not much head to it. Slight clove-y aroma. Taste is light bodied, kind of water, smooth, and very drinkable. Some decent banana/clove notes, decent wheat beer in general. Pretty comparable to a Shock Top or Blue Moon... this one might even be a notch below, just not enough body and flavor.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2012 00:48:36 | More by marlinsfan4

JoeAmerican77

Colorado

3.55/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Blond, sunny, liquid pours out and presents a white head of 1.5 fingers...
A nice phenolic aroma of clove and bananas hits the nose, a little alcoholic spice as well. The flavor matches the nose, with a fruity isoamyl acetate punch, banana bunch, sourdough bread and a hint of that clove. A little sweet and a strange backend that reminds me of the iron smell you get when a bloody nose runs down the back of your throat. Thats new. A bit watery with a light body and light carbonation.

Overall a good beer to give someone used to BMC, a transition from the shocktops and blue mooners out there.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2012 21:12:02 | More by JoeAmerican77

fwiz

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a wheat glass from a 12oz.

Look: Very hazy orangey yellow, like straw. Nice one head that falls pretty quick and leaves a small amount of lace.

Smell: Just how wheat should smell, clean cut grass, with citrus fruit and maybe a hint of cherry.

Taste: Spot on with the smell. But the cherry is in the front of the taste with sweet wheat malt and almost no bitterness.

Mouth: Very light on carb and body. Could use just a bit more bubbles. Has a fast finish with no after taste.

Overall: A good example of an American wheat beer. Would be very drinkable on a hot summer day. This beer would pair great with Mexican food. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2012 23:02:41 | More by fwiz

brentk56

North Carolina

3.2/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance: Pours a cloudy peach nectar color with a decent enough head that leaves a bit of lacing behind

Smell: Overwhelms with wheat but is rather understated with banana; some spicing does come through

Taste: Wheat bread, up front, with just a hint of banana developing before a strong lemony character takes over at mid-palate; a bit of clove and banana after the swallow, but the lemon dominates the finish, as well

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation, not as creamy as it should be

Overall: I have read that this is based on an obscure hefe, so I am not sure whether it is the recipe that produces the lemony character or the fact that I am a couple of months beyond the best by date; either way, not something I particularly cared for

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 22:47:35 | More by brentk56

legalpete19340

Virginia

3.55/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a very light yellow cloudy color with a big fluffy head. The head stuck around for a while but lacing was minimal.

S: Blast of grass and wheat before a very sweet note pushes its way out. Lemon and some spice pervade the aroma.

T: Immediately the palate is swamped with wheat and yeast flavors. A strong spice note, think cloves, jump in and out. Sweetness then overwhelms with the taste of those bright red maraschino cherries in the jar and then gives up very pronounced lemon flavors. Grassy note ends the drink.

M: Very light and fizzy.

O: This isnt a bad beer. It just tastes artificial to me. The wheat comes on strong as expected but then is swamped by the taste of cherry extract and artificial lemon juice. One and done for me.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 21:39:46 | More by legalpete19340

00trayn

Virginia

3.88/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pale golden color, slightly cloudy and a 1/2" thick head. No lacing to speak of.

S - A mild citrus-y wheat scent comes through, with a hint of spicy.

T - A refreshing wheat with tastes of banana that's fruit-forward. It has a sweet finish.

M - Smooth and decently carbonated.

O - Seems more of a heff than a belgian wheat, but overall it's a refreshing beer that's is a go-to staple for me.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2012 02:15:08 | More by 00trayn

thain709

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A - Poured a semi-cloudy, golden yellow body...a one finger, white head formed and was gone in a flash...this beer looked pretty flat...no head nor lacing

S - Creamy banana, bright citrus (mainly lemon), light spices (mostly coriander)

T - The citrus aspect really stood out to me...I picked it up right off the bat with lemon peel leading the way...ripe banana adds some body to the middle and cuts the sweetness of the citrus...the yeast and spices are mellow...you only find a trace of both throughout the beer...there is even a slight bitterness at the end

M - Light bodied...almost too light...watery...I really wanted some more body

O - The smell and flavors really worked for me...but I was left wanting more (not in a good way) after each sip...the finish and look is where this beer needs some help

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2012 12:08:56 | More by thain709

avalon07

South Carolina

4.08/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Poured from a bottle to a Weizen glass. Had an orange-brown color and a cloudy consistency. Surprisingly, there was little head or lacing.

S: A good amount of wheat and that bubble gum quality in the aroma. Also has a slight grassy tinge to it.

T: Tasted of wheat, malt, the bubble gum quality, and th grassiness, though this is a minor component. The flavor here is very well-rounded and balanced.

M: Needs a bit of carbonation, but does have a smooth finish. Light- to medium-bodied.

O: This is one of the better American examples of a Hefeweizen, in spite of a few minor flaws.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2011 13:28:53 | More by avalon07

jsanford

Georgia

3.18/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

12oz bottle poured into a Pint Glass.

Pours like cloudy grapefruit juice, with a thin white head that dissipates quickly, leaving just the slightest swirl of haze. Nice aromas of banana, clove and wheat, fairly typical of the style but leaning more on the banana side of the equation. Taste is of a fairly standard Hefeweizen, mostly banana with some clove, wheat, yeast, and coriander. Mouthfeel is thin and fizzy, with a too-high level of carbonation that I'm not liking. Overall I could probably drink one or two of these, but with all the easy-to-find World Class Hefeweizen offering around, why bother?

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2011 03:27:34 | More by jsanford

KMcG

Virginia

2.58/5  rDev -28.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Hazy, yellowish orange with a slight head that disappears quickly.  The aroma is what you might expect from a wheat beer.  It has citrus, banana, and wheat yeast smells.  There is a wheat taste for sure, but it is overwhelmed by a fruity sweet/sour flavor. There is slight sour cherry or cranberry grape fruit tone to the taste. The mouthfeel is mild, light body and refreshing.  The sourness is a bit much for this wheat beer style. 

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2011 13:19:48 | More by KMcG

Chaney

District of Columbia

4.22/5  rDev +17.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Best by December 2011.

A: Very cloudy, wheaty, vanilla-orange color with a slight head that stayed at least a mild froth on top of the brew throughout the session. A bit dark than a lot of Hefeweizens, but this still looks really nice.

S: Faint coriander, with German wheat in the mix. Not a spice bomb for sure, yet still effective.

T: The wheat totally soften the blow of the potential over-the-top spices. Slight coriander, but not too much at all. Fruity, wheaty, and yummy!

M: Moderate prickle fromt he carbonation, not much sweetness or spiciness, and the linger didn't have that "rotten banana" issue that I commonly associate with this style.

O: Really nice, excellent even. What's with all the low reviews? I'm going to have the balls to rate this one higher...

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2011 00:11:24 | More by Chaney

mdfb79

New York

3.8/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

From 08/31/11 notes. Picked up a 12 oz. bottle of this a week or two ago. Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a weizen glass. Best by date of 12/11 on the bottle.

a - Pours a murky orange yellow color with one inch of white head and moderate carbonation evident. Lots of lacing on the glass, looks pretty good.

s - Smells of yeast, wheat, spices, light bananas. and cloves. Nice, but not overly strong.

t - Tastes of bananas, Belgian style yeast, cloves, bready malts, wheat, and light spice. Bananas are much more prominent which I love; a definite step up from the nose.

m - Medium body and moderate carbonation. Super smooth and easy to drink.

o - Overall a really nice, easy drinking hefeweizen. A good summer beer with lots of bananas. Would have it again.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2011 20:16:32 | More by mdfb79

chinchill

South Carolina

3.35/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle from mixed "Summer Tour" 12-pack dated best by 17 Dec. 2011. Served in a pint glass. Newer label than shown on BA.

Pours a hazy golden straw color with a small and short-lived off-white head. Lots of visible carbonation. Additional sediment in the bottom of the bottle added mid-tasting.

S - rather typical weisbier aroma with yeast, citrus, ripe banana, a clove-like spiciness and, perhaps, a trace of hops. Not particularly inviting, but I find that true of many beers of this style.

T - moderate strength for style. Yeast, grain, ripe banana and lemony citrus. Sour and sweet components with a clear tart balance. Good but quite citrusy aftertaste.

M - medium-light body; nice carbonation level; a tad crisp; semi-dry finish.

O - In sum, an above average weisbier, particularly in regards to mouthfeel. Good thirst quencher.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2011 22:12:28 | More by chinchill