Hefeweizen - Cambridge Brewing Company

glid02

Georgia

4.2/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at the brewpub.

Pours a hazy lemon-yellow color with a bright white head that leaves decent lacing.

Smells of crisp light malts with good amounts of wheat twang and breadiness. Underlying everything are solid amounts of ripe banana and clove aromas.

Tastes similar to how it smells, though not quite as robust. Smooth light malts with generous contributions from wheat up front are joined quickly by ripe banana flavors. Midway through mild amounts of breadiness and clove come into play, carrying through to a mildly bitter ending. Mouthfeel is good, with smooth carbonation.

Overall I was very impressed with this beer, a very good example for the style that’s well worth a shot.

Serving type: on-tap

08-17-2011 03:11:53 | More by glid02

aorloski

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +2.9%

01-18-2013 14:21:33 | More by aorloski

MNBeerNE

4.5/5  rDev +9%

11-10-2012 14:30:28 | More by MNBeerNE

Dat

Texas

4.5/5  rDev +9%

09-10-2012 02:48:38 | More by Dat

wdarcy77

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -3.1%

08-21-2012 18:40:33 | More by wdarcy77

gkob

Massachusetts

3.25/5  rDev -21.3%

08-13-2012 23:49:41 | More by gkob

donkeyrunner

Massachusetts

3.88/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

@ the brewpub.

Translucent, dark hay color with a hearty dish soap head. Big lacey patch down the middle of my glass like a Christmas tree.

Smells liek clove and just ripe, partially green banana. Tastes like clove and just ripe, partially green banana. Spritzy. There's a soapy residue that coats my mouth after each sip that I'm not a fan of.

Serving type: on-tap

07-17-2012 21:18:30 | More by donkeyrunner

maltyhops

Massachusetts

4.75/5  rDev +15%

06-22-2012 17:34:20 | More by maltyhops

Microbrewtaster

Indiana

4.25/5  rDev +2.9%

06-16-2012 04:27:00 | More by Microbrewtaster

rinhaak

Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I was surprised to discover that CBC was brewing what might just be one of the best hefes I've had from an American brewer. Pouring a murky gold that is radiant in the sun, topped with a thick foamy head, the beer has a fantastic nose that strongly features a spicy clove character. A taste like a spicy banana bread, this is a great hefe that I will certainly return to again.

Serving type: on-tap

06-14-2012 17:29:11 | More by rinhaak

PEIhop

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +2.9%

06-07-2012 22:54:34 | More by PEIhop

AdamP

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +2.9%

05-30-2012 00:12:14 | More by AdamP

jlordi12

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -3.1%

05-21-2012 11:54:35 | More by jlordi12

Streetcore

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -3.1%

03-29-2012 17:37:28 | More by Streetcore

wizo

Quebec (Canada)

4/5  rDev -3.1%

02-07-2012 00:12:54 | More by wizo

FrankLloydMike

Massachusetts

5/5  rDev +21.1%

12-08-2011 17:52:09 | More by FrankLloydMike

SarahMackAttack

Massachusetts

5/5  rDev +21.1%

11-20-2011 06:19:30 | More by SarahMackAttack

BeerMe42

New Jersey

4/5  rDev -3.1%

11-15-2011 22:21:18 | More by BeerMe42

bpfrush

Wisconsin

3.5/5  rDev -15.3%

11-14-2011 16:42:26 | More by bpfrush

amphion1065

Massachusetts

4.2/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Growler purchased at CBC into a pilsner glass. Not a bad way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Pours a hazy, cloudy, straw-gold. It actually looks like a darker tangerine towards the center of the glass, with lighter highlights on the edges. Two-finger white head with solid lacing and great retention.

The aroma is classic: bananas, bubblegum and cloves come through in roughly equal proportion. CBC really nailed the smell here, and there's a great balance of yeast and malty sweetness. A very enticing, great-smelling hefe.

The taste has more of a biscuit flavor than the smell would indicate, but those ester fruits really shine through. In addition to those bananas, there is a light lemon citrus touch. Naturally, there's a strong yeasty component that forms the backbone of the taste. Unfortunately, there's a slight lingering vegetal flavor that becomes more evident as the beer warms - it doesn't kill the whole package, but it is distracting and a little off-putting.

Mouthfeel is nice, thin without being watery. The carbonation borders on being overactive, but this is still very easy to put down.

CBC makes some of the best Belgian-style beers of any American brewery, and this is no exception. Possibly the best American hefe I've ever had, and one that I wish I'd drank more of over these summer months.

Serving type: growler

09-05-2011 19:21:13 | More by amphion1065

BigCheese

Massachusetts

3.8/5  rDev -8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at East Coast Grill.

Served with a lemon that I immediately removed.

Appearance was quintessential Hefenweizen. Cloudy hazy lemony color, head was a bit thin but that could be the waitresses fault.

Smell was aromatic, lemon, citrus, bready, yeasty.

Taste was more lemon/citrus than I would like from the style. Banana, Malts & bready yeast notes that followed were quite pleasant. I picked up some subtle pepper/spicey flavors too. Had a crisp clean finish with some slight bitterness that was welcoming. Yum.

Mouthfeel was creamy, very carbonated, had some viscosity that is in line with the style.

Overall a solid Hefe offering that is true to style. Take out some lemons and give it a little more yeast taste and Id say its damn near perfect but thats just my preference. Worth trying but I wouldn't kill a man for it. Ya dig.

Serving type: on-tap

07-27-2011 02:00:34 | More by BigCheese

axeman9182

New Jersey

3.78/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at CBC 6/5 to kick off my post ABCF brunch. This one was served in a tall thin glass.

Cambridge Brewing's Hefeweizen pours an appropriately hazy dark lemon. There's about a finger of fluffy white foam capping the beer, and it fades a little on the quick side before leaving a bit of lacing still attached to the glass. The yeasty notes jump out from the start in the nose. There's the traditional fruity banana and clove notes, but also a slight tartness that's fairly unique for the style. There's a solid (almost too much) amount of bready pilsner malt notes present as well. The flavor brings more of the same, except with a little bit of a great emphasis on the malty sweetness. It's a shame, because I *really* dig what CBC is getting out of their weizen yeast, and if it was as pronounced as some other hefes I've had, this might well be my favorite version of the style. The carbonation, always the trickier part of the mouthfeel for the style imo, is spot on. Bubbly and active, but a step short of spritzy Belgian territory. The body though, is a bit too present for me, which I guess shouldn't surprise me given how I feel about the malts in the flavor profile. I don't know if I think CBC's Hefeweizen is a little bit over-attenuated, or if the esters and phenols thrown off by the yeast just aren't powerful enough, but the result is a beer that's a slight rebalancing away from being world class.

Serving type: on-tap

06-12-2011 20:52:54 | More by axeman9182

asabreed

New York

4.1/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at the brewery, poured into a tall pilsener glass.

Appearance: What I love a Hefe to look like: dirty, but bright, with a good cloudiness and murkiness. Good bright white head settling at the top around the smaller cylindrical part of the glass.

Smell: This thing's fresh and very pungent. Big notes of spicy yeast, mild earthy phenolics, clove and banana, and malt sweetness. Possibly some spiciness because of the hops. Very surprising, as my friend and I have often had conversations about Hefeweizens at smaller places like this not being the best, but this is pretty big and wild.

Taste: Good initial fruit esters with banana and clove, with some peppery spice from the yeast, some nice sweetness from the malt balancing the hops, also bringing some citrus and spice. Long mildly phenolic and fruit estery finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with a good creaminess and a nice burst of carbonation at the end.

Drinkability: I was impressed with this brew. It was perfect weather for a Hefe, and this exceeded my expectations. Had we hit this place at the end of our weekend rather than the beginning, a growler would've been in hand.

Serving type: on-tap

08-18-2010 20:07:53 | More by asabreed

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.88/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Enjoyed on tap at the brewpub. Tons of lace that follows a yellow body with noticeable white head. Creamy mouthfeel, clean and refreshing taste. Good example of the style. Fresh aroma. Yeast, only mildly citrus, and a bit bannana. Not too sweet, yet very drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

07-16-2009 00:19:17 | More by northyorksammy

jwheeler85

New Hampshire

4.28/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Got a good laugh out of the bartender when I purchased a growler of this...

Her: "Did you see the disclaimer?"
Me: "Huh?"
Her: "Because of the yeast in there the bottle could explode if it gets too hot. Just don't leave it in your trunk or anything like that"
Me: "Uh Huh... Good to know... "

A- Pours a cloudy lemon rind / straw yellow color. Depending on the pour speed and angle, it could have either very little head, or a nice full one.

S- Has a very classic blend of hefeweizen spices like coriander and clove with some orange peel and melon. Very well blended.

T- Again, well blended and balanced maltiness with a bittering finish. Has a tangy yeast funk and subtle spice notes in the middle. Has a thirst quenching honeydew melon and banana flavor under the spices and tanginess.

M- Medium to light bodied with low co2. Easy drinking.

D- While nothing especially noteworthy jumps out, it is perfect in the sense that it is full of classic hefeweizen flavors and nothing offensive.

Serving type: growler

06-27-2009 17:09:12 | More by jwheeler85