Gordon Biersch Hefeweizen - Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant

KTCamm

New Jersey

4.15/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on tap at the GBBR at the RDU airport main terminal. They did not serve with a lemon, which I appreciated.

Pours a cloudy pale golden color with small white foam. Clings to the side. Wheaty smell, but just so-so. Strong banana taste, followed by the wheat. Very smooth, banana in the finish too. Leaves some sweetness at the end.

Very good hefe, really drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

12-18-2011 21:18:48 | More by KTCamm

NJpadreFan

New Jersey

4.13/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Gordon Biersch- Hefeweizen

A- Deep brownish yellow with a thick foamy head.
S- Strong Bubblegum clove and wheat.
T- Sweet fruity clove bubblegum flavor and a yeasty finish.
M- Sweet throughout refreshing.

Overall- A delicious hefe, a definite if visiting a Gordon Biersch!

Serving type: on-tap

03-29-2008 15:34:19 | More by NJpadreFan

sofingraw

Hawaii

4.13/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Presentation:
Served in a hefewizen glass. Nice. All the other beers were served in standard pilsner glasses. It was a plus to see them take into account the style when choosing the glassware.

Appearance - This beer looked like a typical hefe, as far as the color and clarity go. Hazy and golden-yellow. Looked good, but the head of about an inch dissipated fairly quickly.

Smell - Smelled mostly of banana. A good aroma for sure, but maybe not as complex as others of the style.

Taste - Taste was great. I loved it. Hefeweizen is my favorite style, so that has to be considered, but I really enjoyed the taste. Mostly banana flavor, as could have been deduced from the smell, but very smooth, even creamy. Banana was the dominant flavor for sure, but it wasn't to the point of annoyance. It was very good to me.

Mouthfeel - Creamy, smooth, and it definitely had that distinctive hefe-feel. If you've had more than 1 hefe in your life, you know what it should feel like, and this one did. Very good.

Drinkability - I had 2 right in a row, and if I wasn't driving, would have had several more without batting an eye. After tasting the first one, I pounded it, so they'd serve me another one that I could sit and enjoy. Both were great, and very easy to drink. I tasted thier Marzen, and Blonde Bock as well, and this one was definitely the easiest drinker for me, though the others were also smooth, and pretty decent.

If you visit a Gordon Biersch Restaraunt, and have only thier beers to choose from, I definitley recommend it. Especially if Hefewiezen is among your favorite styles.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Gordon Biersch Brewery & Restaurant, 1 Aloha Tower Dr Ste 1123, Honolulu

08-18-2008 09:21:17 | More by sofingraw

Troyone

California

4.13/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a cloudy apricot color with minimal white head and too difficult to see any action.
Multiple aromas of banana, lemon, bubblegum, and wheat malt.
Has a wheat grain taste with hints of banana/bubblegum and has a lemon/lime background with a butter finish.
Light bodied, resinous, with a crisp and soft carbonation.
Been in my mix for awhile I noticed these beers are brewed at Gordon Biersch Brewing, San Jose CA.

Serving type: bottle
@ Gordon Biersch Brewery & Restaurant, 1 Aloha Tower Dr Ste 1123, Honolulu

02-23-2009 01:28:07 | More by Troyone

yemenmocha

Arizona

4.13/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a darker shade of hazy golden compared to most other Hefe-Weizens. Plenty of creamy white head on top though. Lovely aromas of banana and clove, and this example seems to have more clove spice than most others. Palate offers a good balance of wheat & the signature banana/clove. Finishes somewhat clean. Very refreshing & drinkable. One of their best offerings.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Gordon Biersch Brewery & Restaurant, 1 Aloha Tower Dr Ste 1123, Honolulu

06-17-2011 22:13:24 | More by yemenmocha

ghostmech007

Virginia

4.1/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap.

Nice soft golden color with a bubbly white head. Left some lacing on the glass. Wonderful to look at.

The nose had a strong note of spice. Cloves and corriander and fruits. A great aspect of this brew.

Nice crisp and light body. Right off you taste the wheats and some hops bitterness. Mostly however you taste the spices. Cloves, corriander and fruits. This was a great brew. Definitly getting it next time.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Gordon Biersch Brewery & Restaurant, 900 F St NW, Washington

03-12-2007 00:42:22 | More by ghostmech007

JayQue

Virginia

4.1/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Very nice hefe. Served in a weizen glass (no orange slice, this is a beer place!) Straw colored, hazy, big white carbonated head that dies down quickly. Minimum lacing. All the good hefe attributes: astringent, carbonation, cloves, banana, bubble gum in a crisp, very nicely balanced beer. I had a couple with dinner and they went down very easily. Nicely balanced, rich mouthfeel and very drinkable. A very nice representative of this style.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Gordon Biersch Brewery & Restaurant, 900 F St NW, Washington

08-26-2007 02:38:34 | More by JayQue

connlion

Arizona

4.1/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - poured a hazy golden color with a one finger head that dissipated in a minute or so.
S - Pleasant aroma of cloves and banana. Probably balanced more toward ripe banana peel.
T - Yeast flavors of tasty clove and banana dominates. Somewhat sweet and could use more wheat malt flavor.
M - Medium/high carbonation and mouthfeel. Nice lacing.
D - Can drink this all day in the summer or any other time for that matter.

Serving type: bottle
@ Gordon Biersch Brewery & Restaurant, 900 F St NW, Washington

12-20-2007 01:09:02 | More by connlion

DoubleJ

California

4.08/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Alright, a Bavarian-styled hefe. On to the beer:

Cloudy as expected. A bolder, darker hue of banana peel yellow with a thick frothy head sitting on top. Me semlls bubblegum and clove....and banana. Lemon rind too. Into the mouth it goes, it tastes more like a German hefe than the one-dimensional American wheats. It's a little more fruity than the usual. Lemony. Also tasted is honey, and light whispers of banana and bubblegum. Mouthfeel is light with a gentle burst of carbonation, and it goes down very easy. A tasty hefeweizen that can be found at an affordable rate.

Serving type: bottle
@ Gordon Biersch Brewery & Restaurant, 900 F St NW, Washington

04-22-2009 04:29:13 | More by DoubleJ

watermelonman

California

4.05/5  rDev +11%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

This poured to a dark yellow with a small head that lasted well. There was no real lace.

The smell is of wheat with a light hint of yeast. The taste also has plenty of wheat. Esters dot the flavor nicely. The mouthfeel is medium, while drinkability is very good.

Serving type: bottle
@ Gordon Biersch Brewery & Restaurant, 900 F St NW, Washington

11-02-2006 04:34:11 | More by watermelonman

mjurney

Texas

4.05/5  rDev +11%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

[Appearance]: Deep dark golden color, very cloudy, a little carbonation, fairly nice head, leaves a small amount of lacing on the glass.
[Smell]: Cloves and banana in the nose, bready wheat, slight hint of nutty.
[Taste]: Cloves and banana up front, bready wheat, I could detect some hint of roasted nuts, slight citrus in the mid-plate, vanilla bean at the end.
[Mouthfeel]: Medium bodied, carbonation is very light, very smooth and clean finish.
[Drinkability]: Very drinkable. One of the better American made Hefeweizen.

Serving type: bottle
@ Gordon Biersch Brewery & Restaurant, 900 F St NW, Washington

04-17-2010 23:44:11 | More by mjurney

armock

New York

4.03/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Poured a hazy orange color with a white head that leaves lacing

S - Some spices with banana notes

T - A very nice spiced wheat flavor some hints of fruit

M - Pretty light on the carbonation coats the mouth very smooth

D - This is a very good beer very smooth and easy to drink

Serving type: on-tap
@ Gordon Biersch Brewery & Restaurant, 900 F St NW, Washington

11-19-2007 21:20:11 | More by armock

vfgccp

New York

4.03/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A – Not as opaque as a classic hefe, but still nice light brown gold. White head.

S – Huge, bright banana aroma up front – almost like melted banana runts. Wheat is layered beneath the esters with a twang of lemon.

T – Tingly honey into banana, orange and rosewater. The fruit subsides in the middle to reveal soft wheat a mild yeast. Lightly peppery backend.

M – Light body - shade thin. Well carbonated. Sweet and mildly spicy finish.

O – A nice hefe. Great nose.

Serving type: bottle
@ Gordon Biersch Brewery & Restaurant, 900 F St NW, Washington

06-02-2011 02:48:36 | More by vfgccp

olimpia84

Florida

4.03/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this on-tap at the Miami location. Beer was poured into proper glassware (Weizen glass).

A: this hefe was off to a bad start. The beer had a yellow lemonish color that wasn't as cloudy or heavy looking as most of the good hefes I've tried in the past. Nice looking two finger white head but it dissipated really quick, boo. Some lacing was present.

S: this is where things started to improve. Smell was very enjoyable with lots of wheat, lemon, banana, and hints of honey. Thumbs up.

T: followed the nose nicely with touches of wheat, lemon and banana that are felt in the tongue as soon as you sip the beer. It ends with a bit of an acidic taste, but nothing offensive.

M: light body leaning towards medium. A bit watery but not in a bad way, makes the beer feel crisp and fresh.

O: this beer was a bit confusing. I usually like my Hefes to be on the heavier body side but this was very enjoyable as it was. The lightness and watery feel are definitely uncharacteristic of the style but this beer does a good job in making it feel right. The good smell and taste made up for the weak appearance.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Gordon Biersch Brewery & Restaurant, 900 F St NW, Washington

09-07-2011 22:37:59 | More by olimpia84

clayrock81

Virginia

4/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Arrives with a nice, cloudy golden body with nice head and good lacing retention. A spicy, citrusy smell is complemented by a fuller-bodied beer that not only has good spicing and citric attributes, but the yeast/wheat mixes in for a very smooth flow and a little bit of a sweetedge. They really got a good recipe here and a must try for hefe lovers.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Gordon Biersch Brewery & Restaurant, 900 F St NW, Washington

03-18-2008 19:56:04 | More by clayrock81

spointon

Illinois

4/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this one on tap at the Bolingbrook GB on 2/10/2009.

A= This weizen poured a moderately cloudy golden yellow color with a 1.5" snow white head. The head quickly settled to a skim and left very little lace behind.

S= The aroma was a bit faint and sulphuric, but there was a nice fruity estery quality to it. Moderate bubblegum with lots of banana present.

T= Tasted very clean for a yeasty beer, with obvious malts up front with a light lemongrass citrus note just prior to the expected estery banana and clove.

MF= Medium bodied with a great crisp carbonation feel.

D= Though hefeweizens are still not my favorite style, this one grew on me and I order it regularly now. Very drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Gordon Biersch Brewery & Restaurant, 900 F St NW, Washington

02-11-2009 02:53:38 | More by spointon

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The Gordon Biersch Hefeweizen is a typical hefeweizen with a cloudy golden-orange body and frothy white head. It's wheaty and fruity, and it has a slightly tart edge to it. There's not as much banana as I might like (that's just a choice of yeast strain or fermentation temperature), but the fruitiness more than compensates with notes of apple, pear, some red fruits, and a spritz of lemon. It's well balanced with a firm bitterness running through it, and hints of grassy hops. It doesn't have the depth of character that some of the best Bavarian hefe's do, but it's still enjoyable, refreshing, and easy to drink!

Serving type: on-tap
@ Gordon Biersch Brewery & Restaurant, 900 F St NW, Washington

07-30-2009 10:52:43 | More by NeroFiddled

tjsdomer2

Illinois

4/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Banana yellow. No orange tint like in a lot of hefeweizens I've seen. Ok head retention and lacing as well.

Smell: Bananas. A very clean smell.

Taste/Mouthfeel: Very clean and crisp overall. Again, mostly bananas. Almost tastes like berries and lemon in the aftertaste as well.

Drinkability: Good, refreshing hefeweizen, especially when it's warmer outside.

Overall: A very worthy attempt at a hefeweizen. Thumbs way up!

Serving type: bottle
@ Gordon Biersch Brewery & Restaurant, 900 F St NW, Washington

05-30-2010 17:44:50 | More by tjsdomer2

pauljdavis

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This is the first American brewed hefeweisse I have consumed that even comes close to competing with it's German forefathers. Well done!!

Looks like a real Hefeweisse.

Smells like a real Hefeweisse

Tastes like a real Hefeweisse.

Now will I be able to find this in my local beer store?

Serving type: on-tap
@ Gordon Biersch Brewery & Restaurant, 900 F St NW, Washington

06-04-2010 20:46:55 | More by pauljdavis

nms1987

North Carolina

3.98/5  rDev +9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I'm usually a passionate American Beer > Euro beer guy but one exception I have to that rule is Hefes. Most American ones are pretty bland and don't come close to the best German ones. The Gordon Biersch here was a pleasant surprise. If I had had it blind I would have figured it was German.

A...Soft, hazy, yellow-orange gold color. Nothing special but it looks like what a hefe should look like. Pours a big head that stays around for awhile

S... Like banana bread. Like a hefe should. Very pleasant and light aroma.

T... Nothing outstanding but, again, a very solid hefe taste. That Hefe banana/cloves taste is definately here.

M.. Soft, effervescent and little bit of pleasant spiciness.

D.. An enjoyable glass to drink.

Serving type: bottle
@ Gordon Biersch Brewery & Restaurant, 900 F St NW, Washington

01-28-2009 02:43:54 | More by nms1987

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

3.98/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The beer appears a hazy, dark yellow. The head is a couple inches thick, even with a careful pour. Retention lasts several minutes and leaves ample lacing on the glass. The aroma brings banana and clove - this smells like a Bavarian hefeweizen. Nice. The flavor brings all that one would expect from a hefe, with banana, clove, malt, wheat and a slight sweetness in the finish. The body is a bit thin, but I don't find this too distracting in the big picture. Highly drinkable and very tasty, this is a solid representation of German hefeweizen by an American brewery. It's not in the same company as Weihenstephaner, but satisfying nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle
@ Gordon Biersch Brewery & Restaurant, 900 F St NW, Washington

04-19-2011 18:02:22 | More by Huhzubendah

WoodBrew

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev +9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had the Hefeweizen at the G & B in Bolingbrook, IL last evening. The color was a cloudy light tan color with white head that laced slightly. The aroma was powered by clove/spice and banana typical of Hefeweizens. The taste included was wa noted in the scent...clove and banana with touches of spice at the end. Overall a very goood balanced taste nothing overpowered the other. The balance made the beer smooth to drink and the beer came off the pallet clean. Not to bad...the mouthfeel was smooth and easy. good session beer.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Gordon Biersch Brewery & Restaurant, 900 F St NW, Washington

09-25-2011 14:34:29 | More by WoodBrew

TurdFurgison

Ohio

3.95/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I had 1/2 pint from the Gordon Biersch booth at the Columbus Microbrew Festival 2006. I didn't expect it to be as good as it was, they did a good job. The aroma and flavor was all bananas and cloves, the only real drawback was that this seemed more watery than it should be. Still, it was good.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Gordon Biersch Brewery & Restaurant, 900 F St NW, Washington

09-16-2006 21:59:10 | More by TurdFurgison

Grundle20

Ohio

3.95/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance:
Poured a crystal clear yellow into a hefeweizen glass. There was a bountiful head with good retention but minimal lacing.

Smell:
Rich smells of ripe banana and minor nutty notes. Quite a potent nose.

Taste and Mouthfeel:
The beer drinks damn smooth, like liquid banana bread. For an instant I thought I tasted salted pork chops but it was a momentary thing. I was really surprised by this beer. It's pretty standard around here and doesn't get much respect in the area, but I thought this was a pretty solid showing of the style. There wasn't much yeast in the pour which leads me to believe the flavoring may be artificial, but that really doesn't matter to me because it was surprisingly good. There's a minor detergent aftertaste but that's my only complaint.

Drinkability:
If this beer is this tasty come summer, I see this being in my fridge quite a bit. I'm not really feeling wheat beers in the winter but you are still faced with a good tasting average alcohol brew. Pretty damn poundable.

Bottom Line:
Terribly underrated beer. I have been lead astray and for that I shame you Columbus beer community. There are far better hefeweizens out ther but this is a stupid good grocery store/standard bar beer.

Serving type: bottle
@ Gordon Biersch Brewery & Restaurant, 900 F St NW, Washington

10-28-2006 04:07:13 | More by Grundle20

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.95/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

An excerpt from the Gordon Biersch website:
"This traditional German wheat beer is left unfiltered to bring out its sparkling, yet subtle notes of banana & clove. It was once reserved for Bavarian royalty but evolved into a breakfast or after church beer, a testament to its refreshing palate.

Original gravity: 12.5° Plato
Alcohol by volume: 5.50%
Bitterness units: 12"

With a middle-of-the-road mentality, this Hefeweizen hits all the moderate marks of the style with all of the signature wheat, yeast, fruit, spice, and drinkability that the style demands. Somehow, Gordon Biersch makes it seem too easy.

The quentessential appearance of froathy straw, creamy weight. Very well headed with a fluffy white blanket of froath that retains excellent and laces very well from the wheat additions.

Moderately malt aromas are a mix of pilsner soft scents with bready wheat. Lightly grainy with a sweeter nose, the aromas are amplified by fruity notes of of banana, apple, lemon, and pear. Complementary notes of clove, white pepper, and mint also help the cause. All engulfed with a doughy, bready, and rich scent, the beer keeps a well melded scent throughout.

Flavors are a very direct correlation from aroma: malty sweetness of powdered sugar, sweet breads, wheat, and sugar cookies are balance by herbal flavored hops, clove, lemony acidity, minty-fresh alcohol, and white pepper. Exquisite in balance, the beer keeps all of these characteristics in harmony, but also in restraint.

Moderately textured to the palate with an airy, creamy start. Rolling off of a vanilla-like silkiness at mid palate, the beer turns pleasantly acidic and then with an evaporative minty warmth that acts as a crispening agent in finish. Malty-dry late with a linger of wheat malt, this beer is a very classy version of Hefeweizen!

Serving type: on-tap
@ Gordon Biersch Brewery & Restaurant, 900 F St NW, Washington

06-13-2007 16:22:25 | More by BEERchitect