Floridian Hefeweizen - The Funky Buddha Lounge & Brewery

mikesgroove

South Carolina

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

very hazy golden amber color was evident right away. A nice solid layer of white foam, maybe to a half an inch came up over the top, but then settled down far too qucikly, leaving behind nothing more then a slight layer of film across the top,

The aroma was good, very nice for the style, with a good sense of wheat, hints of banana and clove and a slight touches of an almost peach like smell. More solid in through the taste. Rolls across the tongue with a good amount of banana and peach flavors, hints of a light grass flavor and light grains then ruling the day on this one

Serving type: growler

10-18-2011 01:24:58 | More by mikesgroove

Gtreid

Florida

3.4/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Growler poured into my CCB tulip.

A: Clear, yellowish orange color. An aggressive pour dropped a finger of pure white head that faded to a thin collar and left no lace.

A: Sweet bannana, small clove, citrus, and vanilla. Maybe some notes of pineapple, but really the aroma is dominated by the candied bannana.

T: Again more of the sweet bannana and vanilla notes. I was hoping for a bit more bite from clove and other spices, but instead I was met with an overly sweet beer. Finishes slightly dry and yes, sweet.

M: Lower on the carbonation, and for the style that is not a good thing. Rather oily and slick, when it should be sharp.

O: I was a little let down by this. I was hoping for a traditional Hefe, but got a sweet and citrusy take on the style. The nose was there, and the taste is good, just not to style. Nice to drink on a hot summer afternoon though. Skal.

Serving type: growler

07-04-2011 19:35:59 | More by Gtreid

calcio360jrd

Florida

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

Nothing like bringing a good growler of beer home from your local brewery. I'm not usually a big hefe fan, but the floridian hefe is by far my fave hefe. Wonderful citrus smell and hazy yellow/orange hue to this beer. Not lemony at all which i seem to equate with most hefe's i've had in the past. Gotta love the buddha!

Serving type: growler

05-18-2011 18:53:53 | More by calcio360jrd

oline73

Maryland

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

Poured from a growler into a standard pint glass.

Appearance: Pours an almost clear golden color with two fingers of fluffy off white head that goes away completely.

Smell: Sweet and fruity with hints of banana and some bubble gum. There is also a hint of spice from the yeast.

Taste: Follows from the smell. Not quite as sweet, but there isn't any real bitterness. Hints of spice, banana, and bubble gum. Some sweetness from the malt.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with mild tingly carbonation. The finish to this beer is as dry as any beer I've ever had.

Overall: I really like this beer, one of the better American Hefes that I've ever had. The carbonation is a touch low, but not really a big problem.

Serving type: growler

05-11-2011 00:08:29 | More by oline73

Gueuzedude

Arizona

3.5/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Sampled at Redlight Redlight; January 2011
The beer pours from the growler with a hazy gold hue and is topped by a thin, white ring of a head. The nose of this beer has a funky, autolized yeast character to it as well as a touch of citrus. The yeasty quality in the aroma is quite distinct and does a really thorough job of drowning out most of the Hefeweizen character that might otherwise be here.

The flavor has the characteristic character of a Hefeweizen, but a touch more yeasty tasting. It has a light citrus character to it up front and the finish is very rich with vanilla notes. The vanilla gives this beer a creamy texture despite the beer being fairly light bodied; this would be excessively quaffable if the ample vanilla character didn't seem quite so rich. The autolized yeast character from the aroma is non-existent in the flavor (perhaps the vanilla notes drown it out, which would certainly be a good thing). I am not quite to sure what to think of the citrus and vanilla additions to this beer, it certainly takes this Hefewiezen in an interesting direction, the vanilla especially is quite distinctive; still I think they hit the mark with what they were aiming for, but I almost wish this was just a solid version of a German Hefeweizen.

Serving type: growler

03-26-2011 22:19:04 | More by Gueuzedude

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

First had: on tap at Funky Buddha, Boca Raton, FL

I really have to be in the mood for a straight-up hefeweizen, and my rating might reflect that, but this was a good example of the style overall. Cloudy, pale, bronzed yellow pour, with a small foamy white head; moderate retention and lacing. Aroma typical of the style: wheat, banana esters, clove. Big taste of banana, bready malts and yeast, spicy clove, hints of citrus zest, honey and herbal hops. Medium body, soft carbonation, basic, very good for the style.

Serving type: on-tap

01-04-2013 23:34:35 | More by Rifugium

williamjbauer

West Virginia

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

Served on tap in a shaker pint glass

A - Slightly hazy pale wheat with 1 finger white head with good retention and moderate lacing

S - Wheat, banana ester, honey.

T - Nice strong wheat backbone with moderate-high banana esters, sweet honey, touch of orange, very refreshing.

M - Light body, moderate carbonation, crisp.

O - Great lawnmower bear, more banana in my hefe than I life, but overall though it had a lot of flair.

On a side note this is beer review number 200 for me on BA. Woot!

Serving type: on-tap

11-19-2012 13:27:22 | More by williamjbauer

ColForbinBC

New Jersey

3.73/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On-tap, served in a tulip

A soft orange, dark straw color with a fluffy white cap. Some small lacing on the sides with a thin collar around the edges. A bug punch of bubble gum leaps out of the glass. Banana and clove with some sweet honey and lemon peel underneath. This slides softly onto the palate, then comes that big bubble gum flavor. As it recedes, spicy clove, banana, and lemons lead you to a clean, slightly sweet finish. Dry finish, carbonation is really on point. The feel is full and lush. Excellent feel. This is a nice hefe if you don't mind the big bubble gum presence. I for one didn't mind it at first, but it became a little annoying by the end of the glass.

Serving type: on-tap

11-02-2012 15:17:57 | More by ColForbinBC

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.65/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served in a stemless snifter.

Big thanks to Florida9 for sharing this bottle!

We've reached a new level of ghetto-ness with this label: a simple mini-Post It note! Classic! This stuff pours a lightly hazy straw topped by a finger of lightly off-white foam. The nose comprises heavy banana, light orange peel, and light clove. The banana is so strong that I think I get a touch of vanilla in there, too. The taste holds notes of orange peel, clove, wheat, light grass, and light banana peel. I was so hoping the banana would follow onto to the tongue... The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a generally smooth feel. Overall, a pretty solid hefe, but one that doesn't stand out all too much from the rest of the field. Now, had that banana character been a bit more assertive in my mouth, who knows?

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2012 02:32:29 | More by TMoney2591

Florida9

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Lightly cloudy, very pale straw yellow color. Forms a thin white head. Leaves no lacing.

S: Smell is of bready yeast, some light lemon, and a slight tartness.

T: Bananas, light spice, lemon, and a very creamy yeastiness.

M: Medium bodied and creamy smooth.

O: A good here. Really wasn't expecting much, but this one was quite enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2012 02:29:38 | More by Florida9

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Unfortunately for a lot of mediocre brewers in the world, the hefeweizen bar has been set very high by Live Oak and East End. Fortunately, and apparently, The Funky Buddha is not a mediocre brewery. What we've got here is a very soft orange toned hefeweizen that's extremely refreshing. The citrus is the most dominant feature and there really isn't a noticeable level of spice, and it all leads into an orange creamsicle kind of thing. Extremely easy to drink, but the strong orange tones and creamsicle characteristics might wear on you after a few; or just turn people off in general. I can see people going either way with their opinion, really.

This is the last beer I was able to try from this brewery and it's a good way to end things.

Serving type: on-tap

08-15-2012 07:02:34 | More by RblWthACoz

Rhettroactive

Virginia

3.6/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

From tap to taster glass at the Funky Buddha Lounge on 6/2/12
*From notes

A: Whipped cloudy lemon in hue. A white quarter finger head tops the beer. Nice, sticky lacing and moderate collar follow.

S: Pretty low key. Not a lot going on here. Hints of banana, yet not a lot of clove, herb, yeast or much of anything else.

T: Fresh lime and tart lemon-like acid hit the palate first. The mid showcases a bit of banana mash. The finish isn't overly expressive.

M: Quite bubbly yet extraordinarily creamy. This is extremely smooth and luxurious. Easily the highlight of the beer.

O: A decent if not slightly underwhelming Hefe. It doesn't really pack the kind of punch one would excpect from a beer like this, though I'll say this is easy enough to drink. Middle of the road for not only the style, but for the FB as well.

Serving type: on-tap

06-13-2012 03:40:36 | More by Rhettroactive

jwjon1

Delaware

2.83/5  rDev -26.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

This one is tough. I can't help but to feel I'm being over critical of the Funky Buhhda image, and that I probably look like I'm hating on hype. Oh well. My other funky buddha reviews will be much less critical than this one.

My least favorite Funky Buddha offering, and I generally really appreciate Hefes. Bananas all the way from aroma to finish. It's really overwhelming, almost like eatiing banana runts. Remember those? What I appreciate about FB is that they can take a taste sensation and turn it into a spot on beer. And though I didn't know it when ordering, I really didn't want to revisit my youth through runts candy. Beyond that dominant aspect--which resulted in a uni-dimensional flavor--the finish was extremely short. I appreciate hefe's, just not this one.

Serving type: on-tap

04-22-2012 05:39:51 | More by jwjon1

Sean9689

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On-tap at Hunahpu's Day 2012 and poured into tasting glass.

A - Pours bright sunny yellow, white head, spotty lace.

S - Bananas, light malts, wheat, yeast funk, and light spice. Very solid Hefe, we have here. Not too sweet and not too spicy, just right for me.

T - Honey, light cloves, malts, bananas, funk, and light spice. A little sweeter on the nose and I get a little honey note, which is enjoyable. Finish is sweet honey and malts with some banana.

M - Light body, good carbonation, refreshing, clean finish.

O - An enjoyable Hefe that I had a few pours of on a mid-80's March day at Hunahpu's Day 2012. This will make for an excellent beer to enjoy multiple pours of during the summer months.

Serving type: on-tap

03-21-2012 15:06:17 | More by Sean9689

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

3.98/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at the FBL. Pours a hazy straw with thick head. Great wheaty banana aroma.
This brew was very unique. Wheat hefe flavor with real banana aftertaste. I always read about this banana taste but never actually tasted it. This really tastes of banana, there is no mistaking it. But it works. Its refreshing and well balanced with the style. Very unique so deff taste if you have the opportunity.

Serving type: on-tap

11-30-2011 02:24:19 | More by DrinkSlurm

Brez07

Maine

4.1/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Notes from May. 12oz counter-pressure hand bottle shared by Drazzamatazz

A: Darker yellow, very cloudy (my pour was with yeast). There were some floaties. 1/2 finger fluffy white head, some of which stuck around at the top of the glass

S: Mmm... smelled with banana bread with lemon zest. Lots of banana, so nice. Some yeast and peppery spice

T: Banana and peppery spice, but not quite as much as the nose. I will note that my last sip was all banana though, so it at least ended as the nose would indicate. Some tart citrus (squeezed lemon)

M: Initially the carbonation was too high, but ultimately it settles down and smooths out. Full bodied

D: A very well done hefeweizen. Seems like a great beer for warm summer day. Recommended

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2011 16:50:25 | More by Brez07

KickInTheChalice

Illinois

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

Poured from a 32 oz. growler into a tulip.

Appearance: My pour is a hazy straw color with a bubbly off-white head. Not much retention or lace, but I expect that out of a growler.

Smell: Less sweet than I would expect out of a Hefe. Some honey, banana, and light malt notes. A little white grape skin and green apple, maybe from another yeast strain?

Taste: The flavor is soft, nuanced, and balanced. There is a soft pale malt front with some honey, banana, and clove, but a white grape and green apple adds some tartness toward the end.

Mouthfeel: This is light and dry compared to the normal example of the style. It feels like they have added a yeast to dry it out further than usual. The carbonation is crisp and contributes to the dryness.

Overall: I enjoyed this take on the style. Balanced and a little different.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2011 22:02:16 | More by KickInTheChalice

brentk56

North Carolina

3.48/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Arrive with a pale straw color; the cap was not huge but it retained well overall and left some lacing behind

Smell: While there is some wheat bread and banana, I also pick up some citrus and vanilla

Taste: The wheat bread and banana show up in the front but by mid-palate, the beer moves in an unexpected direction, with the citrus and vanilla character that adds a vague key lime dimension; some sweetness from the honey in the finish, as well

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body but the carbonation was low for the style and lacked a smooth mouthfeel

Overall: An interesting take that merges a variety of styles, but I wasn't enamored with it, particularly the additions of the vanilla and honey; I'll bump up the score a bit for the creativity, however

Serving type: on-tap

08-26-2011 01:54:53 | More by brentk56

DavoleBomb

Ohio

3.93/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Had this yesterday at the brewpub. Review from notes. Received in a hefe glass.

3.5 A: Dark hazed yellow color. One quarter inch white, frothy head.

4.0 S: Clove heavy. Banana underneath with a good spiciness overall. Neutral wheat. Pleasant.

4.0 T: More banana than clove in the taste. Good spiciness with neutral wheat. Light yeastiness and clean overall.

3.5 M: Medium body. Good carbonation for the style. Reasonably creamy.

4.0 D: Solid hefe. Good all around.

Serving type: on-tap

07-06-2011 21:05:41 | More by DavoleBomb

AgentZero

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to dimenhetfield for sharing.

A - Hazy orangish/yellowish body with a bit of a white head that left some decent spots and lace on the sides.

S - Little bit of clove and banana, but this is somewhat citrus forward with orange and touches of honey.

T - Vanilla, candied banana, small clove, citrus, this is actually pretty nice, light and easy to get down.

M - Medium bodied with medium carbonation.

O - I like this beer quite a bit, particularly for the style. Another solid offering by Funky Buddha

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2011 16:41:07 | More by AgentZero

MasterSki

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to dimenhetfield for yet another Funky Buddha offering. Served in a Russian River tulip.

A - Ample white foam settles to a thick collar, with minimal lacing left behind. Hazy white peach flesh body.

S - Orange peel, honey, light unmalted wheat, some vanilla sweetness. Doesn't really have that distinct weizen yeast aroma, seems like more of a witbier in some ways.

T - Some lemon citrus notes, pale malt sweetness. Not much toasted grain character, but a hefty dose of banana and vanilla.

M - Medium in body, slightly starchy texture, medium carbonation. Ends pretty crisp and refreshing.

D - Feels like more a witbier than a hefeweizen in a lot of ways, but a solid and refreshing offering. Not sure I'd have this often if I were at Funky Buddha, seeing as most of their other offerings are superior (and similar in ABV), but if you're into beers made with wheat this is a solid offering.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2011 22:22:28 | More by MasterSki

Drazzamatazz

Maine

4.15/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

So I went 1 or 2 on these bad boys. One was a big time gusher whereas after much build up and anticipation the second opened without a problem. Good thing too, I wanted to drink it.

NOTE: Before I go on, its important to note that if your body has settled it is crucial you get that yeast in your glass. Doing a comparison of my first settled pour to the end product showed just how much character this beer gets from the yeast. Unless mentioned, notes are about yeast filled product.

A: So the first pour...almost clear glowing yellow. After the yeast got involved....coffee milk, not light was going through this things. So incredibly unfiltered (which ends up being very important) with a great wheat beer head. Also has a great presence of carbonation, though its hard to see in the yeasted beer.

S: I feel like I'm playing Worms, this one is a BANANA BOMB! Huge presence of banana, sweet malts, and slight clove combine to equal the true Banana Bread beer. Your typical hefe spices can be found, but the banana is star here.

T: Sweetness is surprising but welcomed and the flavor still remains crisp. Drinking the clear settled beer I'm reminds of lemonaid; its sweet, lemony, and even has a bit of sourness. I got it a bit in the yeasted beer but it was like some little kid with his lemonaid stand had run out of lemons halfway through the day and decided since bananas where the same color he'd just add some of those.

M: High carbonation keeps this crisp and very drinkable. Some of the flavors are pretty forward but they get cleaned away nicely. Definitely light bodied though so I think the carbonation is needed.

O: I really like this beer a lot, I could see myself drinking a ton of it on a warm day. I really want to know what yeast was used to make this one such a huge banana bomb.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2011 23:46:54 | More by Drazzamatazz

OakedCanuck

Washington

3.93/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Received this unlabeled (other than a piece of tape with Floridian written on it) 12oz bottle from Ryan, thanks!

Poured into pint glass.

A - Pours a nice murky deep yellow. Very little head formation with lots of bubbles that dissipated quickly. Little lacing

S - Lots of lemon citrus, cloves, banana, pineapple, earth.

T - Very distinct banana and clove. Nice background flavour of lemon, grass, pepper, small vanilla and a musty soil. Solid hefeweizen.

M - Medium to light. The only problem was it was slightly over carbonated causing a bit too much effervescence on the the tongue.

O - Solid solid beer. With a touch less carbonation, I could drink many of these a day, all summer. It tastes like Florida! Thanks again Ryan, looking forward to your other creations.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2011 16:19:42 | More by OakedCanuck

GbVDave

Illinois

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

Served in a pint glass at The Funky Buddha 3/4/11. Thanks to HeatherAnn, HollyAnn, and keith for the assist!

A: Served a gorgeous murky/hazy orange color. Sitting on top was a thin creamy layer of bright white foam that, while slightly on the thinnish side, had excellent retention and left a bunch of lace in the glass.

S: Before the glass even hit the table, I could smell the citrus. Freshly peeled orange, tangerine, and clementine. Loads of spicy, earthy yeast, citrus peel, and vanilla bean. Incredible!

T: Exactly as above. Amazing fresh citrus grove flavors that pick up the fresh vanilla and a hint of lightly toasted malt.

M: Light and a bit spicy. Slick, oily, and damned near perfect in my book!

D: Absolutely excellent Hefe. A summer thirst quencher that I'd love to be able to get up north. Loved the fresh citrus!

Serving type: on-tap

03-06-2011 14:52:15 | More by GbVDave

Mess

Massachusetts

4.3/5  rDev +12%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Fresh from the Buddha taps.

A - Deep, rich, smooth, golden yellow. Short head but was the first pour of the day.

S - Sulfur off the bat which is sometimes typical of the style, but it dissipated shortly after the pour. Orange zest comes through. Hint of vanilla, just a touch and not overwhelming.

T - Fresh citrus, like biting into an orange. Light kiss of vanilla - not overwhelming and appropriately in check. Yes creamsicle comes to mind but not obvious or in your face.

M - Light, citrusy, soft, smooth.

D - Tasty and goes down easy. Really was not expecting much from a hefeweizen made with vanilla bean and not my go-to style, but I was blown away by the flavors here. Not exactly to style either with fresh oranges and vanilla bean in the secondary. I could drink this all day sitting in the sun chilling on the beach or by the side of the pool. Sunshine in a glass.

Serving type: on-tap

03-03-2011 03:47:57 | More by Mess