He Ain't Heffe - Straight To Ale

Reaper16

Alabama

4.38/5  rDev +20.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

served on-tap @Alcove, Tuscaloosa, AL, into a mason jar

Pours a pretty bright yellow color. It's hazy, of course. A nice, 1.5 fingers of sterling white head. It looks like a nice hefe.

The banana esters are quite strong in the nose of this beer. Banana and, like, hazelnut. Or something. Pretty nice. The spices are toned down relative to other hefeweizens. This reminds me of a blend of Paulaner and Weihenstephaner.

the flavor bears out that blended, in-between idea. It's a fruit-forward hefeweizen, but not overdone; not at the expense of balance. Lots of banana, wheat malt, hazelnut, and some slight notes of brown sugar. The cloves-laden spice bill takes a backseat, content to balance the esters and wheat flavor instead of demand equal attention. It's very good.

The mouthfeel is pretty full for the style: creamy but the carbonation isn't too sharp. It is filling, in a satisfying way.

Overall, this is one of the best American-brewed Hefeweizens I've had the pleasure of consuming. A wonderful beer for a humid Alabama summer. Straight to Ale continues to impress.

Serving type: on-tap

08-02-2012 01:43:45 | More by Reaper16