Sweetwater Waterkeeper Hefeweizen - SweetWater Brewing Company

witster18

Tennessee

3.05/5  rDev -16%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

THis isn't a true hefe. It's half hefe/half witbier... leaning towards the ladder.

I just had a VIctory WHirlwind Wit and HONESTLY, I don't think I could tell these two beers apart. Both are safe, spritzy, light-bodied wits... It's truly sad when Blue Moon is more true to the style than 75% of the American Hefe offerings available. Come on Victory, come on Sweetwater - I'd prefer a Blue Moon over this, and that's a wee-bit depressing.

This has a touch more sourness and hoppy bitterness in the finish than the victory whirlwind, but it'd still be hard to tell them apart.

Both beers are average. This one's style in taste versus on the label is flat-out wrong.

And as for witbiers - I'm still waiting for anything to compare with Allagash or the retired Celis White... the u.s. is doing quite well with the dark beers IMO, but these wits and hefe's are seriously suffering in comparison to the German offerings. I don't mind a Allagash,Kellerweis, Sprecher Hefe, or Crack'd Wheat from New Glarus, but after that these styles in America leave much to be desired. Mothership Wit isn't bad. But, calling this 'Waterkeeper hefe' and comparing it to say Schneider-Weisse, or Hacker.. is like Florida A&M against Florida in College Football... a blowout!

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2011 22:11:27 | More by witster18

Phelps

Arizona

3.1/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Enjoyed poured into a New Belgium globe. This one was brewed to benefit Waterkeeper Alliance, a group of citizen advocates focused on cleaning and protecting rivers, streams and coastlines.

Clear honey almond. A large, merengue-like head of pure white remains for a long while, eventually dissipating to a frothy ring. Not a ton of retention.

Tangy, sweet nose. Bananas, peaches, pears. Sweet, wheat-laden and kind of Belgian.

The flavor mirrors the aroma. Clean and sweet, relying heavily upon fruity flavors like pears and lemon peel, with grainy wheat making up the backbone. Drying finish.

Light in body, with prickly medium carbonation that pretty much erupts in giant-bubbled fizz. Refreshing, but a bit too effervescent.

I’ve never been impressed with American-made hefs, and this is a prime example of why. Too light, too fruity and one-dimensional. Good for quaffing on a summer day, but nothing I’d seek out again.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2011 23:37:03 | More by Phelps

Heischman

Georgia

3.2/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

IBU – ??
DATE – 1 JUN 2011
SERVING TYPE –22 oz Bomber Bottle (Bottle conditioned)
GLASSWARE – Dimpled mug
APPEARANCE – A murky golden orange
AROMA- Fruity as you would expect from a Hefeweizen
TASTE – refreshing fruity notes. It is a little malty for a Hefeweizen but not over the top. No bitterness at all.
MOUTHFEEL – A little syrupy but not too thick, goo carbonation that lingers on the tongue
CONCLUSION – Nothing to jump up and down for. It is a good Hefeweizen, but it is your typical Hefeweizen.
-JH-

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2011 21:32:23 | More by Heischman

n2185

North Carolina

3.28/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a slightly hazy yellow with three fingers of white head that recedes into a thin layer with a little lacing.

S: Smells of cloves, coriander, and yeast at first with just a hint of a sweet citrus aroma in there. Some banana aromas bring up the finish.

T: Similar to the aroma, I get cloves, coriander, and yeast at first along with some citrus zest. The finish is crisp and bready.

M: Light body with medium carbonation, this beer is nice and drinkable, though leaves an odd watery feel.

O: Not a bad beer and it's for a good cause, but I don't know that it's good enough to warrant another purchase.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2011 19:38:46 | More by n2185

iadler

Minnesota

3.48/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

22 oz bottle poured into a tulip. Another one courtesy of jsanford. Cracked open with a large hiss.

A- Pours a light clear gold with a lot's of rising carbonation that creates a two finger head. No sign of lacing

S- Classic hefeweizen aroma with banana, vanilla, clove, bubblegum, bready malt and some peppery spice.

T- Similar to the smell with banana, vanilla, clove, bubblegum, bready malt, pepper spice and a bit of citrus hops.

M- High carbonation and medium body. Very crisp mouthfeel that finishes a bit dry.

O- Not a bad Hefeweizen that was easy to drink and pleasant on a warm summer night. The carbonation was quite high which hurt the mouthfeel, but other than that, a good offering from SweetWater.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2011 04:21:27 | More by iadler

Cyberkedi

Georgia

3.53/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Strong aroma is wheaty and yeasty with a sweet lemon undertone. It pours a clear yellow, not inspiring though the white head is thick and fluffy and leaves a little lacing. Flavor is crisp and wheaty with yeasty and citrus undertones, the latter mainly lemon with a whisper of orange. Texture is smooth and tingly, leaving a nice yeasty and summery finish. Not Sweetwater's best, but it's for a great cause. Bottoms up for the "Hooch"!

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2011 20:38:23 | More by Cyberkedi

avalon07

South Carolina

3.58/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Poured from a bottle to a weizen glass. Had a pale yellow color and a cloudy texture. There was a big, fluffy, long-lasting head, Pretty good lacing.

S: A subtle aroma of wheat, malt, and bubblegum.

T: Tasted basically like it smelled: A shot of wheat and a little bubblegum up front and a good deal of malt in the finish. Not a bad flavor, but not quite as dynamic and vibrant as some of the other beers of this style.

M: A well-carbonated beer with a smooth finish. Light- to medium-bodied.

O: On the whole, this is a decent beer, but the greatest example of a hefeweizen.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2011 12:04:26 | More by avalon07

brentk56

North Carolina

3.58/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a cloudy honey color with a very nice head though, as it descends, not much lacing is left behind

Smell: Bready, with lemon and banana elements

Taste: Bready, with a little lemony tang, some banana and a spicy bitter element which, after the swallow, turns a bit metallic

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderately spritzy carbonation

Overall: Not a bad stab at the style, but lacks the banana presence and creamy mouthfeel of the top examples of this style

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2011 21:30:04 | More by brentk56

womencantsail

California

3.58/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks for sharing this, Bobby.

A: The beer pours a cloudy golden color with a finger of white head.

S: Smells more like a witbier than a hefeweizen. Some banana and clove, but there is also a lot of coriander and orange peel. A bit of sweet citrus, definitely some bread and wheat.

T: The flavor is quite similar as there is some sweet banana and citrus to go along with the sweet malt and bread. A bit too much lemon peel character, maybe some orange peel bitterness. Might even be a little apple.

M: Light to medium bodied with medium carbonation.

O: A weird combination of witbier and hefeweizen. Not really a great example of either one.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2011 04:26:34 | More by womencantsail

jsanford

Georgia

3.6/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle poured into a Weizen Glass.

A - Pours a cloudy orange-yellow with a creamy 2-inch white head that settles to a nice cap. Looks pretty, but fairly typical for a Hefeweizen.
S - Strong aromas of banana, clove, and bubblegum yeast. Nice balance between the banana and clove, I don't feel that one dominates the other.
T - Nice Hefeweizen flavors of banana, clove, bubblegum and spicy yeast, with a nice little hop bitterness in the finish. Again, pretty balanced, I don't feel that one flavor jumps out, rather they all blend together nicely.
M - Crisp aand slightly creamy, with a medium body and moderate carbonation. Slightly watery, but still very drinkable as a Summertime brew.
O - A nice American take on the Hefeweizen that's very balanced and refreshing on a hot day, and it's for a good cause!

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2011 04:37:13 | More by jsanford

Georgiabeer

Georgia

3.6/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Not a bad beer from Sweetwater, and basically this is a real hefeweizen- with one exception: it's too highly hopped. Pours a straw color, and at first I thought it was appropriately hazy, but I believe I'm just seeing mostly chill haze, because the beer clears up a great deal after warming up. Appropriate head, and good carbonation, even some lacing. Fairly light in the nose, but starts with a spritz of lemon and then some hints of banana and clove as well as a bit of some graininess. The taste has those same notes of lemon and banana, and perhaps a little clove as well, but they are largely obscured by some dry piney hop flavors. Although the hops are pleasant enough, it seems a shame to generate the lovely fruit notes of a true hefeweizen and then obscure them in this manner. Light and spicy in the mouth with a short burst of citrus at the finish and a somewhat prolonged bitterness. Decent, but I'd like to see the hops toned down or a different varietal used. It's supposed to only be 15 IBUs, but comes off as more.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2011 23:34:25 | More by Georgiabeer

hiphopipa

Maine

3.6/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a pint glass from a 22-ounce bottle.
Light golden straw and slightly hazy with an impressive head that climbs up the glass.
A lot going on in the nose! Yeast, Lemon, banana, clove and bubblegum.
Taste is as expected from the aroma, with the flavors balanced and smooth. Unexpected is the creaminess with and hop bite at the finish. Interesting and good Hefe for a hot summer day.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2011 19:30:23 | More by hiphopipa

richkrull

Wisconsin

3.6/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured a cloudy golden yellow color with tons of fluffy white head on it.

Smell is full of yeast, cloves and some banana at the end.

Taste has much more banana flavor in it. Decent flavor but doesn't knock my socks off.

mouthfeel is fairly light and bubbly. Easy to drink.

Not a bad beer but there are a couple Wisconsin hefes I like better and are easier to acquire. I'd drink this again if I had one though.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2011 23:06:52 | More by richkrull

professordoktor

Georgia

3.63/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Purchased at an Atlanta Whole Foods and poured into a weizen glass.

Pours a moderately murky straw color with a good inch and a half of head that dies back quickly to just a whisper of lacing. Carbonation looks light and lively.

Mostly heavy yeast, wheat grain and straw with dry meyer lemon on the nose.

Man, this is one spicy hefe. It's heavily hopped, which seems to enhance the more robust spice notes of cinnamon, nutmeg and mace and downplay the more delicate fruit esters. There is a nice base of wheat bread and dry, tart lemon throughout. The finish is dominated by yeasty, hoppy bitterness and lingering lemon sourness.

Mouthfeel is typical for a hefe, though a bit on the full end.

Overall, it's interesting what the added hops and assertive yeast do to the taste profile of an otherwise standard hefe, but the level of spice and the heavy, bitter finish keep it from attaining the level of clean refreshment offered by more traditional styles. I would categorize this as an Americanized "Imperial" hefeweizen, without being quite as over the top as that name might imply.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2011 01:40:48 | More by professordoktor

byrdman16

Alabama

3.63/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Sweetwater version of a Blue Moon. Pours hazy and golden. Small white head with spotty lacing. Smells of coriander and spices. If you like blue moon and you don't want to contribute to the monster that is Anheuser-Busch (yes Blue Moon is owned by them) then this is your beer. Also, love the fact that the purchase of this beer contributes to the Waterkeeper Alliance. Good beer overall. Great for the hot summer and an easy drink. cheers!

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2011 03:32:30 | More by byrdman16

Jadjunk

Georgia

3.63/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Taco Mac Decatur June 14, 2012. Reviewed from notes.

(Appearance) Pours a smooth foamy cream head. Body is a pale golden yellow, mildly hazy. Nice appearance for the style. 4

(Smell) Heavy banana bread and a slighter clove essence, although spices are ideal in the nose. Aroma is very typical for a Hefeweizen, and very bold in its delivery. Pleasant smell and enjoyable overall. 4

(Taste) Bold banana, cloves, honey. The banana and honey is intense and a crisp carbonation brings out the spices well. Overall, it's a very flavorful Hefeweizen. 3.5

(Mouthfeel) Very fluffy texture, a bit soapy with heavy carbonation on the center of the tongue. Alcohol presence is low. Body is low. 3.5

(Overall) A tasty Hefeweizen. I've had better and more balanced ones but I can enjoy the flavors in this beer. It's not half bad. 3.5

SweetWater Brewing Company's
SweetWater Waterkeeper Hefeweizen
3.63/5.00

Serving type: on-tap

07-14-2012 19:51:34 | More by Jadjunk

siege06nd

Virginia

3.7/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a cloudy, pale golden color. Beautiful, thick, fluffy four finger head from the pour. Slowly dissipates to one finger. Thick lacing coats the sides of the glass. Retention is very good. This one looks fantastic.

S: Ho hum. Faint orange zest, bready malt. Decent, but lacking in punch. Bit of a grainy profile.

T: Decent. Banana mash, candied orange. A slightly tangy and grainy finish, but the main body of the beer is quite solid. Not the most complex of Hefes, though.

M: Very good. Carbonation is fine. Nice creamy mouthfeel. Only nit is that the finish is a little grainy and sweet.

O: Fairly standard, but good nonetheless. A bit of a "thinness" to this one and some unusual flavors in the finish keep me from giving it a better score. Happy to support the cause for clean water, though.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2011 19:13:40 | More by siege06nd

Dope

Massachusetts

3.78/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: A cloudy golden pour with a huge effervescent white head on top. Minimal lacing but decent retention.

S: Big wheat presence with lots of cloves and bubblegum from the yeast.

T: Super clean and smooth wheat. Pleasant subtle citrus fruitiness, oranges and lemons mainly.

M: Light and highly carbonated.

O: Very simple and clean hefe. Nothing spectacular or complex, just a great drinking simple wheat beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2012 05:37:05 | More by Dope

oberon

North Carolina

3.8/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Split a bottle with my wife las night.Poured into a weizen glass a deeply hazed brownish infused golden with a nice fluffy egg shell colored head atop.Toasted wheat really stood out in the nose,banana and clove aromas are somewhat light compared to most of the same style.Toasty with banana being more pronounced on the palate,lingering clove in the finish.The wheat malt profile plays a big role in this beer wich in alot of the beers of the style gets lost.Not bad,good for the hot summer days..

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2011 15:23:26 | More by oberon

superdedooperboy

Georgia

3.9/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22-ounce bottle poured into a Weizen glass. Thanks to Sweetwater for the sample!

Pours quite cloudy, with a deep golden hue and a massive topping of rocky white foam that slowly fizzles away to a thick quarter-inch cap. Thick, fat rings of lace stick around on the walls of the glass as it drains away.

Notes of citrus zest, lemon, earth and distinct wheaty grain. There's also a whiff of a sour/acidic note, though it's difficult to place.

Medium-bodied with a moderate carbonation. Up front, notes of citrus (lemon and tangerine) take hold early on, settling themselves upon an underlying base of slightly sweet, slightly bready and grainy malt. Following in the middle are spicy notes of clove and white pepper, faint notes of basil and sage, and some mild touches of banana. More lemon zest, grain and faint banana and clove notes fall into the finish, with a bit of sweet grain and a hint of peppery, clovey spice lingering in the finish.

A wonderfully drinkable Hefeweizen that, unlike many American interpretations of the style, is not that far off from some of the truer examples from Germany. Though the clove and banana notes typical of Bavarian hefeweizen yeast are apparent, they are a bit subdued and, combined with the bit of zesty citric character, help to form a wonderfully drinkable hefeweizen that can truly be referred to as such. A great ale for summer drinking and the perfect style to appeal to a wide consumer audience in order to raise funds for the Waterkeeper Alliance.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2011 03:26:16 | More by superdedooperboy

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.93/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22 ounce bottle - $3.99 at Olde Crabapple Bottle Shoppe in Alpharetta, Georgia.

Appearance: Pours a clouded, dark gold body with a medium-large, foamy, white head.

Smell: Slightly tangy, faintly grainy and smelling, natch, of wheat malt with notes of effusive spice, banana, and dried lemon.

Taste: A tangy, lightly grainy taste from a harmonious merging of pale malted barley and malted wheat. Pinch of sugared sweetness. Hops lend a zesty, rustic spiciness. Medium-light bitterness. Modestly tart lemon and clove emerges with some slight banana and vanilla hints. Drying as you near the crisp, lightly tangy-tart finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light body. Effervescent, medium-high carbonation.

Overall: Reminds me of the Paulaner hefe-weissbier. A pleasant American-made hefe that'll serve for fine summertime refreshment, with proceeds benefiting the Waterkeeper Alliance. Always happy to do my great philanthropist efforts via copious amounts of drinking. Always happy to!

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2011 19:26:16 | More by ChainGangGuy

glid02

Georgia

3.98/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle purchased from Tower on Piedmont in Atlanta.

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

Smells of smooth light malts with good amounts of soft banana aromas. Also present are slight amounts of wheat twang and bready aromas.

Tastes very similar to how it smells. Light malts up front are joined quickly by moderate amounts of breadiness. Midway through, light banana flavors come into play, before ceding to slight clove flavors that fade out into a mildly bitter ending. Mouthfeel is good, with smooth carbonation.

Overall I thought this was a light and solid beer for the style. Worth a shot if you see it around, especially given the price.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2011 02:03:47 | More by glid02

nickthegun12

Alabama

4/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

just a great beer overall...the color is cloudy such as a hefy should be...the smell was just as of a regular wheat beer....nothing too fancy...the nose contained a small amount of the banana esters....

but the taste had it all...really creamy feel...the taste also had a touch of american yeast as well as a german yeast....really weird....i love the creaminess of this beer....goes down very smooth....awesome hefy

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2011 00:25:45 | More by nickthegun12

EgadBananas

Louisiana

4/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours cloudy yellow/light orange...looks like a mimosa. Head was white as can be, 2 fingers, very fluffy and left nice lacing. Big banana and clove aromas, with hints of citrus and bubblegum sweetness. A bit more citrus on the taste, slight bit of a hop zing. Nice and crisp on the tongue, light bodied, clean finish. Overall, a good solid hefeweizen...very well-rounded tasty, and refreshing in this Florida vacation heat.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2011 21:45:56 | More by EgadBananas

Reagan1984

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked this up in Charleston at the Beer Exchange. Great Place.

Huge head grows above the rim of the glass. Builds like whipped egg whites. NIce retention. Bright white. Beer is only slightly hazy and gold in color. Dull finish. Clumpy lacing clings to the glass.

Aroma is bright, lemon, banana, spice, yeast, definitely a touch bready from the wheat.

I admit I saw that was rated as a straight B and I don’t get it. Straight “B” on BA is a pretty harsh grade. But this beer is better than that. Bright, fresh flavor. All the notes from the aroma are also here. THe light lemon sense makes it even more refreshing. Light banana and a nice spice note. Finish is wonderfully bready with a twinge of almond.

Light and bright in your mouth. Refreshing.

Made for a summer evening. I like this.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2011 22:16:16 | More by Reagan1984