Imperial Hefeweizen Ale
Pyramid Breweries, Inc.

Imperial Hefeweizen AleImperial Hefeweizen Ale
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From:
Pyramid Breweries, Inc.
 
Oregon, United States
Style:
Hefeweizen
ABV:
7.5%
Score:
80
Avg:
3.51 | pDev: 13.39%
Reviews:
91
Ratings:
96
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Dec 16, 2012
Added:
Aug 29, 2007
Wants:
  3
Gots:
  2
Limited edition, brewed with 60% malted wheat with Nugget and Tettnang hops.
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Rated: 3.5 by t0rin0 from California

Dec 16, 2012
 
Rated: 3.25 by RBorsato from Virginia

Nov 13, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by LampertLand from Canada (BC)

Feb 17, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by Lantern

Dec 27, 2011
 
Rated: 4 by rab53 from Washington

Dec 02, 2011
Photo of joemcgrath27
Reviewed by joemcgrath27 from Canada (AB)

3.56/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
No brew date, although is says "Brewers Reserve 2007"....
A - a very bubbly copper, short white head dissipated quickly with no lacing
S - sweet caramel malt with nuttiness, light banana and melon notes, perfumy hops and an alcohol presence
T - sweet caramel malts and perfume hops up front, alcohol is noticeable, mild melon on the finish
M - highly carbonated, alcohol bite thins it out, slight lasting tingle
D - interesting flavours though not the hefe flavours I was expecting, the alcohol is noticeable, generally easy drinking, not outstanding but still a decent brew. However I am left wondering if this was too old....
Aug 21, 2010
Photo of barleywinefiend
Reviewed by barleywinefiend from Washington

2.71/5  rDev -22.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
A: Poured a deep rich cloudy yellow tiha white head and good carbonation

S: Faint. Wheat. Banana

T: Nothing imperial or tasty about this. Murky mess and its hard to pick out any true taste notes

M: Some wheat, light booze nothing more.

D: No way. Avoid
May 17, 2010
Photo of JISurfer
Reviewed by JISurfer from Utah

4.05/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5
Never had an Imperial Hefeweizen before, so I had to try it. The waitress said it was a solid 9%, but as with some imperials, you couldn't really detect the high alcohol content, which makes it a dangerous beer. She was saying it wasn't going to be on tap much longer, so I'm guessing it's a spring offering. Anyway, it's a pretty drinkable beer, not too heavy, but not too light. It's a great balance of hops and malt, which is impressive in an imperial IMHO. Most imperials, are seriously hopped up, so this was a welcomed taste. If you have the chance to slide by and try it, give it a shot.
Apr 05, 2010
Photo of misinformed
Reviewed by misinformed from California

3.52/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5
I loved this beer so much when I first tasted that I bought a case of it. I didn't intend to cellar it for this long, but I forgot about it so here I am trying it again for the first time in 2010.

A- Light hazy orange-gold color with some yeast present in the glass. Intense carbonation. Smallish head and thick lacing.

S- Very very faint smell similar to other hefeweizens. I had to stick my nose way down in the glass to get any scent at all.

T- Alcohol dominates with some hop notes and a mild wheat aftertaste. Very smooth with no heat at all which is surprising from the intense alcohol flavor.

M- Slightly thick with good carbonation.

D- This beer has changed considerably from when I first bought it. Still very easy to drink, but not the same beer I remember at all from earlier tastings. I wish I had reviewed it back when I bought it because I remember a slightly bitter, but incredibly wheaty beer with almost no alcohol flavor. Not as good as I remember, but I will definitely still enjoy the last couple of bottles I have left.
Mar 06, 2010
Photo of htomsirveaux
Reviewed by htomsirveaux from Texas

3.62/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
22 oz. bottle tried 25 May 2008. 2007 version.

Very large yellowish head, quickly dissipates. Well carbonated. Cloudy peachy color. Aroma is yeasty, earthy, sweet. Tastes of honey, wheat, yeast. Pears and honey through the middle. Finish is a bit bitter with some alcohol. Aftertaste is of sourdough bread. Chewy body. Ethanol is warming.

Tasty but expected some bigger flavors from an imperial.
Mar 14, 2009
Photo of scootny
Reviewed by scootny from New York

3.83/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
A smooth and drinkable treat. A light burnt orange with a big head and vigorous carbonation. Retention and lacing are good as well. It sits invitingly in the glass. Smells of wheat malt and caramel. A light banana and peppery alcohol sweetness. Other yeast esters in the background.

Taste is like the nose. Smooth and big wheat malt with a light fruitiness. Light apple and grape. A dry tartness and subtle clove and pepper spiciness. Alcohol is evident but well integrated. Finish is clean mild and malty with an alcohol bite. Feel is full and chewy with a quenching dryness. Carbonation is just short of creamy. It winds up cleaning and scrubbing the mouth instead.

Drinkability is good enough to have you at the bottom of the glass
in short order.

An American weizenbock. Too bad it is not a year round offering. Nice job Pyramid!
Feb 22, 2009
Photo of bluejacket74
Reviewed by bluejacket74 from Ohio

3.4/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
22 ounce bottle. Served in a Weizen glass, the beer pours a hazy golden/orange color with about an inch and a half frothy white head. Head retention is good, not much lacing. It smells like apricots, cloves, wheat and peppery spice. The taste is similar to the aroma, but has the addition of some hops in the finish. This isn't a traditional hefe, as I can't taste or smell any banana in this beer. Mouthfeel/body is medium, and has good carbonation. Drinkability is average, it's not hard to drink at all. Overall I think it's a decent brew, but with that being said there's plenty of other hefeweizens I'd pick before this one.
Feb 13, 2009
Photo of Phyl21ca
Reviewed by Phyl21ca from Canada (QC)

3.7/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Bottle: Poured a cloudy dirty yellow color weizen with a small off-white head with limited retention as well as lacing. Aroma of wheat malt is dominating with some light notes of banana and cloves. Taste is again dominated by some wheat malt with some light notes of banana and cloves ester also noticeable. Body is full with some very limited filtration and average carbonation with no discernable alcohol. Interesting take on the style but somewhat cloying at the end of the day.
Dec 24, 2008
Photo of magictrokini
Reviewed by magictrokini from California

3.83/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
A surprisingly solid beer from these perennial underachievers. Cloudy yellow pour with a mountainous shite head. Bananas, wheat, cereal, and a small bit of clove. Smooth mouthfeel. Nice balance of wheat and yeast esters. More on the wheat side than the sweet, bubblegum, German side. Still, a very good hefe.
Dec 12, 2008
Photo of bobsy
Reviewed by bobsy from Canada (ON)

3.55/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Thanks to Shadman for sending this to Ontario. Murky apple cider appearance, with a small white head that quickly fizzles out. Faint fruity smell, but no banana. A touch of grain. Lots of honey and caramel biscuit in the flavour. The grain is more apparent in the dry finish, which is also surprisingly bitter for this type of beer. The alcohol is well hidden, but raises its head a little towards the end. The body is thick and chewy with minimal carbonation.

A strange duck... not really like any hefe I've had before, and I'm not sure whether that's because the style doesn't suit conversion to an imperial, or whether Pyramid have just done something out of whack here. I didn't find much of the banana or clean grain flavours I like in the style, and the body was the polar opposite of a regular hefe. Nonetheless I found this to be an interesting beer and one that I'm glad I tried.
Oct 21, 2008
Photo of rowew
Reviewed by rowew from Colorado

3.63/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Presentation: 22 oz bomber, clear label. Brewer's Reserve 2007.

Appearance: Orange color with just a bit of haze. Average head, a bit of lacing.

Smell: Spicy yeast, quite a bit of wheat.

Taste: Main flavor I pick out is a bit of a peppery yeast, some banana esters in there too. Nice wheat flavors.

Overall impression: Interesting - tastes like I would expect a bigger hefe to.
Oct 10, 2008
Photo of MuenchenerKindl
Reviewed by MuenchenerKindl from Germany

3.8/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Poured from a bomber to a snifter the liquid is dark gold, just a bit hazy and has ok carbonation. The head is a bit smallish, white and fades leaving little lace.

The smell is ok, a bit of fuit and a hint of pepper.

The taste follows, small hefe like notes, the peppery banana in this brew is nice. This is a tough style to brew right, while it is not the best by a long shot it is a bit better then I expected.

The mouthfeel is ok good body and carbonation.

The drinkability is good, a fine brew that is worth a try but not something I would go after. Prosit, MK
Sep 21, 2008
Photo of prosper
Reviewed by prosper from Canada (AB)

4.89/5  rDev +39.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
Wow, I'm in love. Too bad this is a limited edition brewing.

The appearance is good, with a honey-amber color. Darker than I expected of a wheat ale. The head is adequate; not a voluminous as I expected of a wheat ale, and it disappears rather quickly, leaving no trace of its existence. There's a slight haze to it, and some sediment left stuck to the bottom of the bottle.

The smell is exceptional, the grassy wheat notes are dominant, but there is a nicely balanced malty smell as well, assisted by a nice proportion of hops.

The taste is stunning. A hugely complex mix of sweet malted grain, bready grassyness and a touch of hops. Lots of bubbles, but kept in a perfect balance. The acidic zinginess from the carbonic acid is present and a nice counterpoint to the grassy bitterness of the wheat. There are plenty of esters present, candy/fruitly notes - lots of cherry, banana, pineapple and the like. No one flavour dominates, and the medium/short finish is much the same. So many flavours, kept in such a perfect balance.

Mouthfeel is medium-light. It's not particularly filling - It's not creamy; rather it's bready/fruity. It's devious - *almost* completely satisfying, but not completely so - leaving you wanting just one more mouthful

The alcohol content is also mischeviously disguised. It would be a simple matter to slam these back all day on a warm, indian summer day.

EDIT: Finished my second bottle a few days back. This bottle tasted completely 'off'. Lots of sour yeast-y notes and a ton of sediment on this one (way more than the first one). Not at all enjoyable, but I'll assume that the bad bottle is the exception, not the rule
Aug 31, 2008
Photo of cvstrickland
Reviewed by cvstrickland from North Carolina

3/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
2007 Brewer's Reserve

22-ounce bomber poured into a weizen glass yields a hazy orange-amber body capped with a thick finger of off-white foam. The head reduces quickly to a ring that leaves no lacing on the glass.

The smell of the drink is faintly sour with mellow banana goodness and spicy clove.

The taste is sweet and fruity, with a soft, rich wheaty character, some crisp red apple and plenty of banana.

Medium-bodied and very smooth. Unremarkable and likely much better fresh.
Aug 31, 2008
Photo of thekevlarkid
Reviewed by thekevlarkid from Maryland

4.13/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Nice tan head formed after I poured it into my glass but it faded quickly to a light rim of beige bubbles. This ring displayed very nice retention though. Very cloudy, exactly as a Hefe should be, so much so that you can barely see stream of constantly rising bubbles inside. The color is golden brown like barley; this beer looks as one would expect it too. Aroma is a little odd and yet complex, semi-sweet, fresh nearly green grains, faint fruit and alcohol. Flavors are equally complex and challenging, citrus, followed by yeast, then wheat, some malt and a little hops at the end. Impressive because all the elements make their presence known. Phenols, some esters, and a pleasant sweetness that makes it all palatable. Truly an Imperial. Hefe and not a beer the uninitiated would appreciate but still drinkable and approachable. Recommended.
Aug 20, 2008
Imperial Hefeweizen Ale from Pyramid Breweries, Inc.
Beer rating: 80 out of 100 with 96 ratings