Jamesport Hefeweizen - Jamesport Brewing Company Inc.

weizenbob

Michigan

3.38/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The board at Jamesport says that this beer was a Bronze medal winner at the Michigan Beer Guide Brewers Cup. I grabbed this to commemorate the first cookout of the year with some close friends. The growler was filled on 4/9/11, and consumed on 4/10/11. The bartender offered an orange for garnish, which I declined.

The growler was poured into a weizen glass. The pour revealed a thick looking brew that was orange in color and extremely hazy. Though the pour was fairly aggressive, very little head manifested and retention was poor. Some spotty lacing clung to the glass. Apart from the haziness, this was not a typical looking hefeweizen

The aroma was also atypical. Oddly enough, orange peel is the dominant smell. Yeasty breadiness is evident. There are some traditional hefeweizen phenols in the background, but you really have to concentrate to detect them. It’s not all that aromatic to begin with.

The flavor is really interesting. Banana taffy is palpable. Yeasty bread dough is noted. There’s a strong wheat bite and traces of traditional hefeweizen phenols. There’s also orange peel. However, the most interesting surprise is the emerging taste of candy sugar. The finish is watery but thirst quenching. It’s more of a hybrid than a traditional hefe but it’s still pretty tasty.

The feel is fairly light but there is still a bit of chewiness. The carbonation level is moderate, though perhaps a bit low for the style. It does end up being a pretty refreshing brew.

If you’re looking for a traditional take on a hefeweizen, this is not your beer. The board listed the alcohol content of this at over 6% which rests at the high end of the style. Along with the typical hefe characteristics there are other distinctive characteristics borrowed from Belgian styles. Personally I’d probably lump this brew into the catch-all American Pale Wheat category. Still, if you approach this beer with an open mind it is tasty and refreshing, and the perfect compliment to the first cookout of the year. I’d probably go back for a growler fill once every spring.

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The Two-Schlitz Scale: (see my profile for an explanation)
I give a Schlitz for Jamesport Hefeweizen. Both are tasty refreshment on a warm day. I could flip a coin over the two.

Serving type: growler

04-11-2011 14:57:33 | More by weizenbob

jimbotrost

Michigan

3.95/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Another fine product from Jamesport. Pours at 4.5% ABV. Is of a cloudy gold color with a pure white head, although the head and carbonation seem to be low for the style. Nose is big on the citrus and the banana, similiar to the Weihenstephaner Yeast. Flavor is light as is the body, light and crisp, finishes very quickly. This is an ideal quencher.

Serving type: on-tap

07-12-2005 15:13:18 | More by jimbotrost