El Jefe Weizen Ale - Hale's Ales Brewery & Pub

JayQue

Virginia

3.68/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A "West Coast" Hefe. Pours the requisite Hefeweizen straw color with the standard big head with tiny bubbles.

Smell is very mild but there is cloves, bananas and astringency.

Tastes starts out the same as the smell. The hefeweizen flavors are more pronounced than the aroma....but wait, whats that at the end....?

A strong hops finish!!!

In all, it works fairly well. Somebody looking for a standard hefeweizen will be disappointed with the finish, but it is a pretty good beer overall.

Mouthfeel is rich. The switch from astringent to bitter at the end would be more pleasing to some than others and this would affect mouthfeel and drinkabiltiy.

I could enjoy several of these on a hot day. THose that don't fancy West Coast hops in their hefeweizen should look elsewhere.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2008 03:36:45 | More by JayQue

1234Jack

4.08/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Smell out of bottle is primarily malty with subtle hops.

Nice yeasty, unfiltered look. Head that settles but never dies, floats on top.

Nice milky first feel, malty but zesty citric taste, but not too overpowering or too sour. Not too bitter.

Smell out of glass is more lemony.

Even though it's winter time now, I can tell this would be a spectacular summertime beer.

Subtle apple, but smooth and no bad aftertastes.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 08:28:50 | More by 1234Jack

NickThePyro

Washington

3.75/5  rDev +3.6%

12-24-2012 03:55:22 | More by NickThePyro

MacStinson

Michigan

3.75/5  rDev +3.6%

12-18-2012 05:08:06 | More by MacStinson

Braz

Washington

4.25/5  rDev +17.4%

12-03-2012 16:44:26 | More by Braz

Jak82

4.25/5  rDev +17.4%

11-08-2012 06:15:04 | More by Jak82

brendaniel

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +10.5%

10-09-2012 00:33:59 | More by brendaniel

twelveinches

Washington

3.75/5  rDev +3.6%

09-21-2012 05:50:04 | More by twelveinches

jnoelani

Washington

4/5  rDev +10.5%

08-16-2012 06:59:14 | More by jnoelani

sgttibbs

Kansas

4.5/5  rDev +24.3%

08-15-2012 13:27:43 | More by sgttibbs

dnorton222

Washington

4.75/5  rDev +31.2%

07-26-2012 04:22:20 | More by dnorton222

DeMaria

4/5  rDev +10.5%

07-20-2012 02:09:53 | More by DeMaria

jmccraney

Washington

3/5  rDev -17.1%

06-23-2012 04:38:21 | More by jmccraney

hreb

Washington

3.93/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle poured into pint glass. Pale yellow and fairly hazy. Medium thick white head forms nicely.

Traditional yeasty citrus-wheat aroma. Big bubbles float up through the beer.

Flavor is dead on for an American/German-style hefeweiss. Very lemony/citrusy. Good wheat flavor, not just for show, and fresh. Moderate bitterness. A good bit of clove. The only fault I can find with this beer is that the lemon flavor is a little strong...I wonder if there's something added.

I should note that my bottle had a bunch of sediment firmly in the bottom -- agitating it produced a much cloudier pour with no damage to the flavor, while reducing the carbonation nicely.

Having moved to Seattle from Boston this could totally challenge UFO as my every day drinking hefeweiss.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2012 03:27:28 | More by hreb

kickerofelves

Oregon

4.25/5  rDev +17.4%

04-15-2012 05:04:52 | More by kickerofelves

EddieJoe

4.25/5  rDev +17.4%

03-30-2012 23:24:09 | More by EddieJoe

shelby415

Oregon

3.5/5  rDev -3.3%

02-25-2012 07:36:45 | More by shelby415

strongaf

Washington

3.5/5  rDev -3.3%

01-17-2012 16:17:46 | More by strongaf

Exiled

Texas

4/5  rDev +10.5%

12-09-2011 04:53:08 | More by Exiled

draheim

Washington

3.98/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottled (not bottling date) poured into a weizen glass.

Hazy yellow with a rich creamy head - good classic hefeweizen appearance.

Nose is banana, yeast, and spice. Really nice.

Taste is crisp and clean with a lot of banana, pepper and clove. A little more lemon too as I get closer to the yeasty bottom of the bottle.

Nice crisp mouthfeel with good carbonation.

Overall this is a pretty good local interpretation of a German classic.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2011 02:54:59 | More by draheim

flagmantho

Washington

3.38/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 22oz bomber into a weizen glass.

Appearance: rich golden color with almost no haze. Head is two fingers of creamy white foam. The way I see it, there is not nearly enough haze and not quite enough head to be commendable as a hefeweizen. That said, it wasn't a hideous-looking beer; just not really to-style.

Smell: aroma is grainy with a little bit of a wheat component. Not much estery complexity or creaminess. Really, not that great.

Taste: citrusy and sweet. There's a little banana flavor here, but it doesn't entice me much. Not bad compared to other American attempts at the style, but it is not super hefeweizeney.

Mouthfeel: medium-light body with OK carbonation. Not enough carbonation to make a nice creamy hefeweizen, but it's not horrible or anything.

Drinkability: not much of an authentic hefeweizen, but it is an acceptably drinkable beer in general.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2010 03:03:22 | More by flagmantho

Seanibus

California

4/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Light and refreshing and very wheaty, without lot of the phenolic funk you'd expect from a true Hefeweizen. Really, this is a slightly edgy version of an American Wheat, and if you go into it expecting that, I think you'll enjoy this beer more.

Pours a slightly hazy golden with a big white fluffy head. The aroma is very wheaty with a kiss of honey. The taste follows through precisely, with a super mouthful of wheat, with that bready, breakfast cereal character, and a finish of sweet honey. There is a little fruit in here, but muted - apricot, perhaps, some white grape. There is relatively mild bitterness without a lot of obvious hop flavor. The mouthfeel is fairly slick.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2010 21:00:50 | More by Seanibus

Ghenna

California

4.25/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

My wife brought this back from a trip to Seattle:
Pours a murky golden straw little in the way of a white head. Smells awesome- definite notes of banana and yeast; in a word, I would describe it as inviting and delicious.
Tastes also of bananas, with a little bit of bitter (though not hop bitter) at the end.
My only wish is that it were a little more carbonated, but this is an awesome brew. Many thanks to my wife for procuring it for me

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2010 04:43:09 | More by Ghenna

BeerAdvocate

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From BeerAdvocate Magazine Volume II, Issue III:

Pours out a hazy golden-orange brew, head retention is par for the style. Aromas of green bananas, pear juice and faint lime are mixed with an underlying breadiness and chalky yeast. Very smooth with a semi-chewy medium body. Lots of wheat and yeast on the tongue, hops and herbal phenolics drop a substantial smack of bitterness on the palate with a long linger. Light on the fruity esters with suggestions of pear, banana and kiwi. Hint of bubblegum in the middle right when the maltiness rises with some sweetness and breadiness. Finishes a little dry with lots of lingering flavor.

Impressive, this tastes like a fresh German Hefeweizen, fresh meaning right from the source and not shipped from another continent. Kudos to Hale's for getting this style right!

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2009 02:25:05 | More by BeerAdvocate

ggddaaee1

Oklahoma

2.17/5  rDev -40.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 1 | overall: 2

Serving: Poured from a 22 oz bottle into a pint glass.

Color: Dark yellow/orange with a medium haze.

Smell: Some citrus and banana.

Taste: Sour with a slight citrus. The after taste reminds of what my mouth felt like after eating Sour Straws as a kid.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2009 03:18:06 | More by ggddaaee1