Saranac Hefeweizen - Matt Brewing Company

Kwak

New Jersey

2.98/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

The head was not to bad but left way to early with almost no flavor.
The body was crystal clear until I poured the settlement from the bottom of the bottle in. Still it wasn't very cloudy "they said unfiltered but I'm not sure."

IT had a slight aroma nothing to quotable.

The taste was a nice stab at a wheat it says on the bottle "banana and clove " but they are not very noticeable. It tasted more like an
American wheat.
Not my favorite even against some American competition. Would not recommend!

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2002 00:52:24 | More by Kwak

yesyouam

New York

2.98/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Saranac Hefeweizen is a hazy golden ale with a thin white head. The aroma is of banana, clove, raisin, dried mango and a touch of wheat. It is light and crisp on the tongue but... not watery! The flavor is slightly bitter and a little funky. Not bad at all.
(rated May 9, 2007)

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2008 04:06:41 | More by yesyouam

yourunclewalt

New York

2.93/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

A – Pours a creamy three-finger head, cloudy yellow-orange body at the top, a crisp kristal yellow by the bottom.

S – Sweet malty, banana, little floral presence.

T – Fairly noticeable banana cream, little bit of malts and a slight bitter, hoppy aftertaste.

M – Surprisingly watery for the body; slightly carbonated with a light, watery finish.

D – Apparently, like many of Saranac’s seasonals, this is a solid but nevertheless middle-of-the-road rendition on a popular style. My major complaint is with the mouthfeel, the watery texture really detracts from its drinkability in my book. In the end, there’s not much that separates this from the rest of the pack.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2007 01:07:37 | More by yourunclewalt

BierManVA

Virginia

2.9/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

This bier claims to be an authentic German Hefe and goes into great detail on the label as to the different hops used, etc.

It falls a bit short in my book.

The initial appearance and head are good. A nice orangish and cloudy hefe. But the smell of banana and clove are just not present as should be in this style.

The taste is also a let down. I taste mostly hops here and little wheat. Mouthfeel is bitter and not as refreshing as I would expect. This ends up being more like a cloudy lager than a yeasty citrusy hefe.

Pass on this one if at the store.

John

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2003 20:37:49 | More by BierManVA

marlinsfan4

Maryland

2.9/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Bought as part of the Saranac 12 Beers of Summer mix pack ($11.99/12)

Typical, run of the miill Hefe. At this point, still have yet to find a Hefe I can truly say I enjoyed drinking. Had the banana and clove aroma and taste but the body is just way too think and the lack of carbonation makes it tough to drink. Not something I would try again.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2008 23:08:12 | More by marlinsfan4

wedge

North Carolina

2.88/5  rDev -17%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Hazy dull gold - creamy head lacks the sturdiness of a true hefe-head. Light wheat aroma, dried fruit esters with a mildly phenolic edge. Flavor is a good amount of tangy wheat and sweet banana syrup. Not as "together" as the real deal, a little too bright, accented with sparkling carbonation a a super-crisp finish. I demand more yeast. Lightish.

Its not so bad, its just outclassed by so many others...

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2007 01:37:39 | More by wedge

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

2.85/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

appearance: clear, straw yellow color, lacking the sort of haze associated with hefe weizens, and possessing a good, thick, pure white head.
Aroma: soft, citrusy, sly notes of banana & clove at first sniff, but becoming stronger with each passing moment, until it's quite thick, where it's nearly a blended banana cream pie!
Some and creamy mouthfeel, but lacking the grit and tackle in the texture that good hefe weizens should have.
Label speaks of cloudy appearance and noticable sediment, but both were MIA. Mmmmm, no, wait, they're there, just hiding, and insubstantial. Light body, middling malt, tiny hops.
Banana cream flavor utterly dominates, but without the yeastiness, it's not a very appealing weizen in the least. Not enough citrus or wheat, or a hell of a lot of things. Good thing I've got some Weihenstephaner in the fridge, to remind what a hefe weizen's supposed to taste like!
Too sweet, too watery, not a beer I'll turn to again.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2003 18:57:02 | More by feloniousmonk

erosier

Connecticut

2.83/5  rDev -18.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a golden yellow with a fluffy and tall white head that settles fast and laces the glass nicely on the way down. It has the smell of sweet malt underneath a banana and maybe a bit of clove flavoring from the yeast. The taste delivers what the nose asks for which is nice. It tastes like sweet wheat malt underneath flavors of banana and some orange. Not much on the clove. It has a very smooth mouthfeel and is fairly drinkable. The banana flavor overpowers this one.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2008 19:48:49 | More by erosier

JRed

New Jersey

2.78/5  rDev -19.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours deep, hazy golden in body with white head that fades to a thin film on top. Smells pop tart: candy vanilla, citrus, lemon cookie. Tastes like seltzer with vague notes of vanilla, lemon cookie, a bit of grass, citrus peel, hint of clove. Light in body with medium carbonation but zappy on the palate. A careless hefeweizen but drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2012 21:52:35 | More by JRed

claytri

Maryland

2.75/5  rDev -20.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

The beer pours gold with a white head. The aroma is rather hoppy for an H-W. The taste is overwhelmingly citric, with a hop finish. If you dig deep you will find a bit of malt, but not much. It was appropriatly light and effervescent. I won't pour it out, but I see no reason to pass up a better HW for it.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2005 23:49:04 | More by claytri

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

2.75/5  rDev -20.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours a very slightly fogged amber orange. Minimal head. Nose is a real harsh orange yeasty mix. Not very smooth at all it seems. Flavor is another mess of citrus, mostly orange, and weird hefe characteristics. Feel is sticky. Overall, not very good. Weird orange citrus characteristics. Odd sticky feel. Hits in all the wrong ways. More drain pour.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2007 09:33:56 | More by RblWthACoz

frank4sail

New Jersey

2.68/5  rDev -22.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Straw yellow color with a decent white head. Wheat citrus nose. The brew lacks flovor and seems watery and too light. There are notes of lemon, corriander, and wheat but only hints on the tongue that tease. This watery feel and taste makes the beer a dissapointment.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2002 13:37:36 | More by frank4sail

Gruntlumber

Missouri

2.68/5  rDev -22.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Not overly impressed with this. It looks and smells the part of a hefe, but not a very good representation of the style. Could more appropriately be labeled an American Wheat. Pours with a nice head and some swirling effects from the bottle sediment. Surprisingly flat. Accompanied by the typical hefe notes of banana/clove, however not very well balanced. An odd oily mouthfeel. Semi-refreshing but I'd rather be drinking something else.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2007 01:45:22 | More by Gruntlumber

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

2.65/5  rDev -23.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.75

Another of my local, in-person trader, tone77's latest drop-off.

From the bottle: "This traditional German-style wheat beer (pronounced hay-fuh-vite-zen) remains unfiltered to preserve its natural smooth flavor and aroma. Don't be alarmed by its cloudy appearance or noticable sediment. The slight banana and clove aroma comes from authentic German Hefeweizen yeast. Crafted from winter wheat, two row malt with Mittelfreuh and Tettnang hops, it has a light and refreshing finish. Enjoy!"

I went with a very aggro pour as this is a hefeweizen and not a kristalweizen. As such, I got just over a finger of fluffy, bone-white head with decent retention. Color was a cloudy orangish-yellow. Nose was more of clove than banana, which is more towards my sensibilities anyway. Mouthfeel was thin and watery and the taste was fairly bland. It was faintly spicy with clove esters, but overall, it was a stretch to say that there was much there. Finish was likewise bland. I'll keep trying.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2013 20:43:42 | More by woodychandler

changeup45

Florida

2.5/5  rDev -28%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Certainly not the greatest wheat/hefe I've had. Cloudy yellow colored topped with just a small white head. Aroma is pretty strong bananas. Flavor is wheaty and bananas along with some spice and sour notes. Overall it's pretty weak though. Just not enough going on to excite me. No reason for me to seek this one out again with so many other better sun beers around.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2008 19:42:19 | More by changeup45

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

2.5/5  rDev -28%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

12 ounce bottle - $1.49 at Charlie's Beer and Wine in Marietta, Georgia. BB Sep 2012.

Appearance: Pours a lightly cloudy, darkish, dull orange-hued body with an ultra thin, white head that's gone in seconds.

Smell: Some malted wheat, some raw grain, some banana, some clove. Not much going on at all.

Taste: Lightly grainy, malted wheat with a low level of sweetness. Powdered sugar atop stale bananas. Pop of clove spiciness, which is the predominate taste until the hohum finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light body. Medium carbonation.

Overall: A rather weak, cheerless rendition of the style.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2012 23:42:45 | More by ChainGangGuy

corby112

Pennsylvania

2.4/5  rDev -30.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours a slight cloudy, pale golden yellow color with a half finger white head that immediately fizzles into a thin ring. No lacing.

Earthy, slightly spicy aroma with some grassy hops and zesty clove followed by some bready yeast and light fruit. Floral but kind of bland with most of the traditional heffe notes kind of muted. Hints of apple, pear and subtle banana.

On the lighter end of medium bodied with tight carbonation and a prominent zesty spice presence up front. Lots of peppery clove and coriander that lingers throughout and dominates the flavor. There's also some dry earthy, grassy hops up front which are countered by subtle bready yeast and light fruit notes. Hints of apple and pear with subtle banana but surprisingly there's hardly any citrus flavor at all. Not offensive but kind of bland and not very flavorful.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2012 04:53:24 | More by corby112

PBRstreetgang

Ohio

2.23/5  rDev -35.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1

Poured a very cloudy pale straw. Dense two finger head shows decent retention, but low lacing. Pungent medicinal/phenolic smell overpowers any other aroma, reminicant of play doh. The taste is very different, but also becomes unpleasent. A hefe type yeast and gentle floral hop notes upfront, then a mellow wheat flavor. The aftertaste explodes with a simple banana flavor that is niether dry nor residual, just stubborn. Medium carbonation and light body. The phenol presence is appropriate to style but totally overkill and ruins a potentialy smooth and drinkable beer with an unbalanced taste, cloying mouthfeel and harsh finish.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2005 05:55:05 | More by PBRstreetgang

sleazo

New York

2/5  rDev -42.4%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Pours a clear darkish golden with a decent head that dissipates quickly. Clear hefe? This would look nice if it weren't a hefe

S-no phenol smells here like you would expect. Crisp and wheatlike though

T-very light banana and a clove. Really a crisp wheat with german hops

M-lighter body decent carbonation

D-not a hefe. Maybe an american wheat but this is not a hefe. If it weren't called this I'd probably like it better. All of the beers in this variety pack really taste similar.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2007 21:04:08 | More by sleazo

TastyTaste

Minnesota

1.98/5  rDev -42.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Bright gold, like a lager, with a touch of haze and a creamy head. Smells like corn, more than most malt liquor I drink, what is going on here? Light bubbly flavor that is once again dominated by a corn-grain flavor. Another Saranac brew from the 12 pack sampler, another vast dissapointment. I knew it was too good to be true when I saw 12 different styles in one box.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2004 03:19:42 | More by TastyTaste