Beer of the Weekend #140: Mission Street Hefeweizen
This could be the second to last BotW post on the west coast.
I have yet to finalize the tasting schedule for my last 10 days on the west coast, but tonight’s tasting could be my penultimate review in California. It all depends. I want to try The Mad Belgian before I leave, as well as Ballast Point Yellowtail Pale Ale, a kölsch from San Diego. (I’ve never had a kölsch before, and would love to try a domestic version while I can.) Thinking about it now, though, I can and will try them all before hitting the road next Saturday. I will also fit in a ceremonious final review from the Golden State with the ultimate California brew.
The beer tonight is Mission Street Hefeweizen, brewed by the Steinhaus Brewing Company of Paso Robles, California.
Pssst. The Steinhaus name is just a cover. (It is the same “brewer” of BotW #118, Jumping Cow Amber Ale) The beer is brewed by contract for Trader Joe’s at the Firestone Walker Brewing Company in Paso Robles.
I saw Mission Street Hefe the other day at the TJ’s across from UCI. It piqued my interest since it’s been forever since I drank hefe. It is now officially hefe season, so I thought I would commemorate the summer solstice with a proper brew. The Druids did their Stonehenge thing, and I drink hefe. Plus, I wanted to use my Paulaner weizen glass one last time before packing it away
Serving type: One 22-ounce bottle. I bought two at the Trader Joe’s on Brookhurst and Hamilton. (One thing I will miss about Cali is Trader Joe’s.) Another review mentioned a freshness date on the bottle, but I don’t see one.
Appearance: Poured a cloudy lemonade color with a slight orange tint into a half-liter weizen glass. I can tell I haven’t had a hefe in along time because instead of tilting the glass I poured it straight. Bad idea. Major head, which was thick and foamy and dissipated slowly.
Smell: Oh, heavenly hefe. Mostly bananas and cloves, but also apple cider, orange citrus, and a little strawberry.
Taste: Weak, but still just inside the edge of tasty. The taste is a much less potent version of the aroma. Bananas, cloves, orange citrus, a little apple cider, and just a hint of strawberry.
Drinkability: It’s not the best example of the style, but would probably still be a good, refreshing drink on a hot summer day.
Fun facts about Mission Street Hefeweizen:
-Style: Hefeweizen. I’m pasting the BA description below since my last hefe tasting predates my use of the “style” category in fun facts:
-Price $1.99/bottle at the Trader Joe’s on Brookhurst and Hamilton in Huntington Beach.
-Serving temperature: 45-50ºF.
-Alcohol content: 4.7 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: BA recommends German cuisine, tangy cheeses (Brick, Edam, Feta), salad, and meat (poultry, fish, and shellfish).
-According to BeerNews.org, Mission Street Hefe was introduced along with Mission Street Brown Ale just months ago. This is likely the first batch to be brewed.
-From what I can tell, Mission Street Hefe is sold exclusively at TJ’s, just like the other Mission Street brews, which I never tried. There was a pale ale and IPA. I will, however, have a good chance to try them in Iowa. TJ’s announced plans to open a store in posh West Des Moines.
-Here’s a little nerdiness from the bottle label:
-Apparently, 22-ounce bottles are called “bombers.” At least that’s what a few other BA reviewers call them. I respect their knowledge of beer argot, as I’m still very much an amateur beer connoisseur. I’m unsure, though, how ideal bombers are for hefeweizen. They contain more beer than a normal sized weizen glass holds, so instead of disturbing the yeasty goodness just before pouring the last few ounces to top off the glass, I needed to stop mid-pour (it was more like three-quarters-pour), drink a little, disturb, and then empty the remainder into the glass. (However, there really wasn’t much sediment at the bottom.)
The Quiet Man’s grade: B-.
I have yet to finalize the tasting schedule for my last 10 days on the west coast, but tonight’s tasting could be my penultimate review in California. It all depends. I want to try The Mad Belgian before I leave, as well as Ballast Point Yellowtail Pale Ale, a kölsch from San Diego. (I’ve never had a kölsch before, and would love to try a domestic version while I can.) Thinking about it now, though, I can and will try them all before hitting the road next Saturday. I will also fit in a ceremonious final review from the Golden State with the ultimate California brew.
The beer tonight is Mission Street Hefeweizen, brewed by the Steinhaus Brewing Company of Paso Robles, California.
Pssst. The Steinhaus name is just a cover. (It is the same “brewer” of BotW #118, Jumping Cow Amber Ale) The beer is brewed by contract for Trader Joe’s at the Firestone Walker Brewing Company in Paso Robles.
I saw Mission Street Hefe the other day at the TJ’s across from UCI. It piqued my interest since it’s been forever since I drank hefe. It is now officially hefe season, so I thought I would commemorate the summer solstice with a proper brew. The Druids did their Stonehenge thing, and I drink hefe. Plus, I wanted to use my Paulaner weizen glass one last time before packing it away
Serving type: One 22-ounce bottle. I bought two at the Trader Joe’s on Brookhurst and Hamilton. (One thing I will miss about Cali is Trader Joe’s.) Another review mentioned a freshness date on the bottle, but I don’t see one.
Appearance: Poured a cloudy lemonade color with a slight orange tint into a half-liter weizen glass. I can tell I haven’t had a hefe in along time because instead of tilting the glass I poured it straight. Bad idea. Major head, which was thick and foamy and dissipated slowly.
Smell: Oh, heavenly hefe. Mostly bananas and cloves, but also apple cider, orange citrus, and a little strawberry.
Taste: Weak, but still just inside the edge of tasty. The taste is a much less potent version of the aroma. Bananas, cloves, orange citrus, a little apple cider, and just a hint of strawberry.
Drinkability: It’s not the best example of the style, but would probably still be a good, refreshing drink on a hot summer day.
Fun facts about Mission Street Hefeweizen:
-Style: Hefeweizen. I’m pasting the BA description below since my last hefe tasting predates my use of the “style” category in fun facts:
A south German style of wheat beer (weissbier) made with a typical ratio of 50:50, or even higher, wheat. A yeast that produces a unique phenolic flavors of banana and cloves with an often dry and tart edge, some spiciness, bubblegum or notes of apples. Little hop bitterness, and a moderate level of alcohol. The "Hefe" prefix means "with yeast", hence the beers unfiltered and cloudy appearance. Poured into a traditional Weizen glass, the Hefeweizen can be one sexy looking beer.
Often served with a lemon wedge (popularized by Americans), to either cut the wheat or yeast edge, which many either find to be a flavorful snap ... or an insult and something that damages the beer's taste and head retention.
-Price $1.99/bottle at the Trader Joe’s on Brookhurst and Hamilton in Huntington Beach.
-Serving temperature: 45-50ºF.
-Alcohol content: 4.7 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: BA recommends German cuisine, tangy cheeses (Brick, Edam, Feta), salad, and meat (poultry, fish, and shellfish).
-According to BeerNews.org, Mission Street Hefe was introduced along with Mission Street Brown Ale just months ago. This is likely the first batch to be brewed.
-From what I can tell, Mission Street Hefe is sold exclusively at TJ’s, just like the other Mission Street brews, which I never tried. There was a pale ale and IPA. I will, however, have a good chance to try them in Iowa. TJ’s announced plans to open a store in posh West Des Moines.
-Here’s a little nerdiness from the bottle label:
Mission Street resides at the crossroads of quality and value, a place we have called home for more than 40 years. Our award-winning beer is crafted in small batches using only the finest all-natural hops and wheat, resulting in a classic hefeweizen with remarkable flavor and freshness.
-Apparently, 22-ounce bottles are called “bombers.” At least that’s what a few other BA reviewers call them. I respect their knowledge of beer argot, as I’m still very much an amateur beer connoisseur. I’m unsure, though, how ideal bombers are for hefeweizen. They contain more beer than a normal sized weizen glass holds, so instead of disturbing the yeasty goodness just before pouring the last few ounces to top off the glass, I needed to stop mid-pour (it was more like three-quarters-pour), drink a little, disturb, and then empty the remainder into the glass. (However, there really wasn’t much sediment at the bottom.)
The Quiet Man’s grade: B-.
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