Beer of the Weekend #246: Mom Hefeweizen (Half-E-Weizen)

Today, the heat index in Iowa City was 111º. It was brutal. I tried running, but decided to stop after completing half of my normal distance. Fuck it. I will not kill myself to cross an imaginary and personal finish line, no matter how much of a pansy I feel like later. However, the heat is good for one thing: drinking hefeweizen.

The beer of the weekend is Mom Hefeweizen, brewed by the Rogue Brewery of Newport, Oregon.


On BA the beer is known as “Half-E-Weizen.” Mom Hefeweizen is apparently an alias, despite the fact that is what it is known as on the Rogue website.

Sadly, Mom Hefeweizen is not a hefeweizen at all. It is a witbier. Perhaps that explains the maternal name.

Serving type: Two 22-ounce (650 ml) bombers. “1210,” which I assume stands for a December 2010 bottling date (fingers crossed), is printed on the very bottom of the bottle. I needed to peer through the bottle to see it.

Appearance: Poured into a weizen glass, just because I can. The color is a hazy straw that is leaning toward cloudy; however, it still has a long way to go. Two fingers of fluffy, thick, white head dissipated to leave trails along the glass and a foamy ring around the edge.

Smell: It smells a lot like Blue Moon, only a little lighter. Coriander, lemon citrus, yeast, and ginger.

Taste: Lemon citrus, ginger, coriander, and metallic hops. There is also a little kick of pepper and pine spice. I guess you can’t have an Oregon brew without a little pine spice.

Drinkability: This is what I get for buying a $7 bottle of “hefeweizen” brewed by hop heads. It is drinkable, but it is no hefeweizen. It is more of a witbier-pale ale hybrid.

Fun facts about Mom Hefeweizen:

-Style: Witbier. [Sad face.]

-Price: $6.99/bottle at John’s Grocery in Iowa City. It is expensive shit — literally.

-Serving temperature: 45-50ºF.

-Alcohol content: 4.8 percent ABV.

-Food pairings: BA recommends peppery cheeses (Monterey/Pepper Jack), tangy cheeses (Brick, Edam, Feta), salad, poultry, fish, and shellfish.

-IBU: 34.

-Gravity: 13º Plato.

-Color: Rogue pegs the color at “3º Lovibond.”

-The history of the beer, as posted to its Rogue webpage, goes a little something like this:

Dedicated to the Mom in each of us. Mom Hefeweizen is a refreshing, unfiltered fusion of wheat and Northwest Harrington malts, coriander, ginger, and Saaz hops in the Belgium style.

-Mom Hefeweizen was not my first choice tonight. I wanted a proper Bavarian hefe, or something comparable. However, as my eyes searched the shelves at John’s, I realized I had tried all the German hefes that were in stock. I am avoiding one or two based on their reviews, and I should just balls-up and go for it, but I have basically tried all the usual Bavarian imports. Shit — I did not even see a kristallweizen from any of the big names in weissbier there. Bummer. Perhaps I should start reviewing adjuncts so I can enjoy all the classic hefes of BotW yore once again. I like that idea.


The Quiet Man’s grade: C+.

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