Beer of the Weekend #374: Schlafly Hefeweizen

Tonight I will christen my new porch with Schlafly Hefeweizen, brewed by the Saint Louis Brewery of Saint Louis, Missouri.



Though I am sure I would have tried it at some point, the only reason I am drinking Schlafly Hefeweizen tonight is because I realized, while in the walk-in cooler at John’s, that I do not have any of my preferred beerware at my new place. All I have, beer-wise, are my Capital Brewery pints and my Schneider 300 ml weizen glass. I opted to use Mr. Schneider.

Frankly, it has been three days of moving hell. My move went well, but helping Mervgotti and Sweet Meat wore me down. Earlier today I paid a visit to Mercy Urgent Care to have a gash on my knee treated and get a tetanus booster. Basically, couches are now my mortal enemies.

Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. The “Bottled With Love on” date is “05112012.”

Appearance: Poured into a 300 ml weizen glass. The color is light lemonade. Two fingers of white head dissipated quickly to leave a spotted lacing and ring around the edge.

Smell: Very, very faint aroma. I can detect a little of the pale American wheat aroma, but that is about it. Musty grains and a little lemon.

Taste: The mouthfeel is reminiscent of a pale wheat beer and so are the flavors (unfortunately). There is nothing over the top but there is also no complexity, really. Light wheat and lemon zest

Drinkability: Now I know why the beer is called Hefeweizen but not classified as one. It is very light and easy drinking. However, it lacks the complexity I want.

Fun facts about Schlafly Hefeweizen:

-Style: Obviously, it is called Hefeweizen, but BA classifies it as “American Pale Wheat Ale.”

-Price: $8.99/sixer at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.

-Serving temperature: 45-50ºF.

-Alcohol content: 4.1 percent ABV.

-Food pairings: Fuck it. I am way too tired to deal with the food pairings.

-Here is some nerdiness and interesting history from the website:

Our Hefeweizen is a light, unfiltered wheat beer, often served with a wedge of lemon. Made with thirty percent American winter wheat, Hefeweizen is balanced with sweet golden malted barley and Tettnang hops from Oregon that evoke a hint of spice. The American ale yeast is subtle, but the grains take center stage and, when left in the unfiltered beer, gives it that classic cloudiness and additional body.

The German Hefeweizen (say “hay-fuh-vite-sin”) traces its history to 16th century Bavaria and eventually came to America with the wave of German immigrants in the 19th century. Although the rise of light lager beer diminished the sales of wheat beers on both sides of the Atlantic, the sale of wheat beers began to rise after WWII, especially in Southern Germany where a unique ale yeast strain fermented the beer with banana and clove esters. In the late 20th Century, the new American craft brewers sought out a lighter style to complement their beer selection and brewed Hefeweizens with the same yeast strains they used to brew their Pale Ales and Stouts.

The Quiet Man’s grade: C.

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