Live Oak Hefe Weizen

Brewed by Live Oak Brewing Company
Style: German Hefeweizen
Austin, Texas USA

12oz handbottle courtesy of a very generous BA, opened 4-5-09 Pours a very hazy golden yellow with a short-lived one inch white head that recedes to nothing fairly quickly and leaves no lacing. The aroma is much citrusy than I expected with a big dose of tart lemon aromas and even a hint of funk. The typical wheat presence of bananas and bubble gum sweetness are definitely present but take a bit of a back seat. Very unique nose for the style. The taste is even more tart than the aroma with a huge lemon zing up front that hardly allows the sweetness of the wheat to come through at all. The finish is dry and acidic with more than a hint of funk lingering in the aftertaste. The mouthfeel is a little slick with low carbonation, likely due to this being from a handbottle. This is one of the more unique hefes I’ve had and while I do like it, I really think there is a bit too much tartness and funk for this to be a world-class version of the style. Maybe it was the handbottling, but I was a little underwhelmed. EDIT 5-8-09: Poured from a growler and it became very clear that the bottle was, in fact, off. There was none of the off-putting tartness from the hand bottle and the aroma and taste were almost perfect representations of the style - a great balance between light lemony citrus, fresh bananas and spices. A great beer.

On tap @ The Dog & Duck Pub in Austin: Pours a cloudy straw yellow with an off-white head leaving nice lacing. Has a citrusy, lemon aroma and flavor. Very smooth and refreshing with a dry finish.

Growler shared by cdumler. Thanks! Pours a very hazy orange peach color with minute particles floating in the beer. Large head shows great retention and light mottled lacing. Aroma of strong yeast and bread with spice and light fruit notes. Taste is yeast, dough, earthy spices, cotton candy and light fruits. Medium bodied.

Name: Hefe-Weisse
Date: February 17, 2009
Mode: Draft
Source: Gingerman, Houston
Appearance: opaque light orange, creamy off white head, thick spidery lace
Aroma: light sweet banana aroma with just a hint of clove
Body: creamy body
Flavor: sweet banana flavor, light balancing clove
Aroma: 5/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 7/10; Overall: 11/20
Rating: 3/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: *4

Found on tap @ Freetails. Cloudy light orange pour. Standard hefe smell. Taste is rich in wheat grains. Tasty, clean finish.

On tap. Pours with a hazy gold body under a large, foamy white head that leaves good lace. Aroma of orange, clove and vanilla...Nothing special for a hefe. Taste wise though, this is a good beer! Vanilla overtones over a creamy banana foster and light clove body. Great drinking stuff. Lively bubbles, and water like mouthfeel.

Courtesy GodofThunder. Murky dark straw color, thin white soapy head. A lot of clove on the aroma, some overripe banana, something a tad off about the phenolic notes. Nice effervescent mouthfeel. Light on the taste, with the phenols calmer with a mild sweetness on the back end.

Growler from GodofThunder. Pale, hazy, light gold. Small but thick head. Oily smell is off-putting, described by Dragonstout as ground beef which explains it, being I don’t like ground beef. Strange aroma, especially in a beer. Mouthfeel is sweet and slightly sticky. Flavors are not as skank as the aroma but the sour meat is still there. I really did not get it or if I got it I did not like it.