Long Trail Hefeweizen

Brewed by Long Trail Brewery
Style: German Hefeweizen
Bridgewater Corners, Vermont USA

Sampled this one at the brewery in Bridgewater Corners,VT. I would have to say that this is my favorite Long Trail offering so far. Nice color, aroma, & head. The taste was well above-average for an American Hefe. The banana comes through nicely, but not overpowering. Just a hint of citrus. Very refreshing on a warm spring day in the VT countryside. If you ever find yourself in central Vermont, do yourself a huge favor, and stop by & visit the friendy folks at Long Trail. You’ll be glad you did.

This offering pours a cloudy two-tier dark orange on top and light gold on the bottom that leaves a thick off-white head. The aroma is nice, banana, cloves, wheat, must, and a little sour acidic aroma. The taste starts sweet, ripe banana, apple, wheat, that is followed by a crisp carbonation filled with a mildly bitter hop balance. The finish is somewhat watery not as flavorful in the finish as I like but a good version of a Hefe-Weizen. Nice to see an American brewery tackling the style.

Bottle. Pours a cloudy golden color with a quickly disappearing head. Banana and wheat/yeast on the nose. Not overwhelming, but nice sweet carmelized banana flavors. Nice creamy mouthfeel and very refreshing. I was pleasently suprised by this, very nice and disappointed that I just bought a single since I wanted some more.

Bottle. Aroma of grain and lemon-citrus and wheat with yeast overtone. Nicely fruity, reminds of a sparkling cider mixed with bubblegum. Surprisingly attractive nose! Effervescent golden body with a rocky lacing head. Taste is bubblegum and yeasty wheat, refreshing and during out into a rounded long-lasting bread-and-pretzel aftertaste. Full-bodied and crisp. High marks for a phenomenal American Hefeweizen!

I acquired this from a "Summer Survival" mix pack of Long Trail brews on a recent trip to Vermont. The trip wound up being absolutely amazing, and the beers were very enjoyable during our weekend of camping and exploring. On our first night at the campsite, I promptly popped open a Long Trail Hefeweizen, and, being the picky beer drinker that I am, dug my hefeweizen glass out of my suitcase so as to make sure I got a good look at the cloudy, hazy, citrussy-bright body with a lusciously billowing and tightly compacted head. I am not a huge fan of most American takes on German hefeweizens, but this one is an excellent example. It has a nice, crisp, bready malt backbone, complemented by a very fresh, ripe banana body, and loads of citrus and pineapple notes. The mouthfeel is refreshingly bright and invigorating, and the finish lingers with malt and lemon-peel notes for some time. This is one of my favorite all-around hefeweizens, and it was an excellent start to my exploration of Vermont’s very rich beer culture.

Hazy golden orange, dense creamy ivory head. Smells of big ripe bananas. Nice banana esters. Some lemon and crisp wheat malt. Crisp mouth, slighlty sour wheat malt in the aftertaste. Refreshing. One of the more interesting and estery American hefes I’ve had. Very nice, Long Trail!

Bottle. Pour is a hazy amber with a small, white head and aromas of spice, spice and spice. Pepper, fennel and cloves in the nose. Flavor is more of the same and is simply lovely. Big banana/cloves up front with a bit of bubble gum sweetness and a lemony/peppery finish. This was darn good and it leaves me wondering whether I got a particularly good bottle or if there is a new batch or what the heck...

(Bottle) This was fairly heavy and rich for a Hefeweizen, but overall, pretty good and indicative of the style. I liked it a fair amount. It was fresh and there was no objectionable sourness...so perhaps the other reviewers would benefit from getting a fresher batch. Not terribly complex, but still an above-average beer, especially among beers of this style to come from American brewers.