Portsmouth Hefeweizen

Brewed by Portsmouth Brewery
Style: German Hefeweizen
Portsmouth, New Hampshire USA

Muddy beige. No head. Big banana nose with light indistinct phenols and abundant wheat. Very sweet - sort of icing sugar sticky. Big banana and very sugary finish.

My Bottom Line:
Orange and banana juices flow onto the sweet cereals as doughy yeast is dropped onto the muddled result. All the right flavors are there, but for some reason I don’t find this Hefeweizen to be cohesive at all.

Further Personal Perceptions:
-There is barely a ring of foam to top the cloudy beige.
-The chosen yeast is very expressive; lots of banana esters and spicy, clovey phenols. Weihenstephaner’s perhaps?
-The relatively low carbonation does not help the mouthfeel at all.
-My glass was overly fruity and sweet to be all that drinkable. A rare dislike for me at this brewpub.

On tap at the brewpub.

Sampled at the brewpub in the company of the munificent and mysterious Mr. ClarkVV. Medium amber-gold, a bit hazy but clearer than some of the other samples, surprisingly...minimal head/ring of foam...soft banana-clove nose, quite typical and unoriginal...banana-bread and bubblegum in the body, full texture to start but quite watery late, some sourdough and perhaps a hint of tarragon to finish. Reasonably well put together but pedestrian.

Draft at the brewpub. Pours a golden amber orange body with a thin white head. Bananas and fruity esters. Over ripe banana’s sweet malt and a lil etoh. Very clean taste with risidual sweetness. Just overly sweet. My least favorite of the day.

On draught at the brewpub, 5/21/2005 with Muzzlehatch. Golden-brass colored beer, only lightly hazy, quickly receding white head, lightly bubbly, no lacing. Aroma is quite dry, with old banana bread, dry maltiness and hints of spice. Flavor is rather basic, some light banana mixed with water, little bit of bubblegum as it finishes. Just too watery, ultimately. Very dry on the finish, I like Barry’s suggestion of tarragon. Medium body, low carbonation towards the end.

Tap at brewpub. Pours a hazy golden with a thin head. Aroma is phenoilc spicy, light banana- cleanser and soapy- with lemon hints. Flavor is light esters, ok to medium clove- lemon and vanilla phenols and crackery wheat malts, but a bit soapy and clean with not full yeast character or big doughy wheat body.

Hazy yellow color with a ring of white lace. Aroma and flavor of banana and lemon. Light to medium body with a creamy texture and expansive carbonation.

En fût. Pinte dégustée à la brasserie. Arôme: Odeur de banane avec une pointe de clou de Girofle. Apparence: La couleur est orangée voilée. Saveur: Léger goût d’orange et d’épices. Courte durée de l’arrière goût. Palette: Le corps est moyen avec une texture légèrement huileuse. Faible effervescence en bouche. Légère présence d’épices en arrière goût. (Rating #1693)