Starr Hill The Love

Brewed by Starr Hill
Style: German Hefeweizen
Crozet, Virginia USA

Date: November 21, 2009
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting, Cellar Party
Appearance: hazy yellow, wispy white head
Aroma: musty wheat aroma, hint of sweet banana
Flavor: sweet malt flavor, touch of banana adds to the sweetness, balancing wheat tartness, a trace of spicy clove, light bitter finish
Aroma: 5/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 5/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 9/20
Rating: 2.5/5.0
Drinkability: 6/10
Score: ** /4

Aroma was a little on the stinky dubbel/tripel side. Cloudy, peach-colored brew, thin white head, bad bottle with a twist-off cap. Sour lead in, starchy with sour fruit. Only some light sweetness on the lips. Off, wheat funk tones everywhere. Lightly sour, lemony finish on a medium body. Amateurish. ABC Liquors, Kerry Forest.

12oz bottle. yellow gold pour with a thin white head and lots of visible carbonation boiling up. aroma of spices, banana and yeast. moderately sweet tastes of orange, lemon and wheat. quick lightly bitter finish. as expected, lively carbonation.

12 oz bottle
It has been a while since I tried an unfiltered hefeweizen. This one is par for the course. Without being spectacular it meets all expectations. If I were in the Virginia area I might check out more of their offerings. They have potential to be a solid local/regional brewery based on this one data point.

Aroma / Appearance - The hazy golden body and bubbly carbonation were the hallmark of a standard hefeweizen. A thin patina of white head was all that was left after a few minutes of sitting. Lemon, grapefruit, and banana chips mix into a texture that has a nice tart bite. Unlike a sour however it is not aggressive or long lasting.

Flavor / Palate - Honey, citrus, and wheat fold into a mildly complex mouthfeel. A sour tart finish sharpens the senses and refreshes the palate. At best this is slightly above average but I still had few problems drinking a bottle in short order.

Nose has banana and lemon notes. Cloudy yellow, thin head. Powerfully sour lemony wheat flavor. Clean finish. Not a good hefeweizen.

Very shitty babyfood nose, with banana and lemon notes. Cloudy yellow, thin head. Powerfully sour lemony wheat flavor. Clean finish. Refreshingly sour, but one dimensional and lacking in personality. Not a good hefeweizen.

Enjoyed as part of the Starr Hill box set, which includes the Amber Ale, Jomo Lager, Pale Ale, and The Love (a Hefeweizen) and for the all-too reasonable cost of $15.40. Purchased at the House of Brews during a very recent trip to Clarksville, Tennessee. Appearance: Pours out a cloudy, darkened, dulled yellow body with a large, frothy, white head. This clears out within several minutes, leaving me wondering if a tampered-with temperature setting on my refrigerator is setting in a chill haze. Smell: Simple notes of aromatic spice and malted wheat hit first with supporting scents of tart lemons and, well, that’s about it. Taste: A taste of crisped, lightly tangy wheat malt greets the tongue with an accompanying sweetness and some generous squirts of fresh, tart lemon juice and a sprinkling of table sugar. Touches of spicy clove and coriander follow behind shortly. Very mild, minute hop presence and bitterness. Finishes citrusy, lightly spicy, and with that roundabout tangy wheat taste lingering on the tongue. Mouthfeel: Medium-light body. Medium-high carbonation that’s a little snappy on the tongue. Drinkability: A likable, decent hefe from Starr Hill. While it won’t exactly rival the great hefes of Germany, it’ll certainly do in a pinch.

3rd of six on my SC Nov 09 trip. This weat ale is good/very good to me. simple. Tasty notes and slight yummy smell. Label and name are awesome.