TheBeerObserver

My hefe-weizen quest continues. The Ayinger Brau-Weise is a classic German hefeweizen. It pours with a thick head, with a tan, yellow color and a thick haze. The nose is full of fruity esters, with a touch of banana and hint of lemon (none in the glass, thank you). The body is maltier and a little bigger than I might have expected, but crisp with bready notes. The wheat flavors come through strong, not too fruity but just a hint of melon. A very enjoyable hefeweizen.

The last beer in our Spring Hefeweizen Tasting was a wild card - Harpoon's UFO Raspberry Hefeweizen. As a former brewer of blueberry, raspberry and watermelon beers (among others), I understand the appeal of fruit beers. However, I prefer to stick to fruit beers from Belgium - lambics, gueze, or framboise - and avoid the temptation of floating blueberries in my glass.

Tucher Helles Hefe Weizen is another classic German hefeweizen that I like to seek out during the summer months. This beer poured nicely with a creamy head. However, it lacked the fruitiness that I expect in a hefeweizen's aroma.

On the flip side, it has a rich malty body - you can really taste the wheat and malted barley. The fruit flavor comes on strong through the body, making up for what it lacked in aroma, and finished crisp and sweet.