For today’s craft beer review I thought I would review the Widmer Brothers Hefeweizen brewed by the Widmer Brothers Brewing Company located in Portland, Oregon. 

I’ve never tried anything from this brewery, so when I saw this bottle sitting on the shelf of my liquor store, I figured I would give it a try.

From the website, widmer.com, we find this description. 

Meet the beer that started it all.  Our naturally cloudy flagship brew starts with the highest quality wheat.  It’s bold, clean flavor and pronounced citrus and floral aromas are what define American-Style Hefeweizen.  So pour yourself a cool, cloudy glass, finish with a lemon and enjoy the original.

How about a pour?  (And I’m definitely not putting a lemon in this thing).

This brew has an ABV of 4.9% and comes in a 12 oz. bottle. 

It poured a very cloudy, yellow/gold color.  A bright white head was formed from a fairly aggressive pour that was soft, fluffy and soapy.  It was less than average in size; the retention time was mediocre and the lacing was substandard.

The aroma revealed hints of yeast, coriander and pepper.  Some fruity sweetness, akin to orange and lemon citrus, was easily noticed also.  It was somewhat floral with some wheat characteristics too.  Some clove came through to add even more spice character.  The aroma seemed to be well balanced, however I found it to be rather mild and meek overall. 

The taste showed a little more “kick” by way of the spices.  It seemed much more peppery and the coriander and cloves added a nice compliment.  A slight tartness was tasted from the light lemon and orange citrus.  Only the most remote banana redolence was noticed.  Plenty of wheat and yeast add some “earthiness” to counterbalance the fruit and spices.  

The mouthfeel was medium to light, kind of watery, crisp and snappy.  It was quite thirst quenching and refreshing and a little bit of flavor was left behind on the palate for me to enjoy between sips. 

To be completely honest, this brew was only “average” in my opinion.  It didn’t do anything to separate itself from the other Hefeweizens out there.  It wasn’t anything bad or off putting and I’m sure that this brew would be an outstanding choice to gulp during the warmer days of Spring and Summer, but I was just hoping for something a little more full flavored and bold.  It was very easy to drink and would make for a great session brew, however I don’t think I would go out of my way to try it.  If you see it, sure, pick it up and give it a go, but don’t expect a world class beer here.  Just a decent representation of the style.

Thanks for reading and commenting everyone.  I really appreciate all of you guys.  Until next time.

Cheers.

Score:  3.2 out of 5
Grade:  C+