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Rated 7.57 by 7 Beer Drinkers.
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Spring Time is Always Time for Wheat Beer!
by Belly Buddy Mark Stevens
At A Glance
Beer: DeGroen's Weizen
Pros: Classic Bavarian wheat beer -- sweet and smooth Cons: Limited distribution area Recommended: Yes
Spring might mean daffodils or easter bunnies to some people, but to me, it means it's time for a tall cold glass of cloudy wheat beer while I sit on the patio reading the Sunday paper. Bavarian-style wheat beers have always been associated with warm weather, and I can't think of a single style of beer that I'd rather have on a sunny warm day. My favorite wheat beer is DeGroen's Weizen -- a true classic!
Style Notes: The most popular and widespread style of wheat beer is the Bavarian weizen (or weissbier). Sweet and refreshing, the beer is noted for lots of yeast-produced aromas and flavors, such fruitiness or clove spiciness, aggressive carbonation, and cloudiness (although some brands are filtered). The beer is brewed using a blend of about 60% wheat and 40% pale malted barley and a special multiple-strain yeast. This is a normal density, normal alcohol beer (about 12 Plato with 4 to 5% alcohol).
Sample Conditions: This is one of my favorites from Baltimore Brewing -- a brewery that doesn't know how to make a bad beer. Most of the samples I've tasted have been served on draft at the brewery. The beer is also widely available in pubs throughout the Baltimore area, and is sometimes available in half-gallon jugs (called growlers).
Evaluation:
Appearance: Very pale pastel yellow color with the traditional cloudiness of the finest Bavarian wheat beers. Super thick, rocky head with aggressive carbonation.
Aroma: Fresh, fruity and spicy with the classic scent of cloves and banana, which at times can seem like those circus peanut candies that we all ate as kids. Some citric character coming through like a slice of lemon.
Flavor: Sweet tasting wheat beer with a little bit of a tart, citric edge to it. Very soft body -- smooth and refreshing. Extremely well balanced with no obvious hop flavor.
Brewery Notes: See my review for DeGroen's Dunkles for more details about this great brewery -- one of the best brewpubs in America.
Like all other DeGroen's beers, the weizen is made using traditional German practices, including the labor-intensive decoction mash process. The beer is unfiltered, in the classic Bavarian tradition.
Overall Impression:
I've enjoyed a lot of wheat beers over the years, and without a doubt, DeGroen's Weizen is the best Bavarian-style wheat beer that I've ever tasted from a U.S. brewery. It's a true classic, full of flavor and tradition. I can't imagine a better summertime picnic than a tall glass of DeGroen's Weizen with a few fresh-grilled weisswurst. Mmmmm!
8EODGuy7» Sometimes difficult to find but quite worth the trouble. 9maxheadroom» great beer! unfiltered is a nice change. best consumed out of the growler. 7Flaco» A decent wheat. It can be hard to find.
Key:9 Rating RED» Guests GREEN» Registered Buddy
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"Why we are here: To tremble at the terrible beauty of the stars, to shed a tear at the perfection of Beethoven's symphonies, and to crack a cold one now and then." -David Letterman.
