Brooklyner-Schneider Hopfen-Weisse

Brewed by Brooklyn Brewery
Style: Weizen Bock
Brooklyn, New York USA

Botella, courtesy of Plovman. Muddy golden colour with a big white head, good lacing. Fruity yeasty wheat citrus pleasant aroma. Good filling mouthfeel. Pleasant fruity, wheat, yeasty, banana, bitter flavour with a long lasting fruity wheat yeasty banana finish.

Beautiful to look at. One of the prettiest heads I have seen in along time. But this just does not come across as a weizenbock to me. Too hoppy for the style- sorta reminds me of how a west coast brewery could screw up the style.

This beer pours a cloudy yellow with a large white head. The aromas are bananas, light clove and citrus hops. The flavors are bananas, grass, cloves and citrus

I unfairly rated their lasted collaboration. Wish I had the knowledge then, as I do now. Nice haze orange color, with a light orange hue. Head is extremely fluffy, and seems to be receding slowly. No complaints about the appearance. Truly, this is brew has a hoppy aroma. Slight touches of pine are coming through, but I am mainly getting a nice orange/grapefruit citrus hop aroma. Banana and yeast are hitting my nostrils as well, but not at the same level as the hops. I am only slightly getting some clove, but not much. A nice variety of fruitiness in the aroma. Wow, the hops aren’t that present in terms of flavor. Actually, the hops provide a nearly perfect balance between sweet and bitter. A nice banana cream and yeast flavor are noticed right away. The citrus hops are hitting my taste buds at certain points. The grapefruit flavor mixes very well with that banana cream flavor. The hops provide a lasting bitterness that isn’t incisive in the least. Very smooth texture. On the verge of being a little too carbonated, but still has a wonderfully smooth texture. Great brew.

My friend ben4321 said I might enjoy this, and boy he was right. A hefeweizen with a higher alcohol percentage and a slight hop bitter flavor. Aroma has some banana and cloves like most hefes. Wish I had a bottle to myself.

Bottle. Pours a dull, hazy copper color with a large white foamy head that recedes leaving thick lacing. Nose is spicy coriander with light lemon zest and a hint of banana and pepper. Palate is medium with a nice spicy bite. Flavors of banana, clover, pepper, lemon zest. Finishes fairly clean but a light layer of film on the molars is present.

Brooklyner-Schneider Hopfen Weisse is a weizenbock brewed as a collaboration between the Brooklyn Brewery of New York and J. Schneider & Sohn of Germany (specifically, their brewmaster Hans-Peter Drexler). Even though this version was made in America, its German roots shine through with a robust, spicy palate and heavy body. This isn’t an easy-drinking hefeweizen; it’s a wheat beer for the most discriminating of tastes.

APPEARANCE AND AROMA

Hopfen Weisse pours to a very hazy shade of dark gold/light orange as if it were butterscotch syrup. It’s translucent with some carbonation apparent and the yeast, when added from the bottom of the bottle, gives a lava lamp effect. The beer produces a think collar of bright white, fluffy, marshmallow-like head. It is extremely slow to dissolve and leaves plenty of lacing on the glass. The aroma is rather potent with notes of citrus and some spice and touch of banana. The yeast is also prominent giving the beer a slightly dry scent. Alcohol is also noticeable as well.

TASTE

One of the reasons I like wheat beers is due to their refreshing palate. Brooklyner-Schneider Hopfen Weisse is quite the opposite since it’s so complex and intense that it’s closer to a sipping beer. Immediately I received a strong flavor of pineapple and alcohol. It was followed by a mélange of spices and a sweet banana-like finish.

I really enjoyed the taste as I noticed a continually-evolving palate. The hops provided for bitterness while the yeast and malts combined for a creamy, caramel-like palate and soft mouthfeel. I really enjoyed the rich flavor, which was indeed intense but nothing I would honestly consider sweet. There is a spiciness which cannot be ignored and it’s what separates the beer from your more pedestrian hefeweizen. But by the same token it’s a very acquired taste to really enjoy and appreciate.

DRINKABILITY

Wheat beers are usually known for their light and sometimes watery body, but Hopfen Weisse is much the opposite. The mouthfeel is thick and heavy and has a creamy texture to it. It’s soft on the palate and finishes extremely smooth, but the yeast leaves a dry, bitter aftertaste. This is one of those beers that are great to drink, but the aftertaste doesn’t compliment the beer’s character as well.

WEIGHT

Since this beer is heavy in the mouth it’s also heavy in body. At 8.5% ABV, Hopfen Weisse is indeed a sipping beer rather than the “lawnmower beers” many wheat brews are known for. The alcohol is prominent in the palate, but the beer does not go to your head. However, I did feel very full after drinking just one glass of it. Since this only comes in a 750ml bottle, I’d highly recommending splitting it with someone who will appreciate it.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I was actually surprised the Brooklyner-Schneider version of the Hopfen Weisse was so complex, rich and robust. I assumed it would have been a bit more pedestrian, so this brew caught me by surprise.

NOTE: Watch the video version of this review at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Viw-HvhOGxg

has got a great smell with a clove and banana flavors. taste is pungent with a definite bit to it. the palate is thick with a highly fizzy flavor that scrubs off everything.