Live Oak Hefe Weizen

Brewed by Live Oak Brewing Company
Style: German Hefeweizen
Austin, Texas USA

22oz bottled from keg: Cloudy yellow beer. The aroma is musty basement and German yeast ester of banana. Thin bodied with a simple flavor. Papery malt and very mild lemon peel and a late mineral touch. Simple.

22 oz from a keg. Smells like a dopplebock. Light yellow with sulphur in the nose. Plenty of vanilla with some clove but very light, peppery (also very subtle). Merangue flavor like lemon are also there. Solid brew.

A softish pour produces an almost one finger thick, pale, tan tinged head that sits on top of a deeply hazy, straw colored beer. When held up directly to the light it picks up some orange tints, but is still completely opaque. The aroma is quite hearty, lots of yeast notes from, surprise - surprise, actual yeast as well as ample clove notes, a hint of banana and lots of wheat / grain aromas. This last supplies some wheat-tartness, aromas of crushed saltine crackers and a rich, chewy, crushed grain aroma. The tartness accentuates a touch of fruitiness reminiscent of something like a cross between a pear and tropical fruit. This is just very hearty smelling for a HefeWeizen & quite enjoyable, the depth of the grain character is quite nice.

Not as thick as I was expecting based on the rich aromas, instead it has a nice light texture & heft to it like a good HefeWeizen should. I was half expecting / dreading that this was going to be overly under-attenuated, I am quite happy it is not. Perceived sweet notes linger on the palate with a mix of clove and banana notes. Soft and creamy, yet with a prickly carbonation, this beer has a certain viscousness to it that coats the palate, but does not keep this from being light and quaffable. Lightly tart, which accentuates a very soft fruitiness, but mostly plays up the chewy wheat flavors. This has lots of grain character to it; chewy, slightly dried-grass like, a bit of hay, a full wheat grain flavor and a crushed cracker note. The finish has a mix of clove flavors, light hop bitterness and a slight, herbal hop flavor.

As the beer warms a bit the banana flavors become a bit more accented & this accentuates an up front, grain sweetness. This is eminently quaffable; there is just enough sweetness to accentuate some soft fruit, clove and grain character. Really it is the fresh grain character that makes this beer so tasty; I can’t remember having a HefeWeizen that tasted fresher and the vibrant grain character is what is driving this vibrancy. This only gets tastier and more well balanced as it warms up. I am towards the end of my 22oz serving and am finding myself wishing for more; the banana is definitely much more noticeable than the clove that was more noticed at the cooler temps, but it is still not overly much. This is a damn tasty HefeWeizen, a style that I have forgotten how good it can actually be if done correctly; this is certainly one of the finest examples that I have had, my guess is that they use a Decoction mash; there is almost no better way to get such a vibrant grain character into a beer. Fantastic!

Birthday! .... Quite tangy 4 a hefeweizen ... very refreshing ... is a peach juice colour .. lacing is over average ... hate to say it but might benefit from a lemon wedge?!?! ... decent but fresh ... i will have this again because I know this is better than my score..

Many thanks to Ken for bringing the growler! Poured cloudy paler gold with a moderate cap of white head. The aroma picked up delightfully prominent banana upfront with a complement of bubblegum.. never struck me as artificial, and I thought it presented itself very well. Sweet in the flavor department, again at the hands of banana and bubblegum.. picked up a small dose of vanilla and tart lemon zest at the edges.. tasty! Sweet and grainy on the palate with enough carbonation to move it smoothly across the palate. Excellent beer!

22oz handbottle, courtesy of thickerfreakness from BA. Thanks, Charles! Pours a murky, whitish-golden color; bright white head with solid, fine-bubbled lacing. Solid amounts of bananas, cloves, and a touch of zesty citrus and minerals in the aroma. Medium-to-full mouthfeel: chewy bananas, esters, and Belgian sugar; could use some of the zesty hops that originally showed through in the aroma; chewy hefeweizen, with plenty of fruit and esters. Medium finish: bananas, toasty malts, and a touch of cloves.

Very good Hefe!!! Loaded with bananas, cloves, and a sweet citrusy aroma and flavor...

murky gold pour with a white head. malts and wheat on the nose. very good smell for a hefe honestly. nice wheat and citrus flavor that is very refreshing.