Rogue Half-E-Weizen (MoM Hefeweizen)

Brewed by Rogue Ales
Style: Wheat Ale
Newport, Oregon USA

Another well-carbonated Rogue beer, but I find this to be the lowest offering from the brewery to date. Half-A Weizen has a deep gold color that is quite unlike any hefe I’ve come across. Aroma is somewhat faint but pleasant, with a clean mealy, bready element at the fore. The flavor is completely different though: it presents a "half-assed" fusion of flavors with the weizen nature rather overwhelmed by the spices, mainly ginger (powder) and perhaps orange peel. Body of the beer is a bit heavy for a hefe. Cheap ginger powder aftertaste. They may do better to make the body heavier by adding malt and make this into a Christmas ale. However, some decent hops show through in this beer and though there are better out there, one or two of these might be good on a hot summer day before a meal.

Pleasant, but nothing outstanding. The half-wheat idea is a novel one but it’s not very obvious -- it’s a bit like a watery Weizen with a bit of pine thrown in.

Tasted in Toronto. Part of LCBO summer collection. Tasted from a 650ml bottle, tasted in 650 ml ’Frakenmuth Michigan’ stein. Appearance was darker than expected, almost close to Schneider Weisse. Aroma was subtle, light aroma of fruity esters, banana, cloves, typical of the style. Falvour was more like a ginger beer, light, slightly sweet, with a ginger and spice finish. Not powerful enough to really denote anything terribly interesting.

Bottle. Pours a cloudy dark yellow with an average frothy white head. Aroma of malt, honey, ginger and mild hops. Palate has a medium body, average carbonation and is bitter. Flavour of grapefruit, hops, pepper, ginger and other fruit and spices. This is quite different as far as Rogues go and I would rate it on the lower end of their line but a lesser Rogue is still better than many other beers. I did notice I enjoyed it less as it started to warm up. Still, I liked it more than the average wheat beer.

Bottle (650ml). Pours brassy, somewhat cloudy but even, quite a bit of almost white head (’ware the foam plug!). Bubbly for a while, flattens out quickly. Nose of cascade(?) hops, hint of citrus-y malt, bit of ash. Flavour is like a milder standard wheat with a fair bit of extra hop bitterness, a lemony finish chimes in against the hops at the end. I’m not a hop-head, so not enitrely my thing, but better than the "real" hefeweizen I tried last week. Quenching.

Pours a hazy gold colour with a thin bubbly head. Aromas of citrus, malt, hops and some coriander. Light in body. Medium carbonation lends a bit of a tingly mouthfeel with some lemonaid-like taste uo front and a good bitterness to finish.

650ml brown bottle. Poured a medium shade of gold, small uneven head of soapy bubbles. Interesting aroma, ginger is really noticable giving it a bit of spiciness, fruity notes - pear, pineapple. Flavours are similarly spicy - ginger makes an appearance, slight citrus and spicy/grassy hops. Lightly fruity start. Finish toward the dry side with some wheaty flavour.

I rated one bottle very recently but on further review I find this Half-E-Weizen (now I get the concept) a very refined and interesting beer, certainly in the class of the Juniper Ale if not the Stouts Rogue is praised for.Good lesson, we must judge on a few samples if the style is fairly new. It’s rather good for a beer with a loose frame of reference, a chance-taker! A tad pricey for the light palate/body yet still a great & unique summer companion, and who else but them would make this stuff? <P> Looks fine. Nice herbal fresh aroma. Green grassy palate, hops jump out a bit but not in a way I enjoy. Feels light and watery for a premium & has a slight metallic dryness on finish. Added ginger is too cheaply prominent and not evocative or warming, while other flavorings don’t add body or mystery to the taste. Not really defective, just lacks integration... tastes gimmicky for a five dollar beer. 7/4/4/2/8 for overall 2.5.