by Mike Sober, Pacific Brew News
After a hard day of NFL football watching my wife Terri and I decided, after a bike ride of course, that we really need to heed the advice of Mike. Mike is, of course, Michael Mathot General Manager of Pyramid Breweries in Sacramento Ca. On our previous Friday night trip to Vino’s in
Mike informed us that, not only did they still have the Imperial Hefeweizen on tap, but they also currently offered Pyramids first attempt at a Double, or as they preferred to call it, an Imperial IPA. It was decided right then and there… we had to go, simple as that.
After finally getting parked near Pyramid’s downtown
The beer is a golden orange color with an unfiltered cloudy hue and a white crown that dissipates rather quickly. It possesses a nice balance that I half expected to suffer in such a ramped up version of what is essentially a traditionally light beer style. Still light and drinkable while at the same time possessing a much larger, bolder body that you would expect in any beer labeled an Imperial. Naturally I ordered another….just to be sure.
Terri finished off her IPA and was eager to move up to the Imperial and I have to admit I was right behind her in curiosity. The Imperial IPA surprised me with its almost copper color that reminded me more of a Red, or more precisely an Amber, than an IPA. I soon found out it had other features of a red with its delicate roasted malt flavor that lingered in the aftertaste. After a few sips I realized, “Man, I really like this beer”. The body was a bit thinner in body than most Imp IPA’s, but the bittering hop was right there in your face with every swallow.
Tasting the Imperial and the Thunderhead side by side I came to the conclusion that the same basic bittering hop is present in both beers, the Imperial just has three times the bitterness. I didn’t really detect a lot going on in the aroma, but the pleasing lingering hop taste more than made up for it.
To no one’s surprise I purchased a growler of the IPA and took it home and I think I heard that there were 22oz bottles of the Imperial Hefeweizen available in select local stores as well. The Imperial IPA won’t be around long so I suggest a trip to Pyramid… soon.
I’ll admit, I’ve never heard of this beer and can’t pretend to tell you the proper pronounciation. However, I know enough to not-so-boldly say this is a fantastic example of a Bavarian Wheat beer, otherwise known as Hefeweizen. Pouring an orangish gold color, with a cloudy haze and a frothy/rocky loose bubbled head, the beer is simply a thing of beauty to look at. The aroma also seems to carry out orders from the historical style guidelines – clove and and a beautifully light fruity character.
The flavor is slightly tart, as you come to expect from the style, with a sweetness up front that is surprisingly caramel-like. The hops in this beer are clearly not the forefront, only intended to buster the character of the yeast and malts. What hops you can detect come through as a moderately peppery and lightly bittering.
The mouthfeel is another strong area of this beer, as it is nearly chewy in it’s texture. Low alcohol warmth and lending to the beers overall refreshing quality.
I won’t say this is the best Hefe I have had, but it is everything you’d want in a traditional hefeweizen. Refreshing. Flavorful. Clean.
Score: 3.9/5
FYI – I picked this beer up at Nugget Market here in Northern California. I suspect you’ll be able to find this beer and others by the same brewer. Suggest you look for these sooner than later. Judging by the date stamps, these are as fresh a beer you’ll find from Germany.
image from beerlabels.com
I had originally intended on putting this as my Summer Beer #3 review, but have reconsidered because I think this beer is available year-round. My wife and I love shopping at Trader Joe’s, it is just a great all around grocer with quality food at great prices. Several years ago they had, what I considered to be, the best beer selection in town. Now, however, they seem to have lost their interested in beer and it seems like their shelf space for beer is smaller and their variety a bit less interesting that I remember. That said, a about a year and a half ago they started carrying their own brand of beer, contract brewed in large part by Gordon Biersch. These beers are great values – usually 4.99 a six pack (and you can buy singles of any sixer they have) and each beer full of flavor and aroma.
In the heat of Summer my love of all things hoppy subsides a bit and is replaced with a love of all things tart or sour. Now, I can’t afford to drink lambic every night, sad to say, but I have found a well made hefe hits the spot. So, when I was picking up my week’s worth of groceries on Sunday I picked up a six pack of the TJ’s Hefe – my first time trying the beer – and I am happy I did.
Aroma: mild overall, with some clove spice peeking through. No hops, low malt. Clean to be sure and pleasant overall, just subdued when compared to some Bavarian samples.
Appearance: Golden color with a with fluffy head that has great retention. Slightly hazy, but not as much as other examples of the style.
Taste: Very thirst quenching, wonderful really. Slight tartness from the wheat with hints of citrus, clove and mild banana in the aftertaste. Hops are moderate, with a peppery characteristic and just enough bitterness to balance the biscuity sweetness. Finishes slightly dry with a lingering mild bittering that refreshes the palate.
Body: Medium bodied beer with low alcohol warmth and moderate carbonation. Again, a wonderful thirst quenching beer for hot summer days.
Overall: A great American made Hefeweizen, with more going on than some more widely distributed examples, but with less character overall than some of my favorite German versions (Hopf). Great for Summer days and clearly a drink designed to enjoy throughout the day. Yeah, I can have several of these without blinking an eye, meaning it must be good.
Score: 3.8/5
