GRASSHOPPER WHEAT ALE ~ BIG ROCK BREWERY

I have not had a Grasshopper in many years. It, at one time, was my go to beer. I remember it as being mild and citrusy. I ordered it for a trip down memory lane. It is a kristallweizen, which means it is a filtered Wheat beer. The wheat all comes from the Lethbridge area and the malts from central Alberta. Sampled on draught with a wedge of lemon the beer poured a clear bright straw yellow with a moderate billowy off white head. The head left scant lacing as it receded. The aroma was very mild, with hints of bready wheat, and citrusy fruit. There was also sweetness in the smell and some malts. The beer was much milder and sweeter than I recalled. The beer begins with sweet malts, followed by lemon citrus and finished with very mild hops. The body was light and the carbonation was on the low side of average. Refreshing, and easy to drink but a little pedestrian.
5% from Calgary, Alberta
Hops: Willamette and Saaz Hops
Malt: Pale and Wheat Malt

HEY DAY HEFEWEIZEN ~ GRANVILLE ISLAND

Sampled from a tin, this beer poured an opaque honey-amber colour with a generous white head. The head had good retention before fading into a cap and leaving some lacing. The nose was typical of a hefe with lots of clove, bready wheat and banana esters. There is also a subtle lemony citrus and peppery notes. There was not as much banana as I expected on the palette. Bready wheat, lemon and orange citrus are pronounced with sweet notes of pear and apple, clove and coriander are also present. The beer is light bodied, even a little watery at times, with average carbonation and a crisp off dry finish. Very refreshing, mild enough to have at breakfast, but nothing outstanding.

5% from Vancouver British Columbia IBU 15

SCHÖFFERHOFER WEIZEN ~ BINDING BRAUEREI

Cracked open on a really hot day, this wheat beer, brewed in the Bavarian style was a welcome refresher. Sampled from a tin, the beer poured a hazy unfiltered (the live yeast is bottle conditioned) orange-gold with a cloudy white head. The head had good retention and left lacing as it receded. The aroma had a typical hefe notes, though a little subtler than others (clove, coriander, citrus, bananas, wheat, white bread). The taste is crisp and refreshing with the classic flavours of clove, banana, orange, wheat, a hint of herbals and yeasty spiciness. A touch of bitterness finishes it off. The depth of flavour, like the aroma, was gentler than other hefes. The body was on the light-medium side, the carbonation was moderate and the mouthfeel was somewhat creamy. This is a refreshing and very easy drinking beer, though it lacks a little depth.

5% from Frankfurt, Germany

WEST TORONTO WEIZEN ~ JUNCTION CRAFT BREWING

Sampled from a tin this hefeweizen poured a hazy golden straw colour with a good white head, which left some thin lacing. The nose had tonnes of banana and clove, with spice, lemony citrus and wheat. The flavour follows as expected, with lots of banana esters, fruitiness, spice and wheat. Subtle grassy hops finish it off. The beer was smooth, medium-light bodied, with soft carbonation. This is a pleasant example of the style, a good patio beer, but nothing spectacular.

5% from Toronto, Ontario 10 IBU

IDLESCHWEIN ~ NEUSTADT SPRINGS BREWERY

Idleschwein is a dark wheat beer, or Dunkelweizen. Dunkelweizens were traditionally brewed in the south of Germany. I enjoyed this one on draught. The beer pours a deep dark amber colour. It had minimal head, which settled to a small ring of bubbles around the edges of the glass. The nose contained lots of sweet roasted malts, Belgian yeast, pear and apple, cloves and other spice. The flavour was similar to the nose, but introduced some other flavours too. The beer had the flavours of a classic hefeweizen, with banana, Belgian yeasts, and cloves, but also had hints of other spices…. almost like a banana bread. There as quite a lot of fruitiness in this beer too, I got late season tree fruit, which added both a sweetness and a touch of tartness. The malts were sweet and tasty and added a caramely-ness. It was medium bodied and full of flavours with moderate to low carbonation. A really interesting brew, though I found this quite sweet, and the bitterness was negligible. I would gladly sip on another.
4.7% from Neustadt, Ontario