New Belgium - Coconut Curry Hefeweizen

Is it just me or when you see a beer with "Coconut Curry" in the title, you just have to take it home?  I have to know what it's like!  I have to try it.  I also enjoy that I'm supporting creative brewers, but my motives are far from altruistic.  I want what others call "weird beers."  If it weren't for weird beers how would we know that we like beers with coffee or syrup or chili peppers or smoke or weasel poop?  Without creative brewing we'd all be drinking fermented honey or fruit juice or something.  So let's keep this progression going because if beer as we know it is this good, who knows what a few experiments might turn up over the next several hundred years!  It's our solemn duty (*wink*) as craft beer drinkers.  All right, </speech>, but seriously... rare ingredients are good things.  This beer seems to have them and the Lips of Faith series by New Belgium has turned out some pretty damn good brews.  How can I lose, right?  Let's pour!

This picture is not blurry.  My camera was drunk.

Aroma 10/12

This is a not a bruiser in the aroma department, but I will give it kudos for performing the seemingly impossible task of incorporating all of the ingredients of its namesake into the aroma.  At first this comes across the nose as a sweet-smelling hefe: gum-like Belgian yeasts and a a spicy clove note.  Then you start to realize that part of the sweetness is in part thanks to the coconut.  The coconut does not come across aggressively or über-sweet like some of the candies based on the same, but instead like the creamy, almost neutral sweetness of coconut flesh.  In the back is the curry that steadily grows stronger as the beer warms.  At first the spice is simply detectable as an overall spiciness, maybe an extra boistrous strain of Belgian yeast providing more-than-usual pepper notes or an especially zesty clove, however the curry slowly becomes more distinct to eventually take a seat as one of the predominant aromas.  We are left with a Belgian yeast sweetness, made to seem sweeter by a well-hidden coconut, and loads of spice.  Neither one overpowers, but both are strong.

Appearance 2/3

Despite not mishandling this beer, I was disappointed to see white floaties traveling around my glass like annoying insects that I could not shoo away.  Having not yet taken a drink, I'm unsure if they are pieces of coconut, sediment from the hefe, or some combination of both.  The beer is cloudy as the style should be and pours a dusty golden hue.  Its head is ivory in color and constructed of many tiny, distinct bubbles that are steadily replaced by line of their brethren rising from the bottom.

Flavor 19/20

There is no easing your way into this beer.  From the moment it hits your lips, it is upon you and greeting you as zealously as a long lost aunt during an surprise Christmas visit  Things begin as a very spiced version of a hefe, but quickly the curry takes over the flavor.  This is a bit scary since a curry flavored beer has been requested by approximately 1 person ever who was then promptly flogged - not a exactly a popular option.  With a little bit of patience and close attention to what is being tasted, the spiciness (almost bitter for a moment) combines with a wash of coconut sweetness and the flavor turns wholly into that of a delicious Indian meal.  The sweetness of the hefe was almost completely drowned out by the spices but is reborn in the coconut and the transition is surprisingly easy - huge kudos to the folks at new Belgium for spotting these complementary flavors in seemingly opposite corners.  Fascinating!  The finish, much like the food, leaves plenty of spice on the tongue and is perhaps partially aided by a lively carbonation.  This lingering spice not only muddies the remaining hefe sweetness into an earthier, darker version of itself, but also leaves the tongue tingling in a few distinct places.  The aftertaste is surprisingly non-existant or perhaps just seems that way after such unmistakable flavors.

Mouthfeel 4/5

The carbonation started out as extremely active, but halfway through the bottle mellowed to that of a frisky american lager.  It has a medium-heavy body which actually gains a nice smoothness as the carbonation shrinks.  There's no real warmth to speak of no matter what the curry tells you.

Overall Impression 9/10

This is an impressive brew.  Not only did they use such exotic and unconventional ingredients as coconut and curry, but they also missed all the pitfalls that can happen when utilizing such potent ingredients.  The hefe behind these large ingredients is quite good and not some sub-par version hiding behind flavors.  New Belgium found a sweet and lightly spiced beer and paired it with a sweet and spicy food.  This combination may be out of left field, but works together like the field of dreams.

Total 44/50

To say I'm surprised by how well this beer works would be an understatement.  I buy a lot of unusual sounding beers.  The constant experimentation and pushing of boundaries is something I find exciting in both food and drink and the ingredient list on this beer certainly satisfies that.  Not only do I find these things exciting, but new ingredients also pique my curiosity.  The beer has a good hefe base to it, which is only detectable in brief splashes.  After that, it's "The Coconut & Curry Show," and the beer excellently replicates the taste of those succulent Indian dishes.  If you like that, you're bound to like this beer.  If not, it still may have something to offer.  The spice and sweet, fruit-like qualities of a hefe pair surprisingly well with the same qualities of the Indian food.  Granted, the curry/coconut takes the spice and fruit levels and cranks them up to  a level beyond what we beer drinkers would call "imperial."  The coconut/curry is an exaggerated version of the style's calling card flavors, but the similarities are undeniable; I can see why they made it.  I like this beer.  Tasty, unique, well done, pronounced, an excellent pairing of style and new ingredients, and it's exactly what it claims to be on the label.  My only question is, if I order this in a bar, do I receive some naan instead of pretzels?

Sand Creek Brewing Co. - Lilja's Wisconsin Heifer Weizen

Time to honor one of the foundations of craft beer, drinking from a small brewery of which I have never heard.  Now the label of this beer has a lot of jokes/puns on it (Heifer Weizen, "Brewed Behind The Cheddar Curtain," a cow saying "Got beer?", a tiny caption reading "ylnevaeh spoh"), but it is all rather distracting.  Besides the fact that Cheddar is a English cheese in origin (yes, I am aware of Wisconsin's dairy prowess) and that "ylnevaeh spoh" is simply "heavenly hops" spelled backwards (not exactly an inside joke), I had a hard time finding the name of the actual brewer!

At first I thought "Lilja's" would be correct, then I found something that listed "Pangeabeers.com," and THEN I had to read the part of the label way off to the side that read, "Brewed by Sand Creek Brewing Co."  I like a joke on the label (and clever marketing) as much as the next guy, but how are you supposed to promote your brewery when I can barely find the name on the bottle?

Anyway, rant aside, I love a good beer.  Especially hefes and especially good beer from Wisconsin.  This beer has the excellent potential to be both.  Let's pour!

Picture is my own.  Bottle art image used without permission for educational uses only.

Aroma 6/12
Not what one comes to expect from a hefe.  In fact, the "banana-y" smell is almost nonexistent.  What the aroma does provide is more sour than sweet.  This leads one to believe a high citrus base, but without the sugary goodness that normally accompanies it.  The sour mixes with a grassy hop smell with the wheat showing up from time to time.  It is dominated by sour and grass.  An odd combination which is not to style and makes me a bit wary.

Appearance 2/3
My initial "sniffing pour" (2-3 oz) poured  crystal clear.  This had me very concerned until I poured the rest of the bottle and it clouded up accordingly.  In fact, there was a lot of tasty sediment at the bottom and I made sure to get every last drop.  It pours a cloudy earth-tone yellow with a sound amount of cream white head to top it.  No lacing, but the head stuck around long enough to not let me gripe about it.

Picture is my own.

Flavor 12/20
The first flavor to arrive is that of spice.  Unfortunately, it is not coriander and clove (though those are present), it is a more pepper and clove mix.  This, when combined with the bitter of the hops, give the main palate of this beer a very unusual flavor for the style.  The sweetness is almost completely overpowered and is only shines through in the finish and aftertaste.  When it does, it tastes like a hefe should: sweet, banana, wheat deliciousness.  Until you get to that point, you are in for a bit of a surprise.  The only sweetness I detected in the primary flavor was that of lemon and even that may have been based in coriander and the sweetness of the wheat itself.  Not to style.

Mouthfeel 3/5
Body was adequate and the carbonation was a bit high for the style.  Not exactly the creamy treat one usually hopes for in a hefe, but it also had a hint of warmth.  I am seldom disappointed by warmth when I find it, even if it is only a bit.

Overall Impression 5/10
This particular brew is not appropriate to style in several categories.  The smell is not sweetly inviting and intoxicating, the flavor is spicy, barely sweet, and almost bitter, and the mouthfeel eliminates the creaminess which so often compliments the fruity, estery goodness that is a good hefe.

Total  29/50 (Good)
I appreciate a good variation on a style as much as the next man, but I am not even sure what to call this particular style.  It has all the spiciness of a winter seasonal (though different spices) and the (albeit muted) fruity taste and cloudiness of a hefe.  It is definitely an odd combination and not entirely pleasing.  We drink hefes because they are also everything we want in a life-mate: sweet, smells nice, and goes down easy.  I feel that this brewer tried to make a more balanced version of a hefe (of which I would approve), but overspiced it and got a little to proud of their "heavenly hops."  I sure their hops may just be heavenly, but that does not mean they get to maintain their lofty position in this particular style.

I'll definitely pass on this offering if I found it again, but I'm more than willing to try more brews from a small brewer who is trying to make something different than the norm.  Keep trying, Sand Creek!

Ayinger - Braü-Weisse

As with most folks, my first dive into craft brewery (or any beer with flavor for that matter) was a witbier, with weisse beers and hefe-weizens not far behind.  These are the styles of beer that I have drinking the longest and I am always excited to try a new one or revisit an old friend.  Today's sample was Ayinger's - Braü-Weisse.  I was a bit more excited than usual because this appeared to be a more authentic offering than most; there were proper (not popularized spellings), it is German-made, and (I cannot stress this enough) there were umlauts on the bottle.  It is also important for me to note that the 2 of the 3 english phrases on the label were:

1.  Brewed in accordance to the "Reinheitsgebot" Purity law of 1516
2.  Authentic Bavarian hefe-weizen

Those are good signs!  Let's dive right in.

Picture is my own.  Bottle art image used without permission for educational uses only

Aroma 9/12
The hops are the first thing to jump out at you.  They are, of course, citrusy and sweet; greeting the nose but not overwhelming it with sweetness.  This lack of sweetness, everpresent with the style, is to be the theme for this beer.  There was not the smell of "banana" or "bubblegum" with this beer, but instead a sweet more acidic aroma associated with apples.  This is the first hint that makes me think I may not have received a fresh bottle from my retailer.  An aroma is still certainly present, but not the rich, sweet smell of an authentic hefe-weizen.  For the style, its a bit thin and acidic.

Appearace 2/3
A lovely, golden cloud filled my glass.  What more could you ask for in a weisse?  A head, it turns out, is the answer.  The ivory-colored head was fair in size (1 1/2 fingers), but it disappeared extremely quickly (especially for the style) and I was disappointed.  For a good hefe-weizen I expect a thick, rich foam on the top which reeks of the aroma beneath and remains with me for at least half the glass.  This was not the case; there was no lace and no retention.  This is the second hint that suggests I may not have received a fresh bottle.  You can see it ranks about a 20 EBC.

Picture my own.

Flavor 14/20
I am conflicted on how to evaluate the flavor of this beer.  One part of me says, "Its not as sweet as the style should be!  Where is the smell you love?  Where are the distinct flavors?"  The other part says, "Wow.  This beer did not try to overwhelm you with sweetness.  Its very well-blended and a more 'mature' entry of the style."  While, I was able to detect some floral hops, fruity esters, and a nice even balance to me the entry was almost sour in the mouth.  This is the third hint that I may not have received a fresh bottle.  I understand if a beer of this style would want to try something a little less candy-ish and more toward other European styles of cloudy beer.  But sour?  That taste has no place in a weisse and has been dudected points accordingly.

Mouthfeel 3/5
A light-medium body with ample carbonation.  I should like a heavier body in this style (complimenting the creaminess of the head and the sweet flavors in the beer), but having it a bit lighter does add to its drinkability.  As it stands, I could have had several of these if exclusively based on the mouthfeel.  No real warmth, but a bit of astringency.

Overall Impression 7/10
While I still certainly would not mind buying another pint of this beer, I cannot help but shake the feeling I have been swindled.  I have been swindled out of the beer-tasting experience that I expected.  I expected the most from an authentic variety of this beer, however the taste was not only muted (subtlety can be nice) but incorrect to an extent.

Total 36/50
I have mentioned it several times in this review and I'll say it again; I feel I may have received a bottle that was not at its peak freshness.  Several factors from the aroma and head, to the flavor and mouthfeel were just not right for this beer or this style.  As it stands, it is still a "very good" beer ("Generally within style parameters, minor flaws"), but it could definitely be delivering more.  A good Paulaner would kick the tail out of this sample.  That said, I will be more than happy to give this beer a second chance.  I even look forward to it.  Be assured that next time I will be asking the date when the shipment arrived.