8. Stoudt's Heifer-in-Wheat Hefeweizen

Stoudt's Brewery, brewers of this Bavarian-style hefeweizen, is located in Adamstown, PA.

Classic banana-clove hefeweizen; perfectly balanced between esters and yeast flavors to create an eminently drinkable beer. Heifer-in-Wheat has a lacy white head, and the nose is distinctly banana-clove with light wheat malt notes. The sharp carbonation adds to the refreshing and thirst quenching dimensions of the beer, and it has a silky smooth and at times velvety mouthfeel. The beer starts fresh, with slightly grainy or cereal malt flavors that balanced well with the wheat malt before moving into the banana-clove flavors, and finishing smooth and crisp. Yeast flavors hang pleasantly in the background; while noticeable, they merely accentuate and do not impede. Heifer-in-Wheat is slightly cloudy, especially if you swirl up yeast with the bottom third of the bottle and then finish pouring it into your glass. Overall, a solid beer from start to finish, and an excellent beer for summer drinking—just the thing for quaffing after heavy yard work—the delightfully refreshing and crisp flavors will satisfy your thirst. This is probably my favorite beer discovery of the summer, not only because of my love of a good wheat beer, but because it is a perfect beer for warm summer weather.

From Stoudt’s website: “This Bavarian-style unfiltered wheat beer is brewed with 50% malted barley & 50% malted wheat. Our signature blend of German yeast strains imparts a flavor and aroma reminiscent of bananas, cloves, and bubblegum. Traditionally, weizen beers feature a medium body and high levels of spritzy carbonation, and are served as a thirst quencher or sometimes breakfast beer in the summer.”

ABV: 5%
IBU: 12
Bittering Hops: Hallertau
Malts: Two-row and Wheat

(7/8/2009)