Schneider Weisse Hopfenweisse

Schneider Weisse may well be one of my favorite breweries.  I fell in love with their Aventinus and Aventinus Eisbock a couple years ago, and when I got the chance to try another of their beers recently, I jumped on it. The Tap 5 Hopfenweisse that I bought does not have the same label as the brew made with Brooklyner, so I'm not sure if it's the same recipe.  I do very cursory research on most of the beers I buy, since part of this whole blogging about beer thing is really rooted in a strong desire to learn as much as I possibly can about beer.  However, I don't want my research to inadvertently affect how I taste and evaluate each beer, so I try to avoid really researching each brewer and/or beer until after I've had a chance to jot down my tasting notes.  I actually had this one a couple days before I decided to start blogging about beer, so today's post comes from my memory and my tasting notes.  First, I like the bottle:

It caught my eye on the shelf before I even realized I was looking at a product of one of my favorite brewers.  I know, liking two beers Schneider Weisse brews shouldn't necessarily label them as a favorite brewer.  But it does in this case, because Aventinus and Aventinus Eisbock are, in my opinion, about as close to the perfect beer as you can get, so Schneider Weisse scores uber points with me on that count.

I digress.  The poured beer was just about the prettiest beer I've seen recently:

There was a decent amount of sediment left in the bottle after the pour, and I tend to like that.  With good head retention and prominent lacing, this beer screams, "drink me!"  I love the cloudiness and the golden-orange color.  It just looks like it would have a more complex, more full-bodied character.  And looks here are not deceiving, either.  It has a very pleasant aroma, and you can smell the wheat, along with hints of banana, clove, citrus (lemon?), and an earthy/grassy undertone.  The flavors nicely complement the aroma, and though there is a small bit of a bitter bite up front, it does not linger more than a second or two before the smooth mellow tones of the wheat and esters of banana and clove take over.  While both the Hopfenweisse and the Aventinus are wheat-doppelbocks, the Hopfenweisse is much lighter in color and lacks the raisin/plum/dried-fruit-complex-sweetness that is prominent in the Aventinus.  (At some point, I'll actually write up a review of the Aventinus, preferably next time I have it so I can post a picture of it.)

If you like wheat beers, or if you're looking for a more complex palate, you'll probably enjoy the Hopfenweisse.  I highly recommend it, and I would rate it a 9/10, maybe even a 9.5/10.  (Seriously thinking about switching to a 100-point scale.  Maybe I'll draw up a rubric.)

Another day, another beer.  Cheers!