Brew Review 2: Scheider & Brooklyner Hopfen Weisse

500 ml bottle $3.79
8.2% ABV

“This unique beer is the result of the long friendship of Schneider brewmaster Hans-Peter Drexler and Brooklyn brewmaster Garrett Oliver. The two brewmasters feel that Schneider & Brooklyner Hopfen-Weisse represents the quality, tradition and terroir of the Bavarian Hallertauer hop region paired with the innovation and creative energy for which Brooklyn is famous”

This hopped-up Hefe is one of the recent “collaboration” brews that have been popping up of late. It's sibling is the Brooklyner-Schneider Hopfen-Weisse, brewed with different hops representing their individual locales. I love the idea; two masters of their craft working together to create something new and interesting because they are artists. How many other industries do you see that in? Not enough.

To begin with, a confession: I am not a big fan of hefeweizen or wheat beers. I often find them a bit too yeasty, too much sweet-spicy, and usually too carbonated. From time to time, they hit the spot perfectly, but I do not regularly drink them. But as I said, I love the spirit of the collaboration brews (and Brian Yaeger told me about this one just yesterday), so I figured I would give one of the two a try. I chose the Schneider version because, quite frankly, the cost difference is pretty wide. Where this one was $3.79 at my local store for the 500 ml, the Brooklyner version runs $12.99 for a 750ml bottle.

Anyway, the beer.

A cloudy golden color, as expected, with a surprisingly tart-hoppy aroma, and impressive head that lingered. The flavor is very fresh and the dry-hopped Hallertauer Saphir replaces much of the fruitiness of a normal hefe. But there are still hints of clove and citrus, mostly orange. The yeast sediment in the bottle was more than usual, and probably more than you would want in your glass. I poured about half and it worked very nicely. This is a very light feeling beer, very flavorful without being overpowering. I had to check my glasses when I read the 8.2% ABV since this could very easily drink as a session beer if you were not paying attention. Smooth and enjoyable, and another that would be wonderful on a hot day. If you are one who is inclined to add an orange slice to their hefeweizen, you will lose some of the hoppiness, but the sweetness will increase a tad.

Rating: 3 of 5