Widmer Hefeweizen

I love myself a good hefeweizen, but unfortunately contrary to the name, this beer is classified an American Pale Wheat Ale. I also enjoy that style, so this is a win/win for me. I've only had one other beer from Widmer Brothers Brewing Company, which was, Drifter Pale Ale. I really enjoyed that beer so I'm hoping the Hefeweizen can be just as good. The Widmer Hefeweizen is the flagship beer of the brewery. They classify it as "a golden unfiltered wheat beer that is truly cloudy and clearly superb."
1998 and 2006 GABF Gold Medal Award Winner
2004 and 2008 Gold Medal Beer Cup

4.9% ABV which makes it a sessionable brew.
30 IBU which means it should't have really any bitterness to it at all.

Seems like a fairly straightforward "hefeweizen." Let's get to the review.

A: Pours a cloudy straw color. Little to no head and very minimal lacing is present. What is present though are tons of bubbles. Seems like a super carbonated beer.

S: The scent is primarily yeast, almost biscuit-like.. if that's even a word. There's also mild citrus present mixed with a little bit of clove. Overall, it's a fairly weak scent. Albeit it's a weak taste, I'm pretty excited to try it for some reason.

T: Taste is actually pretty bland. There aren't really too many defining characteristics. It seems to have a bit of a watery taste. There is definitely wheat present and a very banana/clove finish and aftertaste, but that's about it. Not a bad taste, but much like the scent, weak.

M: Light bodied with high carbonation. Seems really counterproductive and odd.

D: It's still a drinkable beer. The ABV is relatively low. The taste and mouthfeel, though not outstanding, are not offensive to the point that they are a turnoff.

Grade: It's a one thumb down beer. I'm pretty disappointed in it. Although not bad, I wouldn't seek it out again.
On the bright side though.. not sure if you can see it in the picture, but I like the cap and will definitely be adding it to my collection.

Drifter Pale Ale

I normally don't like pale ales and I try to stay away from them because I fear the "normal" pine hop bite they have. I guess, to be honest, the only reason I grabbed this beer was because I have Widmer Hefeweizen stashed away in my fridge right now. It was a friendly sounding beer because the name was familiar. That's pretty much about it. Drifter Pale Ale sits in at a 5.7% ABV with 32 IBUs. The Widmer Brothers Brewing Company calls Drifter Pale Ale truly an original. Due to it being brewed with generous amounts of Summit hops, a variety known for their intense citrus flavors and aromas, Drifter has a taste unique to the Pale Ale category. True to style, the bittering hops are perceptible enough to give the beer a crisp, clean, quenching finish, yet also soft enough to keep the beer smooth and balanced.




A - Pours an orange-amber color with a frothy white cap. There was pretty good head retention throughout the tasting with decent lacing from a nice ring and cloud that stayed on the top of the beer.

S - Huge aroma of hoppiness and light caramel malts with traces of some pine.

T - A different taste based on the scent. Surpising. Citrus hops are present in the taste which I didn't find at all in the scent, even after I was tasting the beer. The finish is made up totally of bready and caramel malts. It's a great tasting beer, very flavorful, something I wasn't expecting at all.

M - Low bodied and slightly thin. Low carbonation also. Interesting how there's barely any aftertaste, it just rolls right off the tongue.

D - It's refreshing and sessionable. It's crisp and smooth to drink. Although it's a pale ale, it really has no true bitterness substance to it.


Grade - Two thumbs up! I'm not really sure it deserves the pale ale title, but it is what it is I guess. It's not a true pale ale, but a great beer regardless of what it is. I'd definitely recommend this beer to others. It's just a shame it's all the way across the country from me in Oregon.