Lilja's Heifer Weizen - Sand Creek Brewing Company, Black River Falls
Style:
Hefeweizen
Serving Type:
Bottle
Aroma:
Wheat with a hint of clove and banana
Appearance:
Cloudy golden body topped by a thin sudsy white head
Flavor:
Yeasty ripe banana and clove flavors up front but they don't stick around too long. Full wheat flavor comes in mid-palate and finishes crisp with a little spiciness
Mouthfeel:
Light bodied but not thin, a touch stronger carbonation than I would have liked. Easy drinking lighter wheat
Get it? Heifer Weizen... that's clever. This bottle of Lilja's Heifer Weizen was found on a recent vacation across state lines where Wisconsin beers are more readily available. I'd never seen the Lilja's beers from Sand Creek Brewing before so I snatched up as many as I could. Among them was a lone bottle of Hefeweizen that says "Wisconsin Farmhouse Wheat Beer" printed on the side. The label looks more or less homemade, with a badly photoshopped picture of cows in a field with a thought bubble asking "Where's da beer?" Kitschy? Sure, but professional beers aren't always the best tasting so I was undeterred. What really sold me on this beer was the tagline at the very bottom of the label, "brewed behind the Cheddar Curtain." Ha!
The first thing I did when I opened this bottle was to try and smell the beer in the bottle. I was anxious to find out whether or not this was a true Hefeweizen. All too often, brewers call their wheat beer a Hefeweizen without their product resembling a German style wheat in any way. My first impressions were good, I could smell a little banana and some of that clove that you get in a real Hefeweizen. After pouring the beer into a glass I knew I'd enjoy this beer because it smelled just like a Hefeweizen.
The flavor of this beer didn't quite follow through as much as I'd hoped it would. The aroma was nearly perfect, so I was looking for some of that banana and clove in this wheat beer. It was definitely there, but it seemed like this beer was too carbonated for a Hefeweizen. I enjoy a thicker, creamier Hefeweizen that is smooth and full of flavor. The added carbonation and spice in this beer distracted too much from the smoother flavors and textures. As the beer settled and the bubbles dissipated I enjoyed this Heifer Weizen a lot more.
The carbonation issue isn't a fatal flaw but it did lessen my enjoyment of this beer. I'd definitely drink another bottle of Lilja's Heifer Weizen if it gets distributed here. I'm not sure I'd tell my friends to go out and pick it up right away, but it's a nice beer that is true to the Hefeweizen style, which is worth noting in itself.
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