Haystack Wheat - Left Hand Brewing Company, Longmont

Left Hand's Haystack Wheat is an undeniably delicious beer. When I first saw/heard of the Haystack Wheat I sort of wrote it off as being a plain American style Wheat beer even though it's marketed as a Hefeweizen. The term Hefeweizen is attached to many beers which really don't have a whole lot in common with this traditional German style. My expectations of the Haystack Wheat were pretty low, I was honestly expecting a standard Wheat beer... nothing fancy. I don't think it really helps that Left Hand left the name "Hefeweizen" off the bottle. In many ways, this is my biggest complaint with this beer. The label has Left Hand's signature faux-Native American angular design with a picture of haystacks and goats on it. Printed toward the bottom of the label is "Haystack Wheat" followed by "Bottle Conditioned Wheat Beer" and that's pretty much it.

Now, I like a clean label as much as the next guy. In most cases I barely even glance at the marketing spiel on the back of the label. In the case of Left Hand's Haystack Wheat though, I really think they sell a few more bottles by identifying this beer as a true Hefeweizen style wheat. In the same way that Hefeweizens are superior in flavor to other run of the mill Wheat beers, the Haystack is better than the majority of Wheat beers out there.

When pouring a glass of Haystack Wheat you'll notice that the beer appears very cloudy. Wheat beers are expected to be cloudy but this beer is pretty much opaque. The aroma of this beer in the pint glass is reminiscent of summer in a beer garden. There is a pleasingly sweet citrus component to this beer, it smells a bit like oranges and a little like banana. Balancing out the aroma is a funky yeast scent that smells less like a citrus orchard and more like a sweaty farmhand... and I mean that in a good way.

The flavor of Left Hand's Haystack Wheat is out of this world, and by that I mean New World, this beer tastes like a traditional German Hefeweizen that's just be relabeled. I truly mean that as a complement to the folks at Left Hand, they've managed to craft a fantastic beer. The Haystack Wheat has everything I look for in a Hefeweizen, it's sour at first but finishes sweet with hints of orange and banana. Everything is wrapped in creaminess that makes this beer a pleasure to drink.

Whether you're into Hefeweizens or not, Left Hand's Haystack Wheat is a spectacular example of what I think is possibly the best style of beer one can brew.