Schneider Weisse Tap 5 Meine Hopfen-Weisse

Good morning all. I've got a couple of outstanding reviews to sort out, not in the sense that they're going to be better constructed and more eloquent than my usual ramblings, but more that they're on my mind and I wrote the tasting notes for them a few days ago so I want to spend a bit of time discussing them now before moving on to new beers later on today. The first is Schneider Weisse Tap 5 Meine Hopfen-Weisse, a Weizen Bock from Weissbierbrauerei G. Schneider & Sohn, probably one of the finest wheat beer breweries operating in Germany at the moment (and for the last 400 odd years). I've had a few of their offerings now and found each one to be fantastic, so I was looking forward to this one a lot. With Fela Kuti blaring from the speakers at the time of writing, it's time for the review after the pic....

Schneider Weisse Tap 5 Meine Hopfen-Weisse (8.2% ABV) pours a very cloudy straw colour with a thick white head that dissipates to a patchy covering over the surface of the beer. The beer is rather opaque from the yeast suspended in the beer so it's hard to properly evaluate the colour, but it does look fantastic based on first impressions! The aroma is composed of bananas, bubblegum, cloves and citrus fruits (particularly lemon) from the hop additions, with some sweetness in the background from either the malt or the hops. The hop aromas are reminiscent of European IPAs with the sweet citrus fruits, compared to the piney resinous hops of the USA. The taste is very yeasty, with cloves, bananas, and some hop character that tries to permeate through the characteristic wheat beer flavours. The citrus fruits are also accompanied by peach notes, and there is a sense of the alcohol content during drinking and in the finish. The hops don't contribute too much bitterness to the proceedings, making the finish smooth and the beer very drinkable despite the higher ABV percentage. The hops don't make themselves known too much, which is a slight disappointment as it is one of the main components in this beer (and is a departure from the usual wheat beers that use mainly bittering hops as opposed to aroma types) but it's not too much of a concern when the base beer is so good. The mouthfeel is thick and the beer is moderately carbonated, with some lacing present during drinking. Overall, a very satisfying wheat beer, with plenty of yeasty flavours and spicy character backing up the interesting hop additions that cut through the thickness of the beer with the citrus fruits. Definitely recommended, this beer would be perfect during the summer as an early evening sipper. 

Until next time....