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....

Collaboration Review- Schneider Weisse Tap X Mein Nelson Sauvin

Good afternoon all. On Thursday evening my flatmate Luke Albutt and I decided to conduct a couple of collaboration reviews as I was departing for Devon the next day, so we both chose a beer and busted out the pontification. The first choice was mine so I opted for a bottle of Tap X Mein Nelson Sauvin, a Weizenbock (7.3% ABV) from Schneider Weisse with the interesting inclusion of Nelson Sauvin hops. Reviews after the pic....

The reviews have been split into individual perspectives and the reviewer is denoted by their initials (Elliott Hamilton being EH and Luke Albutt being LA). For the purposes of time saving, and because I can't remember verbatim what Luke said, I've opted to present the opinions as capsule reviews.

EH:

Appearance- pale golden colour with a short lived off-white head that dissipates to nothing in the glass

Aroma- banana, cloves, herbal quality, yeasty, dark fruits, honey, bittering hop quality

Taste- characteristic wheat beer, yeasty, herbal, hoppy bitterness, light citrus fruits, vinous character, banana

Mouthfeel- slightly thick, light carbonation

Overall, a fantastic beer from the masters at Weisses Bräuhaus G. Schneider & Sohn that's packed with typical hefeweizen aromas and flavours, and a refreshing injection of hop character. Immensely drinkable and a very interesting take on a classic German beer style. Well worth the money- it would be interesting to see how this changes with some age behind it! 

LA:

Appearance- translucent like set amber, head dissipates quickly

Aroma- characteristic wheat beer, berries, dark fruits, honey, vinous aroma

Taste- characteristic wheat beer flavours with some sharpness round the edges from the hops

Mouthfeel- not particularly lively, not too thin on carbonation

Overall, a good beer (probably the best wheat beer so far) that represents a thirst quenching and refreshing experience.

Until next time....

Schneider Weisse Tap 6 Unser Aventinus

Good morning all. Firstly, I hope everyone who participated in #openit had a great time, I certainly know I did! Although I would consider only one of the beers I consumed to fall into the required criteria, it still gave me a great excuse to have a couple of interesting ones, and it was also good to reacquaint myself with the delights of beer after my recent illness. I was planning to do a large post based around #openit, but in the end I felt smaller posts would allow me to focus on each beer and avoid missing out on any specifics. Also, the whole thing should be easier to read (at least that's the intention)! The first beer was opened at around 17:00, and that was Tap 6 Unser Aventinus, a weizenbock from the hefeweizen kings Weisses Bräuhaus G. Schneider & Sohn GmbH. Review after the pic....

Tap 6 Unser Aventinus (8.2% ABV) pours a chestnut brown colour with a thick cream-coloured head that dissipates to a patchy covering over the surface of the beer. The aroma is typical of hefeweizens, with bananas, bubblegum and some cloves, with the extra malt presence bringing blackcurrants and raisins. There is also a noticeable bittering/floral hop aroma in the background. The taste is spicy and phenolic, with candy sugar, cloves, dark fruits, bananas and plenty of malt. There is a boozy presence in the background supporting all of these flavours, and the finish is sweet with no bitterness. The mouthfeel is light-bodied, moderately carbonated and slightly thick- I can see why doppelbocks are known as liquid bread now! Overall, another great offering from Schneider Weisse, with the typical hefeweizen flavours married against darker, fruitier tones to produce a rich and filling beer experience. Definitely recommended- I'll be getting this one again in the future!

Until next time....