Style: Hefeweizen

ABV: 5.3 IBU: 10.0

90/100

Aroma:	11
Appearance:	3
Flavor:	18
Mouthfeel:	5

Live Oak Brewing Co Hefeweizen

What the brewers say

“Signature flavors of vanilla, clove, and banana.”

What our panel thought

“Big bready aroma precedes a slight lemon note and just a hint of bubblegum. Sweet malt—fresh-baked bread dough—with sufficient phenolic spice to balance. The malty sweetness coats the mouth and lingers before a gentle bitterness strips it away. Easy drinking.”

What our editors thought

“Distant tropical notes out of focus in the aroma behind a doughy wheat sheen. The sip pushes sweeter tropical elements, backed by a significantly spicy yeast note, for a flavor that’s more assertive than the nose suggests.”

Review printed in: Beyond Barley (April-May 2022) (View All Issues)

Print Shelf Talker

How We Review

REVIEWS FOR YOU >

Live Oak Hefeweizen

“Light and effervescent, this beer is appealing to all the senses. The fruit esters are medium strong and classic, but don’t overshadow the wheat. High carbonation lightens the body while bringing out the fruit and clove aroma. It’s pretty strongly carbonated, making it a little gassy to drink.”

Wallenpaupack Brewing Company Hawley Hefeweizen

“Excellent presentation—large, off-white, poofy head of tiny bubbles that linger. Moderately grainy bread dough kicks off the aroma, followed by subdued but balanced banana esters along with low clove and black-pepper notes. The appropriately cloudy appearance sets the stage for a soft and creamy mouthfeel that gently carries the rounded grainy sweetness. The flavor matches the aroma with a nice grainy, bready base that supports medium-low banana esters and medium black pepper and clove phenolics. Hints of light vanilla further add to a metered sweet impression that remains supremely drinkable. Overall, very nicely balanced with restraint on esters and phenolics—all of the components play very nicely together.”

Live Oak Brewing Co Primus Weizenbock

“Complex malt-forward nose with hints of caramel, prune, raisin, chocolate, and roast complemented by light banana and clove. A touch of floral hop bitterness balances the caramel-like malt with light spicy phenols. Long bready finish closes with light dryness as a hint of chocolate and smoke lingers.”

FRESH BEERS >

The best new craft beers available in a beer store near you. Sponsored content.

New Belgium Dominga Grapefruit

New Belgium wood cellar blender Lauren Limbach was gifted a new foeder that she aptly named Dominga—a play on the Spanish word for Sunday. She first created a mimosa-inspired golden sour called “Dominga: Goddess of Brunch.” Now we are excited to introduce the cocktail-inspired version, Dominga Grapefruit Paloma. Inspired by the classic cocktail of Mexico, Dominga packs a refreshing combo of bright grapefruit and lime flavors, along with agave and a pinch of salt.

Firestone Walker Oaktoberfest

Oaktoberfest is our oak-inspired homage to the great German tradition of Oktoberfest. We go the extra mile of maturing this beer in French oak barrels to create an amazingly smooth mouthfeel. The result is a classic German festbier with a hint of West Coast hoppiness. Grab your stein, don your lederhosen, and enjoy!

Firestone Walker Parabola ’24

Parabola is always a beast of a beer, with intense flavors of black cherry, dark chocolate, vanilla, and roast coffee—yet each annual release also bears its own subtle imprint. For this latest edition, we aged the beer for a year in 12-year Elijah Craig barrels. These coveted bourbon barrels imparted signature notes of charred oak, caramel, and cinnamon, taking the Parabola experience to new heights. Pour some out in your favorite snifter; behold the impossibly opaque color as you allow it to warm up a bit; and then let the dark magic of Parabola stun your palate with its unrivaled flavor and complexity.

Sierra Nevada Cosmic Little Thing Hazy Double IPA

For the latest in the Hazy IPA series, ride Sierra Nevada’s interstellar wave of tropical flavor in this Cosmic Little Thing, a hazy nebula glowing with Comet, Strata, and Helios hops for notes of citrus, berries, and lychee. Head into orbit with this 8 percent ABV hazy double IPA before the next Hazy IPA rotator hits. Look for Cosmic Little Thing in six-packs and 19.2 oz singles.

Firestone Walker Cosmic Crusher Juicy Imperial IPA

Out-of-this-world flavor that packs a punch—take a journey with Cosmic Crusher. “Cosmic Crusher is our crazy adventure into the realm of imperial juicy IPAs,” says brewmaster Matt Brynildson. Cosmic Crusher is built around two ultra-tropical hops—Galaxy and Strata. The result is a level of flavor, aroma, and mouthfeel that can only materialize at high strength, crossing the line into a whole new cosmos of punchy mango and pineapple character. SKUs available: 12 oz six-pack cans, 19.2 oz single serve, and Mind Haze Variety Pack.

Firestone Walker Luponic Distortion

Luponic Distortion is the Firestone Walker trailblazer that continues to break the rules, back for the first time since 2021. The classic Luponic Distortion base recipe returns with an all-new hop blend to deliver a fresh blast from the past. Brewed with a secret blend of new-age hops, the 2024 edition of Luponic Distortion turns up the volume with mind-bending flavors of lychee, peach, nectarine, and strawberry. Available exclusively in the Beer Before Glory IPA Mixed Pack.