Na Zdravi !: Weisen

Thursday, April 29, 2021

Weisen

Solid Ground Brewing (Diamond Springs, CA)

"Traditional German Hefeweizens are also distinct in their use of a unique yeast strain which produces a beer with notable amounts of clove, banana, and occasionally bubblegum esters. We worked hard to produce a hefe that leans heavier towards the stronger clove and milder banana, with reduced amounts of bubblegum."

Delicious. Big clove and subtle banana flavors. A lovely sweet finish that stays with you to your next sip.
We hit 90 here today making this a perfect day for a hefeweizen. And this is an outstanding hefeweizen.

ABV 5.8%, 12 IB

Na Zdravi!

A 10-second take.
Not really reviews, just my way to keep track of the beers I've tried.

My mother's family is Czech. They emigrated from Bohemia and settled in Nebraska in the mid-1800s.
They were from the region that included the town Pilzen (Pilsen) where a brewery called Měšťanský pivovar Plzeň, now Pilsner Urquell (Plzeňský Prazdroj in Czech), started brewing a uniquely Bohemian-style beer we now know as pilsner.
So, as I raise a glass in honor of my Bohemian roots ...

Na Zdravi! (to your health).

Hops?

A "hop" is the cone shaped resinous flower of the female hop plant. It is used in brewing to add bitterness, flavor, aroma, and stability depending on when it is added.

Hops are one of the 4 basic ingredients of beer although they are not esential in the brewing process. The are used simply to add flavor and complexity to the brew.
Double and even triple IPA's feature an extreme amount of hops, and an ABV to match.
Noble Hops - The traditional varieties of hops that were used to make early European beers. Medieval brewers used Hallertau, Saaz, Spalt, and/or Tettnang hops. All are from Germany except Saaz from the Czech Republic (Žatec in Czech). All are still used today.