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If you ask my wife, she’ll readily tell you I’m not the quickest to pick up certain punks or jokes. When I visited Frankenmuth Brewery, Michigan’s oldest brewery that just celebrated its 160th anniversary, I looked at their Hefeweizen and thought, “Why not? I love a good German Wheat Ale.” The beer was called The Hef, and I thought it was simply a name describing it as a great example of a Hefeweizen.

Then, I picked up a six-pack of bottle to take home, and it clicked. You see, the brewery’s logo is a Dachshund or wiener dog. There is a wiener dog with a robe and a pipe on the label for The Hef (see picture). Then, I got it: The Hef. Hugh Hefner.

The hef hefeweizen wheat ale

I thought this was hilarious, but I’m a sucker for puns. Even though the joke went over my head, this beer went over well!

The appearance of the Hefeweizen was a pale gold with a little bit of murkiness blocking the light through it. The head formation was light and dissipated quickly, but the beer was not flat at all. This led me to expect little to no aroma, but when I sniffed, a subtle banana notes came through, as you’d expect from a true Hefeweizen. Further inspection revealed a bit of clove around the edges of my senses, but honestly, if I didn’t know to expect it, I might have missed it.

In terms of flavor, I thought the beer was light with just a bit of sweetness to it. I got more of an equal balance of the expected clove and banana with a light and easy mouthfeel. The carbonation left my tongue tingling with a clean finish and a slight hint of fruit lingering afterward.

The Hef has been around for a while and for good reason! In 2016, it was the Gold Medal Winner for Best German Wheat at the World Expo of Beer. It’s an excellent example of a Hefeweizen. It serves as a great introduction to craft beer for those used to drinking American Lagers. It does not overwhelm with its flavors and makes for a great beer!

MORE ABOUT FRANKENMUTH BREWERY:

New Frankenmuth Brewery Beers Labels: July 2022, June 2021, May 2021, April 2021, & December 2020

Interview with Head Brewer Steve Buszka at the 2019 World Expo of Beer

Freakin’ Flights – Hefeweizens (2019)

Freakin’ Flights – 313 Day

Freakin’ Flights – Pumpkin Beers (2019)


Disclaimer: Zach purchased this beer for review.


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