In-Heat Wheat

Today we have the In-Heat Wheat, a Hefeweizen from the Flying Dog Brewing Company in Maryland and the second of four Flying Dog beers I will be reviewing. Of course, all four beers are courtesy of my friend Howard.

This one sure smells like a Hefe... hints of banana and clove with some vague hints of a spice I can't put my finger on. Typical of a Hefe, it is a hazy, unfiltered beer.

Surprisingly, it tastes hoppy. There are hints of lemon mixed in with those banana and clove notes from the nose. The banana sweetness from the yeast counteracts the citrus hop notes and gives it an odd flavor profile. I find it quite unbalanced. Refreshing, yes, but sharp and bitter and not very Hefe-like at all. More like a hoppy American wheat beer brewed with German yeast - the yeast gives it a slightly richer body but the combination is a bit off-putting.

Much like the Road Dog Porter, this is not a bad beer but it the flavors are not very balanced and it throws off the final product. Therefore, I consider this brew another weak Glass 1/2 FULL.