Brewed by: Baxter Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Hefeweizen
ABV: 7%
Purchased: Hogan Road Deli
On The Count of 3 Pours a pale-amber color with hints of gold. This hefeweizen has yeast in the can, instructions on the side inform you to roll the can gently to rouse the yeast before pouring, resulting in a cloudy body and a creamy white head.
Smells of bread, yeast, banana, clove, all things I’d expect from a traditional hefeweizen, this is not a traditional hefeweizen though, there is also an herbal, slightly spicy hop aroma and just a touch of alcohol in the mix.
The initial flavor is malt forward, baked bread and yeast, I don’t pick up the fruity banana notes in the flavor that I found in the nose, clove flavor is there but not strong and plays well with the hops. The tail end of the sip is about the hops which have a spicy almost peppery way about them and an easy bitterness. This hefeweizen has a full, creamy body, steady carbonation and a dry finish.
Overall a fun take on the traditional hefeweizen, I didn’t find the fruity esters that I was expecting in the flavor but the basics were there then in true Baxter Brewing fashion they kicked up the hops. This shouldn’t scare anyone away, this isn’t a palate wrecker, it’s flavorful and thirst quenching and a refreshing change of pace that reminds me spring and summer are coming. Because this is an Imperial hefeweizen the alcohol has been notched up, at 7% it’s elevated for a hefeweizen but not outrageous compared to other imperial styles. On The Count of 3 was brewed to celebrate Baxter Brewing Company’s third anniversary, it is a limited release and I don’t think it’ll be around for very long so if you come across a can I’d recommend picking it up.
Cheers!
Chaddah