Brewery: Southern Pines Brewing Company
Beer: Grapefruit Hefe Hefeweizen
ABV: 4.8%
Brewed and canned about an hour’s drive south of the Triangle, the Grapefruit Hefe from Southern Pines Brewing Company promised to be “refreshing, smooth, and citrusy.” A Hefeweizen is a german-style beer, traditionally very crisp and fruity, although typically known for its banana or clove aroma. Southern Pines chose to use grapefruit, a powerhouse of citrus flavor, as the fruit-base for this particular beer. As one who is usually drawn to tart beers, especially sours, as well as beers which tend to be less hoppy, I had high hopes for the Grapefruit Hefe from the beginning.
As I poured the much anticipated brew into a glass, I could immediately smell citrus. The color was a medium amber, almost like an apple cider, but cloudy. At first taste, I was surprised that I didn’t taste citrus at the forefront. I tasted wheat, with a lingering bitterness at the back of my mouth that I imagine could have been grapefruit.
While still enjoyable, I think my disconnect with this hefeweizen was that I was expecting a lighter beer. For my taste, I didn’t find it to be particularly crisp, as I had expected from this style of beer. Perhaps it should be consumed in warmer weather, instead of on a cold, rainy night in the middle of March. Ultimately I didn’t find it to be as refreshing as it was cracked up to be. That said, come summertime, I’ll give it another chance and see if it might be the crisp and refreshing brew choice of a summer night.
durhambeat 