Brewed By: New Belgium Brewing Company (with Brewerij Boon) in Fort Collins, Colorado
Purchased: 22oz bomber from Binny's in Illinois; 2013
Style/ABV: Hefeweizen, 8.0%
Reported IBUs: 14
I'm a big fan of New Belgium's Lips of Faith beers...and I hope tonight's beer is no exception. That said, when I grabbed this bottle from my fridge, I was expecting a light weight Hefeweizen. What we have here is a hearty, American-style beer. It should be fun. About New Belgium:
The beer pours a hazy yellow color with three fingers of foamy, gold-tinted head. The head doesn't hang around at all...probably courtesy of the spice. Even agitating/swirling the beer does little to kick up some head. There is sticky lacing coating my glass...mad sticky lacing, like what your glass looks like when you finish that last pour of orange juice from concentrate. It's a frozen citrus pulp cumshot. In bright light the beer is a hazy/juicy yellow color, with fat carbonation bubbles plunking upwards. Alright.
I'm a big fan of curry. I'm a big fan of coconut. I'm an even bigger fan of coconut and curry. This beer smells like super pungent coconut and curry on top of some faint citrus and German Hefe yeast. I am getting some banana, and banana-curry on the aroma. I wouldn't call this beer's aroma subtle, but it promises everything it advertises.
This beer has super tepid carbonation, which isn't unheard of for a Hefeweizen. I prefer mine to be a bit more bubbly, but whateva. The tingly spices help move this beer along, and it is smoothed out by big banana-wheat punch, and some Doppelweizen-esque booziness. That's really what this is, a Doppelweizen. You get an assertive amount of coconut, curry, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cinnamon in the taste. There's also a pinch of the cayenne heat, which is tempered not only by the smooth wheat malts and booze, but also by the lively spices. Cinnamon and cayenne are best buds, said anyone that knows anything about cooking, ever.
This is a good beer. It would be petty to dock it for being overly spicy or too straightforward with the curry. But I insist that we call this what this is: a curry Doppelweizen. The body is medium full and surprisingly drinkable...courtesy of the smooth malt backbone and the tingly carbonation. There's some booze in this, but it's that pleasant Doppelweizen kick of banana-wheat esters that is so good. Palate depth is fantastic, and despite being spice-forward this has some layers of complexity to peel back. Up front is spice: cinnamon, coriander, nutmeg, ginger, and huge coconut curry...then the cayenne heat kicks in, and you get some banana and clove, hints of ginger/orange/lemon...the back end takes you on a malty wheat ride to a spicy, slightly boozy finish. The malty wheat body is present throughout.
New Belgium is based out of Fort Collins, and opened in 1991 when founder Jeff Lebesch took his home-brewing into the commercial world. At this point in time, New Belgium has mainstream fame from their Fat Tire, and craft beer credit for their sour beers. New Belgium is the thrid-largest craft brewery in the United States. You can read more about New Belgium if you check out their company page, and definitely cruise their website.The Coconut Curry Hefeweizen is a collaboration between New Belgium and homebrewer, Remi Bonnart. Described as "bold and big with coconut and curry tones and a hint of banana," this beer features a spice list of cinnamon, coriander, fenugreek, ginger, kaffir lime, and cayenne pepper. The beer supposedly carries some heat, but is tempered by some boozy coolness. Punching in at 8.0% and 14 IBUs, this beer features a malt base of Pale, Wheat, and Munich malts.
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| Coconut Curry Hefeweizen |
The beer pours a hazy yellow color with three fingers of foamy, gold-tinted head. The head doesn't hang around at all...probably courtesy of the spice. Even agitating/swirling the beer does little to kick up some head. There is sticky lacing coating my glass...mad sticky lacing, like what your glass looks like when you finish that last pour of orange juice from concentrate. It's a frozen citrus pulp cumshot. In bright light the beer is a hazy/juicy yellow color, with fat carbonation bubbles plunking upwards. Alright.
I'm a big fan of curry. I'm a big fan of coconut. I'm an even bigger fan of coconut and curry. This beer smells like super pungent coconut and curry on top of some faint citrus and German Hefe yeast. I am getting some banana, and banana-curry on the aroma. I wouldn't call this beer's aroma subtle, but it promises everything it advertises.
This beer has super tepid carbonation, which isn't unheard of for a Hefeweizen. I prefer mine to be a bit more bubbly, but whateva. The tingly spices help move this beer along, and it is smoothed out by big banana-wheat punch, and some Doppelweizen-esque booziness. That's really what this is, a Doppelweizen. You get an assertive amount of coconut, curry, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cinnamon in the taste. There's also a pinch of the cayenne heat, which is tempered not only by the smooth wheat malts and booze, but also by the lively spices. Cinnamon and cayenne are best buds, said anyone that knows anything about cooking, ever.
This is a good beer. It would be petty to dock it for being overly spicy or too straightforward with the curry. But I insist that we call this what this is: a curry Doppelweizen. The body is medium full and surprisingly drinkable...courtesy of the smooth malt backbone and the tingly carbonation. There's some booze in this, but it's that pleasant Doppelweizen kick of banana-wheat esters that is so good. Palate depth is fantastic, and despite being spice-forward this has some layers of complexity to peel back. Up front is spice: cinnamon, coriander, nutmeg, ginger, and huge coconut curry...then the cayenne heat kicks in, and you get some banana and clove, hints of ginger/orange/lemon...the back end takes you on a malty wheat ride to a spicy, slightly boozy finish. The malty wheat body is present throughout.
Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)
I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. This beer is ballin'. It's basically a coconut-curry infused Doppelweizen. You get big coconut-curry spice in this, atop a hint of ginger/orange, banana, and a malty wheat base. I'd say the spice is too much, but it's working for me...it's not a session beer, but it would pair well with a food/dish that you have in mind. It would also be fun at a bottle share, or for those weird people that like drinking liquid coconut curry. I'd pair this beer with some chicken wings with a spicy seasoning, or with some coconut curry soup. Really, pair this beer with anything that is supposed to have coconut and curry in it. You won't be disappointed.
Random Thought: My allergies have been kicking my ass all weekend, but today things hit rock bottom. I have uncontrollable post-nasal drip, I'm coughing up mucus like Paris Hilton coughs up jizz...it's not a good time. I'm hoping that this is just sinuses, and not a cold. We'll know by Friday, I suppose.
I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. This beer is ballin'. It's basically a coconut-curry infused Doppelweizen. You get big coconut-curry spice in this, atop a hint of ginger/orange, banana, and a malty wheat base. I'd say the spice is too much, but it's working for me...it's not a session beer, but it would pair well with a food/dish that you have in mind. It would also be fun at a bottle share, or for those weird people that like drinking liquid coconut curry. I'd pair this beer with some chicken wings with a spicy seasoning, or with some coconut curry soup. Really, pair this beer with anything that is supposed to have coconut and curry in it. You won't be disappointed.
Random Thought: My allergies have been kicking my ass all weekend, but today things hit rock bottom. I have uncontrollable post-nasal drip, I'm coughing up mucus like Paris Hilton coughs up jizz...it's not a good time. I'm hoping that this is just sinuses, and not a cold. We'll know by Friday, I suppose.
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