Northern Maverick Hefeweizen

When I uncapped a frosty 500mL bottle of hefeweizen from Toronto's Nothern Maverick Brewing Co., I was immediately struck by a waft of banana scent. Upon decanting my 500mL bottle of the 5% alcohol wheat beer, that initial impression was confirmed, and joined by some spice notes and a yeasty quality.

The beer was cloudy amber (a bit darker than I expected) with a thick fog of bright white head. Banana and orange were the executive flavour notes, over a mild yeast workforce. Hops were only barely evident as a slight crackle at the finish.

My first experience with a Northern Marverick brew, I found their Hefeweizen to be quite well executed, if not anything to garner effusive praise. The only shortcoming of this beer, described on the bottle as a "classic Bavarian hefeweizen", is an underwhelming mouthfeel. It was a bit thin and would have benefited from a bit of crispness. Still, on an unseasonably warm September day, this summery ale was a welcome bit of refreshment. I wouldn't have minded a second.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.