Today while I was picking up a few groceries at the local Kroger store, I saw something new: Samuel Adams Hefeweizen. Now wait just a minute, you say. A wheat beer by Sam Adams? New? Certainly not. Ok, I grant you, that much is true. Boston Beer has definitely put out their share of wheat beers in the past. Just for fun, let’s run through them.

The first one I remember was Samuel Adams Wheat. That was a tasty and authentic German style Kristalweizen, or filtered wheat. It was a great brew, but it’s not this beer. Next came Samuel Adams Dark Wheat. Again, this was an authentic Bavarian inspired brew, but a Dunkelweizen to be exact. Not a hefeweizen.

Then there’s Samuel Adams White Ale. But that’s a Belgian style beer, not a German inspired one. How about Samuel Adams Weiss? That’s the one that immediately came to mind when I saw Samuel Adams Hefeweizen. In Germany, Weiss and Hefeweizen are almost synonymous. But six-packs of that beer were right next to the Hefeweizen on the shelf. What gives? I had my suspicions.

Let’s see what the label on Samuel Adams Hefeweizen has to say:

Samuel Adams Hefeweizen has a traditional spin on a classic American brewing style. This crisp, fruity wheat ale is cloudy because the yeast has not been filtered out. Bavarian Spalt hops give the ale a crisp elegance, that is not bitter and leaves a clean aftertaste.

That told me all I needed to know. This is, as I had suspected, an American Hefeweizen. Basically, it’s Boston beer’s version of Widmer/Redhook (they’ve merged if you haven’t heard) or Pyramid Hefeweizen. No clove or banana flavors are on the menu here.

Samuel Adams Hefeweizen pours to a cloudy yellow orange color with a thick foamy head and a crisp malty nose. The palate is crisp and malty, very biscuity, with lots of crackery, tart wheat flavor and a hint of green apple. The finish is tart and slightly bitter, with a kiss of hops that makes it quenching and very drinkable.

This is a great beer. It’s really delicious and refreshing, and I think it will be perfectly suited to hot weather (which will be arriving before you know it here in Georgia). I’m curious as to the early release of the beer, but then Widmer and Pyramid are available year round.

Boston Beer initially released this as part of a “Brewmaster’s Collection”, but later rolled it out in six-packs. If you like Widmer or Pyramid, you’ll like this beer too. I definitely do. But there’s nothing to recommend it over and above those beers.