Regular viewers of this blog must be tired of reading about "summer beers." I'll confess: I have become an addict to the summer beer and, as I'm not ready to let summer go, I figured I would squeak one last summer beer review into this blog. Hence, I offer you Pyramid's Haywire Hefeweizen.
The Pyramid Brewery is located in Seattle, Washington, but I have found their beers in specialty stores across the country. Pyramid is a mainstay in the northwest. It is on the verge of becoming a "mainstream" brewery. For the sophisticated beer drinker, this may be a turnoff, given that it may no longer be novel to reference the Pyramid beers. However, any jump into the mainstream is well-deserved. Pyramid is a respectable brewery from just about all angles. They are located across the street from Safeco Field, home of the Seattle Mariners. Each October, the brewery hosts a two-day concert series in the brewery parking lot to launch its winter beer. Past acts have included Built To Spill, Presidents of the United States of America, the Dandy Warhols and numerous others.
But enough about the brewery's marketing efforts. Let's talk about the Haywire Hefeweizen. This beer has been around for years, but Pyramid has rebranded it this year, giving it the new name that is used in this review. Pyramid claims it was only a name change, not a recipe change, however I, along with many others, are convinced the recipe has changed because the taste has notably improved.
The first taste of the Haywire is crisp with a subtle, citrus flavor. I have never been a fan of "sweet" or "fruity" beers, which is why you have seen few reviews of Belgian beers. Consequently, in my opinion, the mark of a good hefeweizen is a balance between the citrus giving it a full flavor, but not being excessively sweet. The Haywire accomplishes just that. In fact, it has all of the "lightness" of the pilseners that have become the staple of American mainstream beers, but has the full-bodied flavor that a pilsener could never accomplish.
Here's how Pyramid describes the Haywire:
"The standard by which all other wheat beers are judged. Our deliciously deranged American-Style Hefeweizen is an award winning take on this Bavarian classic. This refreshingly unfiltered wheat ale delivers a distinctively smooth flavor worth sharing with friends.
Original Gravity:
12.5
Alcohol By Volume:
5.20%
Malts:
39% 2 Row Pale Barley, 60% Malted Wheat,1% Caramel
Hops:
Nugget, Liberty, Mt. Hood
Availability:
Year Round
Best Paired With:
Fish, Salads, Poultry, Spicy Foods
Awards:
-Gold Medal, American-Style Hefeweizen 2004 Great American Beer Festival -Bronze Medal, "American Style Wheat Ale or Lager", 2000 World Beer Cup -Silver Medal, World Beer Championships, "Weizen", 1997"
