Long Live the King!

Hefeweizen fans...rejoice.  Your new King is crowned.

For those of you who deem themselves 'beer folk', chances are you know of the little brewery with the big bottles known as Howe Sound Brewery.  These guys can make a malt liquor, let me tell you.  Not only can they make beer of extremely high quality with a huge (and I do mean huge, as well as ever-expanding) variety, but they offer it in only one form: 1 litre, resealable bottles.  It's quite brilliant; on the off chance that you're a responsible sort of chap that won't drink an entire litre of (often high percentage) beer before going on a lovely summer cruise down to the lakeside or over to a friend's house to watch Game of Thrones for the fourth time, then you have the option to easily reseal your delicious beer for future consumption.  Oh but how technology does evolve!

You may have noticed that the bottle is empty.  What you didn't notice was
that this is the fourth bottle I've got.  King Heffy annexed my life in the name
of the realm.  True story.

So, onto the beer in question.  In case you are blind, and are using a braille monitor, the beer that has the honour of gracing the spotlight of Beer Cruise this week is none other than King Heffy.  And where oh where do I begin with my praise for this outstanding beer?



Let's not bandy words; this is the best hefeweizen I've had the pleasure of tasting.  Now, such things are certainly subjective, and some people (particularly those heathens of the non-hefeweizen-fan variety) may not care for His Majesty as a beer.  However, as a self-proclaimed hefeweizen connoisseur, I have to say King Heffy is exceptional.  Truth be told, most of what Howe Sound produces is extremely good, but there is a very good reason why this latest entry has a two time gold medal champion announcement located on the label.  It really is that good.

What you get from your initially seemingly hefty purchase of 8 dollars (in BC) is a whole litre of cloudy, unfiltered, liquefied ecstasy.  Every drink, whether sip or swallow, is practically exploding with flavour.  Hints of citrus, banana and cloves are all present, and more pronounced than what you get from a standard heff.  And that's not all, because beer purists may rejoice, as (to my knowledge) King Heffy is made in the traditional German wheat beer fashion; that is to say, there's nothing added for flavour, as all the subtle tastes come entirely from the brewing and fermenting process.  Knowledge is power!

Time to get technical.

Taste:  There can be only one word if only one word was used to describe it:  explosive!  Hints of banana, citrus and cloves are all present, as you'd expect from a hefeweizen, but what you may not expect is just how wonderfully potent it all is.

Aroma:  Good, but entirely overshadowed by the excellent tastes.

Aftertaste:  While it's difficult to point out a distinct, individual aftertaste, the flavour of the beer continues to be complex and dynamic well after the initial swig.  Don't expect something boring.

Recommended?:  I'd recommend King Heffy almost as much as I'd recommend breathing a substance containing approximately 78% nitrogen and 20% oxygen.  That's air, for you simpletons that just coloured in your science text books instead of reading them.

Verdict:  Awesome.  In just every way.  I love Howe Sound to begin with, what with the unique bottle, the unbelievable variety, the excellent and consistent quality, and the fact that they're a relatively local brewery.  This is one hell of a beer, and an absolutely stellar hefeweizen.

Score:  10 mugs out of 10.