And the Valley Drinks: Karbach Brewing's Weisse Versa Wheat

A few weeks ago, I spent a week in Texas for a class.  Since Texas has a plethora of small breweries, I found a liquor store on my last day and loaded up with a bunch of beer and a bottle of Texas whiskey.

One of the breweries I was most draw to was Karbach Brewing of Houston.  I tried a few of their beers at a pub near my hotel and was hooked.  Since it is summer, I’ll start my small tour of Texas beer with the Karbach hefeweizen, Weisse Versa.

I haven’t seen Karbach beers in stores or on taps anywhere in Louisiana.  Hopefully some of this great beer will make its way east a bit.

Sometimes, the obvious is ingenious.  It might also settle the argument...the fantastic flavors found in a Bavarian hefeweizen?  Or, the intriguing spices that a Belgian white embodies?  Which is better?  Turns out, both.  At the same time.

GEEK STATS

OG:  12.5 Plato (1.050)

IBU:  20

ABV:  5.3%

Malts:  2 row pale, wheat, honey malt and carafa

Hops:  Magnum, Hallertau-Mittelfreuh

Spices:  Coriander, citrus peel

Review

Holy spice notes batman.  The aroma is straight up coriander and cloves with a hint of citrus.  Unlike some hefeweizens, it isn’t a hit of the spices, it’s a straight punch in the face of it.  Once you get past that initial hit of spice, the beer mellows out a lot and has a very light, smooth citrus and banana taste.  There is almost no hop bitterness at all, just a small amount on the finish.  It’s actually pretty darn sweet in the end.  A very good beer for a hot summer day and perfect for a long session because of the lightness and low alcohol content.  Very refreshing.  Overall, 4 out of 5 stars.