Summer is the
perfect time for wheat beers, and this year, beer lovers are in luck. That's
because Chico, California's Sierra Nevada Brewing Company has a new offering
in the field: Sierra Nevada Kellerweis, an authentic Bavarian-style
hefeweizen. Keller, of course, is German for cellar, and here refers
to Kellerbier, which is a rare and little-known German style.
Kellerbiers are usually lagers, nothing out of the norm for Germans to be
sure, but lagers that are not filtered. As a result, they retain yeast in
suspension, and have a characteristic cloudy appearance.
In a similar vein, Sierra Nevada Kellerweis is also bottled with yeast, just
as a good hefeweizen should be. And if you look closely you'll see a good
amount of sediment at the bottom of the bottle. But don't waste it; yeast is
good for you. Rich in B vitamins, brewers yeast is often used as a
nutritional supplement, and here also has the added bonus of contributing
flavor.
Sierra Nevada's beers are normally remarkable for their bright hoppy
character, but Kellerweis does not follow that model. Hefeweizens are brewed
with a large proportion of wheat in the grain bill (usually at least 50%),
and as a result don't have as much sweetness as all-barley malt beers.
Therefore, fewer hops are needed for balancing, and Sierra Nevada Kellerweis
consequently has a mere 15 IBUs.
The beer has 4.8% alcohol by volume, is open fermented, and is made with
wheat, Two Row Pale, and Munich malts. Sierra Nevada's website says hops use
are "Perle or Sterling". The former is a close relative of the Hallertau
while the latter is similar to the Saaz, both of which frequently appear in
German beers. But again, it's important to keep in mind that hops play a
minimal role here: the wheat and yeast are the main stars.
I pour a bit more than half of my bottle of Sierra Nevada Kellerweis
into an authentic Bavarian-style wheat beer glass. The liquid is a hazy
yellowish-orange in color and becomes slightly white if held to the light. A
massive head of rocky foam forms even before I pour in the last of the beer.
But before I do that, I swirl the remaining liquid to rouse the yeast
sediment at the bottom of the bottle. There's a lot of it, and I actually
have to swirl and pour twice before I can get it all.
Taking a whiff, I'm very pleased with the nose, which is full of spicy clove
and fruity banana notes. I don't want to wait to take a sip, and so I don't,
and am immediately whisked away to a small town in Bavaria. At least, the
beer could have been brewed in one, and one might never know the difference.
The beer is extremely refreshing, with a tart, crackery wheat body that is
spiced to perfection with heady, pungent clove and sweet banana. The yeast
imparts a bit of nuttiness, too. The beer finishes very tart and quenching.
This is one very impressive hefeweizen, and as I said, it's one that I could
easily mistake for one brewed in Bavaria. A natural for hot summer weather,
and perfect for pairing with a hearty plate of mildly seasoned Weisswurst
sausages, tangy sauerkraut, and buttery spatzle noodles.
Ironically enough, the day I bought my first six-pack of Kellerweis (for a
meager $7.99 mind you) I had made a specific trip on a hot day to get a
bottle or two of imported German hefeweizen. Spying the Kellerweis, I opted
for that instead. Looks like I got my fix of Bavarian wheat beer after all.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft
(G)=Growler