Trying to forget the 80’s
Oktoberfest in November, and the headliner is Bananarama.* It’s the fest that never ends, or we wish it didn’t anyway. One group that wishes it was done and dusted is the COMDB Translation Department. They have neatly folded and packed their lederhosen away until next year, so they were more reluctant than usual to help out. However they quickly and curtly disposed of the literal translation of hefeweizen as “Yeast Wheat”, an apt description of this classic Bavarian recipe.
But there are some things in life I’ll never understand. How a germaphobe doesn’t mind a dog kissing her after it has licked itself silly (the dog, not the germaphobe). Or pedantic fanatics like our egghead Editor when I’m typo-allergenic.** Or why the simple physical skill of using your turn signal eludes so many No Signal Neds and Nancie’s. *** Another thing that I have never got my head around is how a beer can taste like bananas.**** That’s just…crazy. Scattered, semi-serious and lacking any semblance of sound segues are my forte. I’m keen on alliterations too.
I picked up this small batch Muskoka Oktoberfest Hefeweizen while visiting the pint purveyor of largest beer spa in the world, Clear Lake. A crystal-clear golden pour, bubbly, with a two finger bright white head. A fest worthy pour for sure.
A backroom bakery banana bread aroma. The first taste is a fizzy banana brew with a clove or two to spice things up a bit. A flat slightly floral finish with a very light bitter aftertaste. It is very refreshing. The bubbles back off a bit, the rest stays intact. It is balanced and not over the top.
I’m not a big fan of hefeweizens or Bananarama, but I found this banana forward brewski quite a-peeling.
*Editor’s Comment: Bananarama was an all girl band from the 1980’s who had a number of hits including their cover of Venus.
**Editor’s Comment: There is no such word as typo-allergenic although the concept certainly applies to our Reviewer.
***Editor’s Comment: I have politically corrected the original statement to avoid hundreds of comments from women who don’t use their turn signal but do like to complain in social media.
****Editor’s Comment: Hefeweizens have a banana taste due to the isoamyl ester produced by the Bavarian yeast used in the brewing process. Isoamyl ester is also found in bananas and gives the fruit its distinct taste. The clove taste is produced by the phenols which are also generated by yeast fermentation.
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