[A Beer a Day] Leg Humper Hefeweizen | Sleepy Dog Brewing | Tempe, AZ

First, I would like to thank my beer-trading buddies in AZ, Whitney and Scott for sending this nifty little bomber our way.  We in Texas, much like in AZ, appreciate a nice weiss beer to compliment our mild winters -- milder this year than most -- with a yeasty and clove-infused Hefe.  Since it was somewhere in the high 60s -- at NIGHT -- when we decided to open up the beer cellar, we decided to pop this.  I will say that Hefeweizens might be Melissa's favorite beer style, while I find them attractive mostly with food (like a fucking BLT, FTW, amirite?).  I can't say that I order too many Hefes in an "imbibing-only" setting.  I felt this was my chance to really dig deep into this style that has really set a very high mark locally with Live Oak's Hefeweizen.

First off, if the labeling is any indication what was inside, I was already feeling pretty cheeky about it all.  I also particularly like Sleepy Dog's logo in general.  And because I'm a big Arizona homer -- not when I actually lived there, mind you; I pretty much disparaged it -- but, since moving away I've gained a huge sense of appreciation for my former home field.  I even miss it sometimes.

The next thing I noticed were the massive, fat bubbles after the pour -- even as I was setting up my camera that I never seem to have ready.  You can really see that even though the head has receded, the carbonation remains really active.  I can see that there has been an almost total yeast filtering judging by its clarity, and really this is a style of Hefeweizen called a Kristallweiss.  I happen to really love Kristallweissens since tasting one from a local brewer by the name of  Circle Brewing called Blur. 

Leg Humper's strains of yeast did not really evoke bananas-and-cloves at all.  In fact, I tasted almost no fruity or spicy esters.  Instead, I got a very bright, lively beer that tasted sweet and dry -- and most definitely interesting, but unlike any other Hefe I've had.  The carbonation was a bit like the tail wagging the dog *wink* -- dominating the beer until the very end with a consistent stream of surf into the palate.  Melissa loved it.  I really liked it too, but I think I would have preferred it with some bacon and mayo.

ABV: 6.o%
Acquired: Trade from Arizona
★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆