Brewer’s Notes: Glutenous Maximus wheat bier

Glutinous Maximus is Gotahold’s ode to the classic Bavarian wheat beer, a beer style Dave learned to love early in his beer drinking journey and learned to really appreciate and brew during his time living and brewing in Bavaria. Variously known as Weizenbier (“Wheat Beer”), Weissbier (White Beer) or Hefeweizen (literally: Yeast-wheat), these beers have in common that (1) they are brewed with at least 50% malted wheat, and (2) they employ a special ale yeast which imparts notes of banana and cloves. While we employ an enzyme to digest the glutens in a large number of our beers to make them more friendly to our gluten-sensitive customers, that would be a fool’s errand in this glutinous, wheat intensive beer, thus the name. 

Weizen beers are an odd duck of a style; Bavaria is a land of breweries known for clean lager beers and who to this day largely adhere to a 1516 law banning the use of wheat in beer, yet this beer uses a large amount of wheat and a yeast that produces obvious non-lager character in the beer. Ale yeasts are known for producing fruity character; some, especially Belgian ale yeasts, tend to throw phenols which come across as cloves, bubblegum and sometimes smoky flavors. The yeast we employed produces both banana esters and clove-like flavors during fermentation, giving the classic bananas and cloves flavor profile this style is renowned for. It also produces a more subtle creamy vanilla note that gives the beer a luscious character, reminiscent of a slightly spicy banana bread. 

Beers that carry bold flavors like Hefeweizens tend to be polarizing in terms of the consumer palette: some folks will love them and drink them almost exclusively while others avoid them like the dentist’s chair. It’s the same in Bavaria, where every drinker is an armchair Brewmaster: either wheat beers are an aberration best avoided, or the world’s best beers. For those who appreciate a variety of flavor experiences, you’ll find Glutinous Maximus to be a great accompaniment to warmer weather, and lighter meats, cheeses and other fare. The classic pairing in Bavaria is Weizenbier and Weisswurst – a local white sausage. Pork, chicken, creamier cheeses and nuts (like cashews) will pair excellently with this beer.