Review: Weihenstephaner/Sierra Nevada Braupakt
The world’s oldest brewery, Weihenstephan, recently collaborated with one of the oldest American craft brewers, Sierra Nevada, on the production of a limited edition Hefe Weissbier called Braupakt (Brewery Pact). According to the company, this beer uses Hallertauer Tradition hops as well as Amarillo and Chinook hops from the American West coast to create a beer that showcases elements of both the Hefe Weissbier and Pale Ale style. So what does the brainchild of two powerhouse breweries taste like? Let’s find out.
Braupakt is naturally cloudy with a raw honey color. The nose is bready but also showcases a big bouquet of fruit notes: dried apricot, ripe peach, papaya, and plantain. It’s full-bodied and creamy with a good balance of honeyed sugar and hoppy bitterness.
This beer isn’t as fruit-forward on the palate as the nose would suggest, which is probably for the best. Initially, bright peach and banana notes emerge with a bit of pineapple and grapefruit, but those elements are eventually overtaken by a general nutty quality and a sweet yeastiness. Braupakt is still clearly more Weihenstephan than Sierra Nevada, but for fans of both breweries it’s a well-executed experiment that adds some welcome complexity to the traditional Bavarian wheat beer.
6% abv.
A- / $12 per six-pack
Weihenstephaner/Sierra Nevada Braupakt
$12
