You like that label? Apparently, this beer makes you feel like you're climbing the side of a building. I must be frank, this label is ugly. That's probably my biggest gripe with a lot of American breweries--the labels are a little annoying to the eye. But I can overlook if you make good beer. So this is Pyramid Haywire Hefeweizen, a new name for the brewery according to their site. Their original name was plainly Pyramid Hefeweizen. Apparently, this beer was named to remind you it'll make you haywire. So I bought this as a six pack from Bevmo! because, well, I don't really know why I picked this particular brand up. I guess the label did me in. What I thought you ask? I got you friend.
Appearance
As you can see (I think I always lead in with that now), it's a cloudy golden/orange color which references the wheat that it's made of. A lot of carbonation streams rising to the top, which I thought looked cool (I interject that because I don't see people talk about it too much in other reviews and sometimes I enjoy watching the bubbles rise, especially in lighter beers). The brew looked like it had the texture of thick and creamy. The head was slightly larger than what you see on the right, but it broke away quickly and left the beer looking less appealing.
Smell
The smell was slightly sweet and a little bit smokey. The sweet smell was not sweet like candy but of something like honeysuckle pig sweet, thus the smokey barbecue smell. Yeah, I said barbecue, is that weird? It probably is, but that's what I smelled. Again, it wasn't strong. It was actually quite light in smell. The smell waved in and out but wasn't present the entire session.
Taste
I was pretty disappointed with this beer as far as taste goes. There was a complexity in smell, although light, that made me expect more from the taste. Yes, it was a little bit sweet, the basic taste of a Hefeweizen. There weren't any strong tastes that set it apart from anything else. Actually, it tasted like the breweries skipped out on putting any other taste in the brew. There was a little bit of a bitter aftertaste that may have been due to aging (a good amount of dust on the bottle when I bought it), but I don't think that's the reason for the bitter. Overall taste was disappointing. Especially if you've had a lot of Hefeweizens prior to drinking this. One taste that came out was a slight twinge of an unripe orange. The orange taste being a flavor I taste in many Hefeweizens. I should probably say 'citrus' rather than orange because that's what the flavor is closer to. Also, there was a sweet taste but, again, nothing that wows the palate. Otherwise, the entire flavor canvas of this beer was light like the smell and didn't impress me much.
Mouthfeel
The feel was pretty aerated and frothy. The end of a drink would have a slight dry sensation on the tongue. No refreshing taste and it was pretty bland to drink. I was pretty distracted with the frothy feel that I didn't get much out of taste. Overall, the mouthfeel was plain.
Overall
Eh...that's all I can really say. I'd drink it again only if someone bought it for me. It wasn't bad, but the taste is like my opinion of the beer--plain. At 5.40% ABV this could be a session beer. I didn't feel much and, yeah, I can drink this all day. There was nothing robust about this beer so I can't give you something to hold on to about this beer. I automatically give Bud Light a shit rating. You need letters? A damn 'F' for Bud Light. This beer would be a C. I don't like giving letter grades because of the subjectivity of taste, but there are beers that I can definitely grade; and, this beer is a definite C. It's just there. Don't be afraid of it, but don't go out of your way for it. Then again, the great thing about opinion is that it's not truth and you, you, or you, can just tell me to go fuck myself.
If you were keen enough to check the label I put on these things--a label I make by type of beer--then you'll notice that this beer is labeled American Pale Wheat Ale. But the label on the bottle says Hefeweizen. Well, American Pale Wheat Ale is another way of saying "American Hefeweizen." If you want a definition of a Hefeweizen, then go here. If you weren't lazy and clicked on the links, you'll notice that at the end of each definition states that adding a lemon wedge is an American popularization and can be a nice complement or a slap in the face of beer makers. My opinion of the lemon wedge is forget about it--in most cases. I would actually put a lemon wedge on a Pyramid Haywire. It would probably add a nice flavor, but I didn't try it. For me, most Hefeweizens have enough flavor, especially German Hefeweizens, that the lemon just cancels all the strong flavors out. Here's a little rule you can follow that I just made up right now: if it is an American Pale Wheat Ale, or Hefeweizen made in America, then sure, you can put a lemon if you really need to, but try it without one first. If is is a Hefeweizen from Germany: DON'T PUT A LEMON. That's just my opinion. I don't know what I"m drinking next but let's hope it's a good one. Deuces!
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