Posts Tagged ‘wheat beer’
Figure 1. Schöfferhofer Weizen
Introduction
Germany, one of the heavyweights of global beer production, is home to around 1300 breweries and the famous Reinheitsgebot or purity order which regulates ingredients that can be used in beer production (Wikipedia, 2010). Among this bewildering choice of beverages is the trickily named Schöfferhofer Weizen, brewed in Frankfurt, a lesser known wheat beer, or hefeweizen which weighs in at 5.0% alcohol by volume. Judging by commercials, the target audience of Schöfferhofer Weizen appears to be heterosexual males in their thirties who are into nostalgic things such a toy cars (youtube, 2010), and who also have fancy bachelor pads littered with gadgets and Polaroid photos (schoefferhofer website, 2010).
Aim
This experiment was designed to investigate numerous characteristics of Schöfferhofer Weizen beer including, but not limited to, aroma, flavor, colour, satisfaction and vessel design.
Method
A 500 ml bottle of Schöfferhofer Weizen was obtained from a local bottle store for NZ$4.50. The bottle was opened under controlled conditions using a bottle cap leveraging device. The contents of the bottle were decanted into clean glass vessels. Aroma was evaluated by smelling the beer. Flavour was analysed by tasting the liquor and discussing it with a research collaborator at great length and, subsequently, satisfaction was assessed. The glass was held up to a standardized light to evaluate the colour and aesthetic aspects of the vessel were considered.
Results
The results for Schöfferhofer Weizen are shown in table 1 below.
Table 1. Characteristics of Schöfferhofer Weizen
| Characteristic | Result |
| Aroma | Fresh pears smeared with a sugary butter mixture |
| Flavour | Small, fizzy bubbles carry a creamy, bready sweet flavour which yields to a zingy bitter hoppy essence. A constant undertone of red apples and green pears stirs up memories of scrumping fruit and being chased off of land by angry farmers |
| Colour | A pleasant, pale, hazy pineapple yellow |
| Satisfaction | A definite summer drink, possibly best enjoyed in a field on a picnic blanket |
| Vessel Design | Bright orange dominates the label with smatterings of black, white and gold, on a classic brown beer bottle (see figure 1) |
| Head | A think creamy head rears up upon pouring. The froth thins to leave a persistent film of fine, white bubbles |
| Drinkability | 7.5 |
Conclusion
English language information about Schöfferhofer Weizen is conspicuously absent from the internet and so it is difficult to validate any of the claims made by the brewers. However, as the research team contains a mid-thirties heterosexual male, we can confirm that both the beer and the advertising materials appealed to at least one member of the team. We are led to the conclusion that the company’s marketing strategy has been very well thought through, although the commercials have led the team member to develop a strong desire to have considerably more gadgets around his accommodation.
References
http://www.oetker-group.com/oetker-gruppe/html/default/deut-734j73.en.html
Journal of Applied Drink Studies International 