17 Sep Saint Arnold Weedwacker

Saint Arnold Weedwacker

Saint Arnold Brewing Company

North Downtown Houston
Hefeweizen sort of (Kolsch recipe with hef yeast)
ABV: 4.9%
IBUs: 15
Packaging: Draft, 6 pack 12 ounce cans

I grabbed a six pack of Saint Arnold Weedwacker to pay homage to a beer that was well loved and is now departed. Weedwacker has been a Houston staple for years, but as Saint Arnold continues to grow and shift according to demand, Weedwacker had to go.

“Saint Arnold Weedwacker was born in August 2010 in the Fifth Ward neighborhood of Houston, Texas. He will be remembered as a pioneer in the local beer scene, the first of several beers released in the Saint Arnold Movable Yeast series. In life, Weedwacker was a Hefeweizen… sort of. His drinkers described him as refreshing. Quaffable even. In 2016, Weedwacker moved to cans and later, his merits were recognized nationally, garnering a gold medal and three bronze medals at the Great American Beer Festival. Going out on top, Weedwacker also took home a gold medal at World Beer Cup earlier this year.”

Saint Arnold Weedwacker came in bright green cans adorned with a pattern of blades of grass. Per usual, the Saint Arnold took center stage, and behind him, in the ever-present circular illustration, is a man working a field.

This beer pours a bright golden-orange that’s slightly opaque. Saint Arnold’s only year round unfiltered beer. Two fingers of chalk white head that hangs around like those pesky weeds in the back yard. Color, opacity, head, lacing.

The aroma of Saint Arnold Weedwacker is full of spicy cloves and bananas. Typically we’ll not aromas based on style and how true-to-style they are, but Saint Arnold Weedwacker was a style-bender, so it’s only fair to say, it smelled good.

Super crisp and clean like a good summer kolsch but a little thicker bodied with some fruity notes like a hef – the best of not worlds. Each sip starts off light and crisp like a good yard-cuttin’ beer should. But it ends like a hef with all the cloves and light notes of bananas lingering on the finish with almost no bitterness.

There’s not a real good comparison for Saint Arnold Weedwacker considering it was a hybrid of styles. It’s a great Kolsch AND a great Hefeweizen, so maybe it’s similar to a cuvee of 8th Wonder Weisstheimer and Back Pew Addi’s Faith Kolsch.

Saint Arnold Weedwacker used to be available in draft and cans just about everywhere. It was easily one of the most available beers in Houston, but that is now the past, and we must move on and mourn.