Rating: 4.65/5

Firebird by Gigantic brewing is a 6.1% ABV Smoked Hefeweizen.

Label:
Beer# 18 in the endless series of limited edition artist and artisan beers.
Firebird Smoked Hefeweizen
A refreshingly complex wheat beer. Aromas of clove and banana intermingle with the light smoke imparted from German malt kilned over beechwood fires.

“Flying is learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss”
-Douglas Adams
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A smoked hefeweizen? Never had such a thing but it sure does sound tasty. I got this one online on the bringonthebeer.com site. I have had Gigantic beers in the past and they really have some nice labels that pair awesomely with some of the anime art work. They do this in the name of beer and the arts, so to that, I say cheers!! Now let us see what this one is like.

Aromas:
Burnt sugar, grilled bananas, smokey campfire but doesn’t overwhelm the hefeweizen, sugar cream, oranges, citrus, coriander spice, brown sugar, waffle cone, biscuit bread, honey glazed ham, old orange, peppercorn and clove spice.

Flavors:
Smoked ham, grilled bananas, burnt sugar, clove spice, coriander spice, smokey campfire notes, old oranges, citrus, biscuit bread, brown sugar, honey, graham crackers, toffee, caramel, vanilla, oak, bubblegum and BBQ.

Aftertaste:
Ending pretty dry at the end with a small bit of the smokey oak, banana and clove spice fading. No alcohol in the taste. Easy to moderate drinkability with a light to moderate mouthfeel.

Overall:
A very good hefeweizen if you enjoy hefeweizens and the smoked beer styles. If not, then this one you may not like. However, the way this is done, not one style over powers the other. It is pretty well balanced keeping the beer smoke and the sweetness in line. Definitely recommended if you can find it.

Anime Corner:
Youmu Konpaku from the Touhou series was used in reference to the beer label and the ashy smokey aspect of the beer that blends well with the hefeweizen style. The feather in the back of her sword suggests that she is the firebird referenced in the beer label itself. Any other things you can find from this beer that seem awesome?