West Brewery is one of Glasgow’s most interesting drinking destinations — a German-style brewery and beer hall housed in the stunning Templeton Building on Glasgow Green, a Victorian structure built to resemble the Doge’s Palace in Venice. West brew exclusively to the Reinheitsgebot, the Bavarian purity law of 1516 that allows only water, malt, hops, and yeast. Heidi Weisse is their Bavarian-style wheat beer, and it’s among the finest examples of the style brewed in Scotland.
Tasting Notes
Heidi Weisse pours a glorious hazy gold with a tall, creamy white head. The nose is authentically Bavarian — banana and clove from the yeast, soft wheat, and a freshness that’s immediately appealing. On the palate it’s smooth and medium-bodied: the banana and clove character carries through, the wheat adds a gentle creaminess, and the finish is refreshing and clean. It sits very comfortably alongside German hefeweizens at a fraction of the distance you’d have to travel to drink them.
Verdict
Serve in a tall wheat beer glass, ideally at West’s own beer hall on Glasgow Green for the full experience. Heidi Weisse is a beautifully authentic hefeweizen that would hold its own against the best Munich has to offer. If you’re in Glasgow and enjoy wheat beer, West is an essential stop. The building alone is worth the visit, but the beer is the real reason to go.
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