Trader Joe's Bavarian Style Hefeweizen - Trader Joe's Brewing Company

cwagense

Pennsylvania

1.5/5  rDev -58.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1

this is a nice looking beer, but is thick and very fruity in the nose and is so middle-tongue sweet i had to cut it with with lemonade just to be able to drink it. the sharper-flavored west coast hefeweizens (pyramid, among others) are cleaner and bear more resemblance to their namesake. not recommended.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2007 00:53:28 | More by cwagense

TastyTaste

Minnesota

1.83/5  rDev -48.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1.5

Appearance: Lightly hazed dark gold color, giant white head, fills the stop of the glass nicely.

Smell: Sour and grainy, a little yeast, but this smell is way off.

Taste: Sour and murky, the flavors drown each other. Cloying, with a slight melted plastic taste. Bad.

Drinkability: These TJ's offerings are very hit or miss, mostly misses (and this is one)

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2006 02:38:09 | More by TastyTaste

hodgsongreg

Minnesota

2.03/5  rDev -43.3%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

Poured the color of aged grapefruit juice, which is not always bad. It smelled like slightly soured ketchup and regular yellow mustard mixed up. The taste actually made an interesting combination to the smell, the taste of cold, carbonated hot dog water. The strange thing is, the taste grew on me as I made my way to the bottom of my glass. It had enough carbonation to add to the spice notes, which was pleasant. So far as drinkability, I'll finish this glass and be unlikely to revist this.

With this being my first hefeweizen, if this is any indicator of a quality flagship of this style, I gotta scratch it off my list. Any recommendations are welcomed. Thanks!

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2008 04:26:10 | More by hodgsongreg

tigg924

Massachusetts

2.17/5  rDev -39.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5

Appearance: gold in color, 1 inch head, hazy

Smell: banana, wheat, and clove

Taste: bananas, clove, wheat, and a medicinal taste as well

Mouthfeel: medium bodied, high carbonation, slightly sweet

Drinkability: This one tastes a bit too medicinal for me. The basic flavors are there, but I did not care for the aftertaste. One and done for me. There are lots better in the style.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2010 17:36:32 | More by tigg924

illidurit

California

2.48/5  rDev -30.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

12 ounce bottle poured into a pint glass. Cloudy orange color with an explosive white head. Huge white suds, too much even for a hefe. Sorta fizzy, leaving a little lacing as it recedes. Aroma is overripe banana and bubblegum with a glaring lack of clove. Creamy vanilla banana flavor with the slightest hint of spiciness in the back of the palate. Sweet and one-dimensional. Mouthfeel is way too bubbly. It's hard to drink without swirling out tons of carbonation. Finish is a little unclean.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2010 10:52:40 | More by illidurit

mwilbur

Minnesota

2.5/5  rDev -30.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Poured from 12 oz bottle into weizen glass.
A: Pours a hazy golden yellow with high carbonation producing a 2 inch billowy white head. Not half bad.
S: Nice clove, banana, and mild sweet caramel malt aroma.
T: Uh oh...nose-dive here. Watery, off balance, and just not tasting right. Jumbled mess of banana, clove, and malt. Not good.
M: Light body. Thin and watery.
D: I was about to be amazed by this beer up until the taste. DP. Bottomline--don't waste your time.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2011 04:04:18 | More by mwilbur

Cavanaghty

Maine

2.63/5  rDev -26.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured from bottle into a smaple glass.

Appearance: Cloudy copper color. about two fingers of white head.

Smell: Bananas, wheat, and alcohol.

Mouthfeel/Taste: Medium to light bodied. Grassy taste with alcohol.

Overall: Not really impressed by this beer, I actually expected better from the Trader Joe's selection.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2012 19:46:25 | More by Cavanaghty

mikeg67

New Jersey

2.68/5  rDev -25.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

12oz bottle bought at Traders Joe's. Pours a hazy copper with a lively white head. Nose of banana with some citrus notes. Flavor was a banana and yeast. Finish is not existent. There is really nothing to write home about. Cannot be compared to real German Hefeweizen.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2010 22:35:46 | More by mikeg67

beertunes

Washington

2.75/5  rDev -23.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured into 9oz pilsener glass. Poured a very cloudy (and not the typical Hefe cloudy, more of a denser color type of cloudy) brownish yellow with over an inch of white head that had decent retention and very light lacing.

The aroma featured the expected yeast, clove and banana scents, but the wheat scent was very light and showed up mostly in the back. A very subdued aroma in general. The flavors were very similar, all the typical aspects, but very soft and understated.

The body was just on the light side of average. Drinkability was decent, you could easily kill a sixer of these on a summer's day. Overall, a decent enough beer, especially considering the price point. At less than $7 for a sixer, it's worth a shot, just don't expect to be blown away.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2012 19:42:39 | More by beertunes

BretSikkink

Mexico

2.78/5  rDev -22.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Color and foam are average and middle of the road for style. I found the aroma and flavor to be very poor: below average for what should be a safe style. The nose has a lot of banana that doesn't let up in the flavor. The sweetness is almost up to the level of coconut. No balance from any spicing. The mouthfeel is sturdy and pleasant, but I found this nearly unpalatable after about halfway through. Not good enough.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2010 00:52:07 | More by BretSikkink

barleywinefiend

Washington

2.83/5  rDev -20.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Poured a yellow with little bit of foam and lots of lace with this hazy yellow hefeweizen. The smell of yeast and citrus filled the nose. The smell of banana is also there. The taste was really different. The taste of yeast, wheat, citrus and a touch of clove was evident. Sour or bland on the finish. Not impressed.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2008 04:10:55 | More by barleywinefiend

mikesgroove

South Carolina

2.93/5  rDev -18.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

again a few more of these and thankfully i am done, cold day, snowed in, lots of ehh beer from mixed six packs and away we go. served in a pint glass on 1.11.11.

the pour was lighter then i would have thought given the style but a nice haziness made up for it as did ample head space and nice lacing. aroma is light banana, clove, touches of grass and grain, again all very light though without that big kick i like in a good hefe. clean and smooth medium body had a touch of slickness to it and some body, but the flavor just tried to go but never got off the ground. nice smooth finish with a touch of dryness in the end, and then it was over,

overall an average version of the style which is what i am finding with most of their beers. not terrible just nothing special at all.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2011 02:14:41 | More by mikesgroove

kojevergas

California

2.93/5  rDev -18.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

12 fl oz brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap served into stemware in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Reviewed live.

A: Pours a half finger head of slight cream, bad thickness, and bad retention. Colour is a nontransparent caramel copper.

Sm: Heavy fermented banana is all that comes through. A moderate strength aroma.

T: Banana up front, with clove and spice on the climax over a malted wheat foundation. It's a little heavy on the banana for a hefeweizen; maybe a different yeast is in order. Complex enough and effectively built and balanced.

Mf: A bit too sharp. Certainly overcarbonated, resulting in an unpleasant fizzy coarseness. It's wet and somewhat refreshing as well.

Dr: Quite drinkable and excellently priced. I'd try it if I found it on draught, but it's nothing special.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2011 23:19:57 | More by kojevergas

Duster72

Indiana

2.95/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Poured a very cloudy orange with a nice two finger head. Aroma is overpowering banana. Almost artifical smell and unappealing to me. Taste is big banana, yeast, and some spice. Mouthfeel is good for a wheat. Drinkability is hurt by the strong banana. It's a little too pina colada for me. Might be a good beer for those who don't like stronger stuff. A good deal at less than $1/bottle.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2007 21:19:19 | More by Duster72

allergictomacros

Ontario (Canada)

2.98/5  rDev -16.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

A - Cloudy orange-gold with a loose white head.

S - Cloves, cloves and more cloves. A hint of citrus as well.

T - Heavy ... yep, cloves and some banana to boot. Acidic up front with a bit of wheatiness in the finish.

M - Light and somewhat fizzy. Refreshing feel anyway.

D - Dunno. Cloves are way over the top. Lacks balance.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2008 04:32:51 | More by allergictomacros

watermelonman

California

3/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This poured to a cloudy yellow with a hint of orange. The medium head quickly faded a left a few lines of lace.

The smell is very nice, bringing all of flavors one would want in this kind of beer. Clove and banana are very apparent. Unfortunately, the taste doesn't follow it up. It's overly light, and only the light malt comes through. All those nice flavors from the smell have disappeared. Mouthfeel and drinkability are both reasonable.

I have no idea how they got a nice hefeweizen smell to brew up alongside a wimpy pale wheat taste.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2005 16:37:42 | More by watermelonman

ZAP

Minnesota

3.03/5  rDev -15.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Respectable effort at a hefe...tan colored...big frothy head....aroma is a bit funky with a slight spoiled egg scent...also some overripe banana and bubble gum.

Wheaty flavor with notes of bubble gum and banana...finishes with a spritzy and strong lemon drop flavor..

Bigger bodied for the style....high side of medium...a lot of carbonation...

Decent

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2011 21:40:09 | More by ZAP

DrJay

Massachusetts

3.03/5  rDev -15.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Cloudy peach with a soapy white cap that disappeared quickly. Cloves and lemons with some bready malt and mild banana. The flavour was more muted, bit still consisted of caramel sweetness, bready malt, citrus/banana sweetness and a bit of spice. Medium bodied with low carbonation, it felt a little lifeless. Overall, very mediocre wit some faults, but still fairly drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2011 23:40:08 | More by DrJay

twiggamortis420

Texas

3.08/5  rDev -14%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle pours a cloudy dark orange color with a moderate cap of off-white head. Decent retention, poor lacing. A litter darker than I would have liked to see.

Nose is yeasty and phenolic, almost to the point of smelling plastic-y. Cloves outweigh the banana it seems. Sweet and malty as opposed to a nice snappy wheat background.

Taste is lemony and sweet with the yeast having plenty of influence, but gets that same plastic flavor that is a bit unpleasant. That said, it is still drinkable and I wont have too much problem finishing the sixer....probably wont go back for more though. Worth the $6 experiment.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 18:09:58 | More by twiggamortis420

GClarkage

California

3.1/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

02/26/05- Purchased at Trader Joe's in San Francisco, CA

Presentation- 12oz bottle with a bottled date of 02/01/05. Poured into a random glass mug (away from home).

Appearance- Fairly straw yellow colored with a quite large bubbled head that quickly eroded. Very minimal lacing.

Smell- Cloves, banana's and maybe a bit of vanilla. Nothing out of the ordinary, but could have had a more stronger scent.

Taste- Very blah and boring hefe. Some banana and some clove flavoring, quite boring actually.

Mouthfeel- Fairly carbonated and a bit overly sweet.

Drinkability- Not a hefe I would choose to go back to if in the mood for one. Just a boring beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2005 04:43:59 | More by GClarkage

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

3.1/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12 oz. bottle poured into a tulip.

A: Pours a cloudy dark amber color more befitting a dunkelweizen than anything. Head isn't very impressive, a one finger offwhite color lacking the great texture and retention of the best German hefe's.

S: Banana, wheat, brown sugar, and a little bubblegum. Despite being rather subdued, it's quite enjoyable.

T: The esters don't drive this one like other hefe's do, rather it relies on the malt driving the flavor, kind of like an APWA, but not quite. There's enough banana ester to provide a small modicum of complexity, but let's be fair, this isn't complex. It hits all of the style buttons, but it just lacks the X-factor of the best in the style.

M: Slightly flabby, which is never a good thing for a beer like this. It's still pretty refreshing, though, and easy enough to drink on a hot summer day. Well carbonated.

O: It's decent enough. Probably one of the better beers in the Josephsbrau line, but personally, I'd rather spend a few more dollars on a genuinely world class hefe from SN or Weihenstephaner.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2012 19:09:13 | More by ThisWangsChung

TheLongBeachBum

California

3.13/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Presentation: 355ml (12 fluid ounce) standard looking brown glass bottle. The letters ‘T’ and ‘J’ sit aside a sheaf on an appropriately color coded dark blue crown cap. Main label and neck label has the words ‘Bavarian Style Hefeweizen’. Described below as an ‘Unfiltered Wheat Beer’. The reverse label has the Batch Number as ‘14:07 12/23/04 627’, plus the following Beer Stats: 5.3% alcohol by volume. 12 Bitterness units. Fermented using a top fermenting yeast.

Appearance: Decent enough white head builds into a very nice frothy whipped cream formation above the milky golden body. Looks almost clear but it does exhibit a strained milky feel that is nevertheless weak looking for a Hefe. The head has excellent staying power and the lacing is sheet like.

Nose: Banana, cloves, sweet banana bread, yeast and a wheat-laden sweetness. ‘De Rigueur’ in many aspects. Has a sweet candy bubble gum feel to it though when it warms up.

Taste: Hmmm….Sweet bubblegum start - Sweet bubblegum finish. In between there is a clove like sticky middle which bounces around with wheat like flashes and a bready dough consistency. Sickly honey soaked sweet sugar laden mashed Banana’s too. Finishes with a little dryness though.

Mouthfeel: Decent carbonation and a nice texture to the body lends this one a strong 3.5 “above average” feel.

Drinkability: Drinks well, in the long run the candy sweet bubblegum character is just too much for me.

Overall: Yet another Hefeweizen, I have had much worse offerings from the Fatherland. A decent enough performer given the price and source though. It does everything that it has to, but not much more.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2005 04:24:25 | More by TheLongBeachBum

Stardude82

California

3.13/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

"Finally an Import killer American Hef?" Thats what I thought when I picked up a six pack at Trader Joe's for $5.99. I'm half tired of having to plunk down $8+ per six for the typical import. So lets see:
A. Pours a milky amber, pretty close to what I'm used to drinking. A little darker than typical.

S. Smells good, just like the bottle says cloves and banana, with maybe some yeasty goodness. High expectations!

T. The banana and cloves are overwhelmed by bitterness. Aftertaste reminds me of baking soda. This improves somewhat with as it warms up a bit.

M. Pretty high carbonation, not expecting that. Maybe a little thin.

D. It's too darn bitter and overwhelms what should be a delicate beer. A bit hard to drink also because of the carbonation.

Other comments:
Surprised they got it this close. Maybe a few more years and Gordon Biersch who brew's this stuff will get it right. Until then, I'm sticking with the imports.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2008 04:12:55 | More by Stardude82

GossageBrewery

Missouri

3.13/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured this Hefeweizen from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass. It pored a hazy orangish color. Produced a thick off white head, great retention and left nice lacing on the glass. The aroma was very nice, full of banana and cloves. Medium in body, this brew had a creamy smooth mouthfeel, Malted grain, lemon citrus, spicy clove and yeasty banana flavor. Decent example of a German Hefe but leaves a little to be desired. Overall average beer- Prost!

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 02:04:03 | More by GossageBrewery

theopholis

California

3.18/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance- Slightly hazy amber/pumpkin color with a decent off-white head. Has some head retention. No lacing at all..

Aroma- Yeast and light lemon with a wheat base. Also get something that smells like bubble gum. No hop aroma at all.

Taste- Nice clean but not crisp wheat base with some yeast and a hint of banana and nice lemon zest. No hops, no clove. Pretty much a basic hefe.

Mouthfeel- Medium body. Carbonation level good. Nice dry finish.

Drinkability- Not the greatest hefe, but pretty decent.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2007 21:05:30 | More by theopholis