Josephs Brau Dunkelweizen - Trader Joe's Brewing Company

mikesgroove

South Carolina

3.25/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

medium brown pour with a slight reddish touch to the sides yielded a nice head of off white that stuck to the sides of the glass fairly well as it trickled down. aroma is nice and earthy with touches of roasted nuts and caramel coming through as it warms. nice deep flavor, nothing over the top but nice and consistent for the style, about what i would expect from them. deep sweet malts are driven home in the finish

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2011 06:03:59 | More by mikesgroove

Reidrover

Oregon

3.8/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz single from Trader Joes, Salem store. $1.20 slighly murky hazelnut brown beer with a small dissapating off white head. Spicy,phenolic and slightly sour aromas..the our is a concern seeing how crappily TJs take "care" of their beers. Happily it is not a problem..there is a slight sourness, which is unusual for style but it works against the spices and bubble gum well..semi sweet wheatiness..actually very nice. OK on the tongue..not to thin and to style. Overall a very nice sour wheat beer!

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2011 00:54:28 | More by Reidrover

Cyberkedi

Georgia

3.53/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Aroma is strong and malty with a firm fruity overtone that is mainly apple with a shade or two of banana. It pours a hazy, barely transparent mahogany-gold with a thick, if not too persistent, ivory head. Malty, fruity flavor is quite pleasing and refreshing with a hint of yeast. Smooth, firm-bodied texture has a decent amount of fizz. Overall, a rather nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2011 02:50:26 | More by Cyberkedi

Eriktheipaman

Virginia

3.95/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a murky brownish with nice white head that quickly fades.

The smell is BANANA and a slight spicy zest.

The taste is a little dark fruits as the carbonation rolls over the front with a big banana, bready, and raisin notes on the back.

A decent beer and for $1 a bottle it's holy crap good.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2011 23:16:07 | More by Eriktheipaman

baos

Indiana

3.45/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Twelve ounce bottle poured into Barilla jar

Three finger head that dissipates down pretty quickly. Nose is a nice banana-pink bubble gum stick with spicy cloves. Sweet wheat malty in flavor with a nice spicy finish. Has a bit of a watery mouth-feel, could use a bit more bubble and body. Nice fresh tasting brew though. I would recommend!

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2011 05:13:02 | More by baos

KickInTheChalice

Illinois

1.4/5  rDev -60.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 2 | overall: 1

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance: This pours a medium intensity amber brown color, somewhat hazy in the center. A wispy fizzy white head fades pretty fast and doesn't leave much lace. It is worth noting that pouring the second half of the bottle dumped a lot of sediment into the glass. This created a murky brown mess.

Smell: There is not much here. Faint notes of grain, clove, and honey, but it smells like tonic water more than anything.

Taste: This is awful. Fizzy tonic water with only spots of flavor. Some grains and clove, but really this just tastes like an acrid tonic water.

Mouthfeel: Thin, watery, fizzy. The body is almost nonexistent. There is a graininess in the second half of the bottle from the monster load of sediment.

Overall: Was this a bad bottle? This was atrociously bad - I drank just enough of the bottle to ascertain the relevant information and poured the rest.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2011 16:05:43 | More by KickInTheChalice

LuthersMug

Virginia

3.58/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Color of brewed ice tea, a bit of a fizzy off-white head that dissipated fairly quickly. Smallest amount of lacing.

S - Raspberry jelly with some hints of wheat and other grains.

T - Wheat, cloves, earthy.

M - Decent, fairly smooth.

O - An interesting flavor.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2011 00:35:56 | More by LuthersMug

goatsgo2hell

North Carolina

4.2/5  rDev +18.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a rich, deep amber color. Smells fabulous -- I detected honey, cloves, and other spices that almost gave it a floral smell. It doesn't taste too bad, either -- pleasantly spiced, with a rich and complex flavor. Somewhere between the smell and taste I got a hint of banana, I think. It's a very curious, aromatic beer. I think I'll definitely be trying it again.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2011 03:45:47 | More by goatsgo2hell

Flightoficarus

Washington

3.58/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours a cloudy, amber hue, with minimal, fizzy head, and thin lacing. Not the typical fluffy pour associated w/the style.

S - Smell is strongly of yeast and clove, with hints of banana, wheat, and brown sugar.

T - Taste is mostly of banana and dark fruits, with wheat, clove, and yeast. On the sweeter side for the style.

M - Mouthfeel is a bit on the lighter side of medium. Carbonation is above average. A bit on the crisp side.

O - Overall, it's a pretty decent dunkelweizen, and quite a bargain in the price to quality ratio. Craft beer at BMC price is always welcome in my book.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2011 08:45:39 | More by Flightoficarus

djeucalyptus

Oregon

3.58/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

pours a dark caramel-amber hue, murky, with a decent one-finger solid head that fades quickly and leaves no lace.

aroma is pungently banana and clove, with emphasis on the banana. a bit of pepper, spice, cinnamon.

taste follows, with banana, clove, earthy wheat. hints of dark fruits. prunes, raisins, and cherries.

moderate body with some hefty carbonation, almost a bit hot with fervent, almost sharp bubbles.

all in all, drinkable, but not the best example of the style. but for the price, certainly not bad. I'd consider picking up a pack again, but not exactly one I'd seek out.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2011 08:26:06 | More by djeucalyptus

BilbosNuts

California

3.73/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a weizen glass.

A: Pours a cloudy, murky brown color. It looks quite lively and appears to have a moderate amount of carbonation. It has a nice, big, light brown head with lots of retention.

S: There is a pronounced scent of cloves up front. On the back end, there is some sweet banana and a bit of caramel-like roasted malt aromas.

T: Cloves are definitely present again along with the roasted malts. It has a slight hoppy bitterness in its finish.

M: It is smooth with a sort of chewy mouthfeel. A good amount of carbonation lets it dance on the palate.

O: This is a solid dunkelweizen and for the price, it is well worth it. If you're in a frugal state of mind, this isn't a bad way to go.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2011 02:09:33 | More by BilbosNuts

wowbagger

Virginia

3.98/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Very sweet with hints of citrus and cinnamon. It fades in the mouth to an aftertaste that is hard to place, though it's something between caramel and butter. The sweetness lingers for a while. Overall, very nice if a bit different.

I would say this is a perfect beer to be enjoyed, perhaps with a meal, but not to cool off with or drink quickly.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2011 22:46:56 | More by wowbagger

AEArider

Arizona

4.05/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a hazy amber- head/lacing were nothing special. Smelled great, very sweet, with the obvious banana and other sweet notes, as well as spices including cinnamon. Taste was also sweet, but was less complex than other varieties, focusing more and the fruit notes than anything else. Maintained a pretty high level of carbonation through finishing the glass. Smooth, with a bit of stickiness. There are better dunkelweizens out there, but as far as the price to quality ratio goes, this is likely the best.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2011 06:29:51 | More by AEArider

NODAK

Tennessee

3.95/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This has a good banana smell right away; full of fruity esters. Light clove aroma as well and only a twinge of dark malts are really noticeable here.

The taste has a definite great banana presence upfront. Sweet, estery and all around just good. Cloves are also present but this is more sweet than spicy. Towards the finish, there is a small note of the roasted dark malts but they're in the back and quite secondary here. Finishes fruity with the small dark malt note.

Compared to other dunkelweizens that I have had, this one drinks more like a traditional hefe than most. If I had one complaint, that would be it. However, it's very tasty and for the price point, you really just cannot go wrong.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2011 21:08:21 | More by NODAK

VaTechHopHead

California

3.58/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 2 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours a hazy medium brown with a whisper thin head, kind of looks like apple cider. No signs of carbonation and hardly any lacing.

S - Actually quite surprised by the aroma...great banana smell up front. There is a hint of clove in the background and a slight sweet biscuit as well.

T - Not as intense as the aroma would suggest but the banana and clove combination is dominant up front. There's a light caramel hint in the background and a toasted biscuit as well. Finishes semi-sweet with a light fruit character.

M - Medium body with a nice balance of carbonation and body. Doesn't dry out the palate after each sip. Finishes on the line between sweet and dry. Nothing too exciting and an easy drinker.

O - For $6/6-pack this actually is a pretty good beer. The aroma and taste are right to spec just nothing too intense and nothing overdone. A solid above average beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2011 02:39:58 | More by VaTechHopHead

devilben02

North Carolina

3.3/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a light caramel brown color with an aggressive, foamy beige head that doesn't last too long. The aroma is sweet but not dense, with a combination of brown sugar and ripe bananas being most apparent. These characteristics continue through into the flavor, but there is also more of a yeasty earthiness, along with a light milk caramel character. The medium body and light carbonation allows each layer of the sweet malty profile to make its mark. Overall, I would consider this beer to be a bit too sweet, but not so much that it becomes a chore to drink. Rather, I would call it pleasantly over-sweetened.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2011 18:41:53 | More by devilben02

karait95

Mexico

3.53/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: nice brown color very cloudy as the style is not filtered, not really prominent head but well formed with medium size bubbles on a light brown color, medium carbonation that forms a semi permanent layer on top of the beer, the traces are not to many on the glass after the medium slow - fast dissipation.

S: Even it has the normal general aroma of the wheat it is not to intense, also the toasted malts are not to strong make the aroma a medium to low intensity wheat toasted.

T: The flavor is not bad but not to intense, in general it is a medium not to complex flavor. Not clear citrus are present.

M: The sweetness it not present but at some point you feel some bitterness that last in the back of the mouth.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2011 01:43:58 | More by karait95

lawlerj

Nebraska

3.78/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a pint glass.

A - pours a deep amberish brown with a tan head; not much head retention, not much in the way of lacing.

S - bananas and cloves, and some yeast underlying all of that. I like the strong fruitiness to the aroma.

T - banana up front followed by yeast - some malt in there as well, caramel maybe?

M - medium bodied, very smooth. Doesn't seem to be carbonated hardly at all.

O - overall, a decent dunkelweizen. Especially for the price, an outstanding value, but I liked the beer less as I got to the end of it - the flatness didn't really help here.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2011 00:22:11 | More by lawlerj

notchucknorris

California

3.13/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a dark and cloudy brown color. Coca Cola-like brown in the middle and muddy puddle brown towards the edge of the glass. Thin tan head.

S: Banana bread and some clove along with a slight bit of caramel, which comes out more as it warms.

T: Lots of banana and a bit of clove with a bit of nuttiness and a hint of roasted malt. Something slightly citrus-like and lemony towards the finish. Not my favorite of the Trader Joes beers.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2011 06:28:58 | More by notchucknorris

MattyG85

Minnesota

4.33/5  rDev +22.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from 12 oz. bottle into Duvel tulip glass.

Appearance: A dark cloudy brownish orange with a big tan head that quickly fades into a patchy layer. Decent lacing. Looks a lot like apple juice.

Smell: Aroma of banana, cloves, and apple are mixed with sweet caramel malts. Also some hints of dark fruits.

Taste: Big sweet burst of banana and apple is followed by roasted caramel malts. Sweetness is pleasant and not overbearing. Light hints of grassy hops.

Mouthfeel: Medium body and carbonation. Slightly chewy and smooth.

Overall: A very solid dunkel and one of the best values you can find for the price.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2011 05:39:19 | More by MattyG85

ToasterChef

Maine

3.35/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A cellar temperature bottle is poured into a weizen glass. The beer foams up a lot, forcing me to pause a few times as I empty the bottle. A cream colored foam head initially crested over the top of the glass, but now has settled down to about a centimeter in height. The liquid is dark amber/brownish and opaque (as I swirled about the yeast in the bottom of the bottle and added it to the pour).

Cloves and some banana dominate the aroma. Some sweet malts are mixed in as well, giving it a sweeter feel than I'd like.

Some plum and crystal sugar are tasted initially. Banana flavors come about in the finish. Hopping is light but grassy.

Medium bodied with average carbonation. It's kind of sticky and leaves a noticeable film.

This is a slightly above average interpretation of the style. For the price, it is a good beer to have on hand when you want something other than another pale ale or IPA.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2011 01:10:02 | More by ToasterChef

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

3.95/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Caramel-dipped pumpkin that is opaque in the center and murky at the margins. A wonderfully dirty look. The khaki colored cap barely reached one finger on the pour, but isn't in a hurry to melt. Little lace sticks.

Even though the aroma could be more powerful, it features the essential elements of the style. Caramel malt is appreciated on the bottom end, while bruised banana makes up the top notes. Smells like some sort of sticky toffee-banana pudding dessert.

Dunkelweizen takes a small step backward when the taste buds get into the act. It's still delicious beer and is slightly better (than my taste memory of) TJ's Hefeweizen. Each mouthful is more impressive than the last... and it just might earn the 4.0 after all.

The (hefeweizen) banan-o-meter score is 3.5/5.0. You want banana bready beer? You got it right here. Clove, while somewhat less prominent, is easily noted as well. Neither sweetness nor bitterness seizes the reins, which results in an easy drinking balance.

The mouthfeel is fine from a size standpoint, with a lightly creamy clinginess on the finish, but the bubbles are slightly too fizzy throughout the life of the bottle... which is proving to be an extremely short life.

My expectations were that Dunkelweizen Amber Unfiltered Wheat Beer would be a darker (but otherwise similar) version of Hefeweizen, though that didn't turn out to be the case. This is a lovely version that packs a lot of flavor punch in a $1 single. A several bottle purchase on all future trips to Trader Joe's is a no-brainer.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2011 11:28:07 | More by BuckeyeNation

rKunda

California

3.53/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

As I mentioned reviewing another Trader Joe's beer, this one is a no-brainer at $1 per beer. It's not as quality a beer as the more expensive craft brews I've had from BevMo, but it's pretty darn good. Great buy!

Pours a medium-dark amber color with a quickly fizzling head that just rings around the rim and lasts through the beer. Clearly an unfiltered beer as it's very hazy.

Smell and taste are similar. It's a combination of wheat and apple juice. And I want to clarify that I mean this positively. (Contrast that with Samuel Adams Chocolate Bock which tastes like beer and chocolate syrup, and not in an amazingly positive way.) The smell is mild overall, but the strongest scent is apples. The strongest flavor is the force of wheat, with delicious apple highlights. It's a slight bit sweet, but not much sweetness... just enough to be pleasant.

Overall, a really strong offering, and a real contender when price is considered. a 6-pack for 6 dollars, whereas it might cost 6 dollars to get 1, maybe 2 bottles, of other good beers. Price is comparable to Bud Light, but the flavor is not.

Quality beer and the right price.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2011 01:49:43 | More by rKunda

matjack85

Illinois

4.4/5  rDev +24.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I found this single 12oz brown bottle at the Trader Joe's in Glen Ellyn, IL for just $1, so I decided to pick one up and try it. No freshness date on the bottle - just a batch number which is pretty useless.

The beer poured a hazy amber/brown color with a 2-finger light tan head that lasted awhile, but left only spotty lacing.

This smells delicious. Big banana/clove aroma. Getting some bubblegum and other dark fruits as well.

Prominent banana/clove flavor along with dark roasted malts and roasted wheat. It's not real big on hops but there is a certain tartness to it. Sweet and delicious without being cloying. Nice effort by Trader Joe's.

Light to medium body and very smooth. My only complaint is that it may be a tad undercarbonated.

Very drinkable and very enjoyable - and at a great price to boot!

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2011 10:32:48 | More by matjack85

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.15/5  rDev -11%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Served in a Devil's Backbone weizen glass.

Watching a somewhat surprisingly good game here between the Cards and the Pads, I figured I'd grab a beer, and this is what came out of the fridge. It pours a generally clear sunset amber topped by just under a finger of dirty white foam. The nose comprises wheat, light corn, mild rye bread, light black pepper, and just a pinch of nutmeg. The taste darkens the wheat, slightly sours the rye a bit, and seems to pour on the black pepper as though 'twere going out of style. I don't know about anyone else, but there are times where I find the pepper a bit o'erwhelming. The body is a hefty light, with a light moderate carbonation and a slightly prickly feeling, though this comes more from the peppery-ness than the carbonation. Overall, I think this could have been a pretty good dunkelweizen, but something went awry at some point in the process. A definite disappointment.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2011 22:31:56 | More by TMoney2591