Josephs Brau Dunkelweizen - Trader Joe's Brewing Company

rand

California

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

From bottle to weizen glass

Pours mahogany in color, clear, forming a relatively small head in my weizen glass. The nose is characteristic of Bavarian yeast with banana and clove prominent. These scents join honey bread and dried fruit, suggesting raisins.

Its flavors are in-line with the nose as banana and notes of sweet fruit hit the palate first. Sweetbread malts are right behind, carry tones of butter and rum. Bready. Carbonation is a little light, making for a weighty mouthfeel, and it finishes a bit sticky. But the flavors are festive and balanced enough for easy quaffing.

Slam-dunk for $5.99 a six-pack. There are few beers that are this inexpensive that taste this good, which fits Trader Joe's motif nicely. Another session beer for me.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2011 08:16:01 | More by rand

richkrull

Wisconsin

3.9/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a nice orange-amber-brownish color with some beige head on it. Sweet malt aroma with some fruit coming through. Great tasting beer. I really enjoyed it. Not too heavy, hint of smokiness. Medium bodied mouthfeel. Pretty drinkable beer. I could definitely see myself having a handful of these no problem.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2011 22:45:29 | More by richkrull

liddytime

Maine

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

I picked one of these up on a whim from TJ's. I actually liked their IPA so what the heck.

I was pleased to find that this was quite good!

Pleasant, unfiltered haziness in my wheat glass.

Smoky clove, bananas and dried fruit in the nose.

Full bodied, chewy mouthful. Smoky, sweet, bubblegum. Not quite up to a Munich Dunkel, but pretty darn close.

WOW! For $5.75 a sixer, this is a really good beer! I'd happily pay $7.75 for a sixer of this! I wish I got another....

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2011 02:07:57 | More by liddytime

kkipple

South Carolina

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

After the surprisingly good Trader Joe's Hefe from my trip to Charlotte a few months back, I decided to try their take on a Dunkelweizen. Note that it is brewed by one "Josephs Brau" in San Jose, CA. It arrives in a nondescript 12 ounce bottle with a difficult to read (and incomprehensible anyway) bottle code. Okay.

A silly pour kicks up a fat and tight dusty tan head in my criminally underused Weihenstephaner glass. The head is easily an inch and a half tall, and one that takes its time dying. The beer is bottle conditioned and a dirty amber-rust orange. Quite hazy.

S. Pretty darn good, I have to say... big clovey banana and some chewing gum here, sweet, German malty-malts, and enough phenols to balance everything out. Maybe just a bit of cola to keep things interesting. Not spectacular, but it's covering all the bases well enough indeed.

T. A bit of a letdown here, but still okay. While maintaining a grasp on the fundamentals of the style, this is too sweet and too lightly carbonated to really grab me. Malt is a little distracting and the banana is over the top compared to the rest of it. Not as fine tuned as the best examples of the style, still, it's basically a buck a bottle...

M / D. Sad here as the body is fine but the carbonation isn't anywhere near enough to carry the day into refreshment and leaves me feeling like I'm drinking a beer that was poured two hours ago. Finish is un-exercised and meandering, not tight and focused like I enjoy in a good German Wheat.

Then again, it was $6 a sixer. Recommended to try; maybe I got an older bottle. Nice job TJ's for doing a seldom-had style on the cheap.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2011 03:36:26 | More by kkipple

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

3.48/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle served in a weizen glass.

L - murky brown color with a off-white head that thinned out completely before I finished my glass.

S - banana, bubblegum and some smoke.

T - starts out with the banana and spiced flavors, then some smokiness before finishing sweet.

F - medium bodied with a smooth feel.

D - goes down easy.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2011 23:05:34 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

CuriousMonk

Virginia

3.33/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

From fall brew ranking notes (2010): The aroma is loaded with banana and moderate bubblegum. There's a hint of roast, but the banana is pretty dominant. It pours a cloudy brownish-orange with a small off-white head. The flavor starts with strong banana. There's a faint roastiness in the background. The finish has bubblegum and some tangy wheat flavors. Medium bodied moderate carbonation and a somewhat creamy mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2011 21:29:24 | More by CuriousMonk

Brunite

Illinois

2.83/5  rDev -20.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A) Poured into a pils glass. Beer is a nice amber color. A 3 finger head. White as snow. Quickly dissipated with no lacing.

S) Banana, bubblegum, and smokiness. No hops noticed.

T) Same as the smell. But the faint smoke flavor is not pleasant to me.

M) Medium-light

D) OK but nothing spectacular. Middle of the road. Can't get past the smoke flavor so I'll likely pass on this in the future.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2011 04:36:32 | More by Brunite

Gigan988

California

4.7/5  rDev +32.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This is one of my favorite beers. It may not taste like a true German dunkelweizen, but it tastes like the most delicious darker hefeweizen. I drink it fairly regularly.

A: A darker shade of brown with decent head.

S: The slight sourness of the style, with the bavarian yeast of a dunkelweizen or hefeweizen coming through. Some banana bread and malty aromas.

T: The banana and clove elements are present but not over the top. Nice and high in malts, while lower in hops, which is characteristic of beers to my liking. A bit of sourness comes through but nothing at all to the extent of Michelob dunkelweizen. The beer is overall somewhat sweet but the darker malt character helps to mellow this.

M: The beer is rich but not too thick on the palate. Carbonation is medium and pleasant.

Drinkability: Very high. If you like the banana quality of German hefeweizens, I implore you to head to Trader Joe's and try this beer. At only $5.99 a six pack, it is something that can be afforded on a regular basis as well.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2011 08:15:09 | More by Gigan988

BobZ

Massachusetts

3.4/5  rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into my Duvel tulip.

Appearance: Dark amber/brown, decent head and lacing

Smell: Nice Dunkle aroma with roasted malt, very sweet on the nose.

Taste: Follows the nose with sweetness up front, good flavor with roasted malted wheat, but again sweeter than most in my opinion.

Mouth feel: Good and smooth, properly carbonated.

Drinkability: Very drinkable, especially for the price, a great picnic or lawnmower beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2011 03:47:01 | More by BobZ

SuperSpy

Georgia

4.05/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

This beer is a very dark amber, almost brown color. Quite cloudy and a thick not-quite-dark-enough-to-be-tan colored head. The aroma is sweet and a little spicy, with banana and fruitcake like scents. It's light-medium bodied and quite smooth. The flavor is very similar to the aroma. It basically tastes like liquid banana bread but it's not overly sweet. Quite a good dunkelweizen. An incredible beer for the cost!

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2011 01:57:25 | More by SuperSpy

cfrivera1

Minnesota

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

The first thing I noticed after pouring this baby was the sweeeet smell - very fruity - peaches, bananas, vanilla and bubblegum, with some citrus notes; what a yummy aroma!
Color - cloudy (unfiltered) medium to dark brown with very little head.
Taste is unmistakably hefe, not a heck of a lot of body with this one, but very smooth and super easy on the palate. I don't care for super hoppy tart beers, and this fits the bill perfectly. In fact, this would make a very refreshing beverage on a hot summer day - PERFECT for barbecues with friends!

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2011 03:07:47 | More by cfrivera1

Beerbluesbiology

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a translucent amber-darkbrown body with a small head dwindling down to a thin film of lacing sitting on the body. Smells distinctly of citrus (particularly lemon), rye bread and, of course, lager yeast. Tastes of yeast (strongly), has a dark malty sweetness following carbonation and has a slight hop feel throughout. Overall, quite a nice beer in the dunkelweizen style and a brew I would easily go back to.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2011 06:39:06 | More by Beerbluesbiology

tjsdomer2

Illinois

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

Appearance: Cloudy brown with ok foam and lacing.

Smell: Smells like your traditional hefeweizen, but definitely more sweetness and sourness. Not as strong on the banana and clove notes. A nice change of pace.

Taste: Tastes the same as the smell. Mouthfeel is kind of thin though.

Drinkability: Good balance makes for a pretty enjoyable beer.

Overall: As I mentioned before, this beer is a nice change of pace in the wheat category.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2010 23:34:49 | More by tjsdomer2

esv

Virginia

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

A) Poured 1/4 inch head. White. Quickly dissipated with no lacing. A handsome brown.

S) Raisins, light fruit, deep toffee. Sweet cotton candy and a little maple syrup. No hops in the nose

T) Caramel, toffee, malty-sweet. Some grainy bitterness. I don't detect any hop flavors.

M) Medium-light

D) Easy to drink. I don't love it and am not too familiar with the style.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2010 00:05:21 | More by esv

mikeg67

New Jersey

3.43/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle from TJ's. Pours cloudy brown with tanned long lasting head. The aroma of bananas, caramel, and brown sugar. Medium-bodied . The flavor of bananas and brown sugar, very cloying. Also lightly tart. The finish is long and sweet. On the whole, is not bad. Too much sweetness though

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2010 22:18:14 | More by mikeg67

secondtooth

Indiana

3.63/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A thick, dense head on this malty Bavarian-style unfiltered hefe, with a nice scent of caramel, clove, and banana. The taste is bold and roasty with hints of buttery biscuit and clove - spicy and tangy. Not bad, but I found this one somewhat lacking in balance, with perhaps a tad too much of the spiced element.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2010 21:37:43 | More by secondtooth

tjwarren

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +20.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

What a shock! I get a lot of beers from Trader Joe's mostly because it gives me something to do while my wife shops. Most are average to pretty good but this was excellent. Especially for the price.

A - Darker brown but still little translucent but cloudy as expected.

S - Not my strong suit but was pleased by the malty smell and some fruit.

T - A shocker. Was not expecting it to be this good. Really an explosion of taste. Smooth malts, fruits, and unfiltered wheat.

M - No problem here. I like carbonation and this was not overdone.

D - I only had the single that my wife brought home but I will be getting more for Basketball season. It went too quickly.

My advice - for $5.99 a sixer this is hard to beat. No. Unbeatable.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2010 01:21:38 | More by tjwarren

david18

New York

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

A new Trader Joes opened up in my neighborhood on 72nd Street on Broadway on Manhattan's upper west side. I had heard a lot of good things about their beers. They seem to have a number of brands: The basic "made in mexico" brand. The Mission Street, which is a collaboration with Firestone Walker. And the "german" series, which this is part of.

Not a bad Dunkelweizen but not my favorite of the style. A little on the light side for the style and the color and aroma are a little light but in general it was pretty good. I'll buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2010 21:27:59 | More by david18

NatetheGreat

Nevada

4/5  rDev +13%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Brown color with tan head. Not much in the nose: some clove and fruitiness, but a bit muddled. Taste is very good though. Fruit flavors abound with grape, date, banana, green apple. Mild clove with a general sweetness - light on the hops. Smooth wheat body, however a bit fizzy. Very good beer overall, with interesting taste. Wouldn't easily tire of it.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2010 05:04:20 | More by NatetheGreat

JayQue

Virginia

3.88/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nice!! And only a buck a bottle!! Pours a dense dark muddy brown with a nice size off white head. Good retention. I didn't notice any lacing, but I was drinking it out of a plastic pint glass. Smell was mild, very hefe-like with some maltiness.

Tasted good, like a fortified (with malts) hefe. Solid taste, very nice. Hefe yeast and bready malts. Not too sweet.

Mouthfeel is crisp and somewhat rich. Drinkability is good. Just right abv and good flavor. I will buy more of this one!

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2010 03:58:01 | More by JayQue

Mosstrooper

California

4.05/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from 12oz bottle into 500mL Weihenstephaner World Cup glass.

Appearance: Pours a cloudy deep caramel color with a good sized off-white head that is very thick and dissipates slowly, leaving behind thick spots of lace.

Smell: Sweet caramel aromas backed up by a touch of banana.

Taste: Begins with caramel, banana, and apple flavors, finishing with wheat and yeast.

Mouthfeel: Light body with carbonation a tad on the heavy side, and a very refreshing finish.

Drinkability: Not the best dunkelweizen overall, but very good as far as American interpretations go. This one was definitely a pleasant surprise, very true to the style and definitely enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle
@ Gordon Biersch, 33 East San Fernando Street, San Jose

09-19-2010 17:58:19 | More by Mosstrooper

DoubleJ

California

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

Part of a six pack bought at Trader Joe's. On to the beer:

Muddy water brown in color with tan colored edges. The head is fine at first, retention is a little subpar. The nose is fine; banana, phenols, cake batter, all is good at the moment.

Midway between a German weiss and an American one. There's a little yeast action in this one, providing some fennel and cake batter. As the beer warms, a little dark malt flavor appears. It's "frosty" in the mouth; maybe the cold temperature I drank this at had something to do with it.

I wasn't expecting a true Germanic version of a dunkelweiss, and that's what I got. However, it's better than some American labled wheats, pale or dark. The price won't kill you, as it's $5.99 a six pack.

Serving type: bottle
@ Gordon Biersch, 33 East San Fernando Street, San Jose

09-10-2010 05:03:56 | More by DoubleJ

katan

Colorado

3.93/5  rDev +11%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12 oz into a pint

A - Pours a very cloudy, hazy, and least laden brown color. Some golden highlights. head formation is at 3-4mm, well retained.

S - Strong malty backbone. Caramel and crystal malt sweetness. No hopping detected. Yeast is surprisingly not present.

T - Starts off with a light malty backbone, some caramel and toffee notes. Not aggressive. Mid-stream gets lightly bitter, but still malt forward. Yeast makes an appearance, with some bready notes. Finishes clean, light retained sweetness.

M - Moderately creamy body - strongly loaded with unfermentables. Carbonation is present, but adds a creamy and smooth balance.

D - Very drinkable dunkel. ABV is certainly manageable. Flavors are smooth, well integrated. Only knock is that it is lightly filling as I approach the bottom of the glass.

Serving type: bottle
@ Gordon Biersch, 33 East San Fernando Street, San Jose

08-28-2010 20:18:03 | More by katan

augustgarage

California

3.65/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Fairly fresh I assume, but I can't decipher their batch date. Poured from a 12oz bottle into my Ayinger weissbier glass.

Copper liquid with gold highlights and a small beige head with sandy lacing and good retention.

Rich melanoidins in the nose - carmelized and roasted malt (malted wheat actually), a bit of butterscotch, grain, and banana as well. Not much spice, but maybe a little bubblegum.

Roasty, bready, and sweet on the palate. Wheat, root-beer, and unripe bananas come next. The finish is fairly dry and has a tiny bit of white pepper to it.

Medium-light bodied with almost prickly carbonation...

Very refreshing and interesting, but not quite on par with their "Bavarian Hefeweizen" (also brewed by Gordon Biersch I believe). Still, a good value and a tasty summer beer...

Serving type: bottle
@ Gordon Biersch, 33 East San Fernando Street, San Jose

08-27-2010 01:50:48 | More by augustgarage

Elimination

Oregon

3.85/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Ive always been interested in the trader joes beers. I know they are contracted to a few breweries around the country, but still was hesitant because ive had a few store brand brews in the past that were not good at all.

Look is a dark amber, strong carbonation with bottle opening and pour, thick white foamy head with very little lacing, almost a seal on top of the liquid.

Smell is estery banana, dark carmel malt, sweetness of maybe clove, a bit of molasses and butterscotch.

Taste is surprisingly good that banana is upfront but fades quickly, clove makes an appearence next and is muddled by a very sweet carmel flavor at the end.

Mouthfeel is pretty strong, this has a very well rounded feel to it, sharp but not to sharp, flows easily which leads me to drinkabliity. It is very good, with fall aproaching, I dont think this will be the last bottle I will purchase, there should be a few more.

Serving type: bottle
@ Gordon Biersch, 33 East San Fernando Street, San Jose

08-27-2010 00:32:37 | More by Elimination