Penn Weizen - Pennsylvania Brewing Company

BeerSox

Virginia

3.93/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle into pint glass (didn't feel like using the 23oz Weizen glass).

A pale burnt orange hue supports a somewhat thin white head. The beer is very effervescent, with lots of little bubbles keeping the bits of yeast suspended in the beer and keeping the head at the top very active.

The aroma is very creamy, with the standard banana and clove.

The wheat, along with the clove, gives a very tart feel to this one. A little bit of orange peel is in the background. Full bodied, with high carbonation.

About your average hefeweizen, very German in style. I won't say it's quite up to par with the ones from Germany, however.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2009 17:21:44 | More by BeerSox

Proteus93

Virginia

3.78/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Dan for sharing this one with me.

A: Deep brown with a light brownish cloud of head... Quite frothy. Holds on nicely, though it doesn't really stick much.

S: Yeasty, spicy, with big clove scents. Banana is there, but other fruits as well... Mostly pear.

T: A lot of yeasty, fruity esters... Green apple, pear, banana, even some hints of peach. Almost a little cinnamon detected in the alcohol spiciness. Peppery and a little hot.

M + D: Bigger bodied, with a bit of warming going on in the finish. Nice sipper, and pretty decent offering

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2009 16:11:48 | More by Proteus93

DavoleBomb

Ohio

3.88/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Really good overall. Everything meshes really well. Good clove and banana smell and taste. Could drink these all night, but I had other beer to drink. Carbonation is high and very crisp.

Nothing out of the ordinary, but everything is fine the way it is. Perfect for a session.

3.5 A
3.5 S
4.0 T
4.0 M
4.0 D

Serving type: on-tap

03-21-2009 01:41:40 | More by DavoleBomb

Jimbo87

Virginia

4.08/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

In a US pint. I know, the wrong glassware, but it was the only glass available.

A pale hazy weizen, but clearer than some other examples. White head. Looks good.

Smells of delicious banana and clove. Standard quality weizen smell.

Tastes of clove, banana, some lemony zest, wheat, barley, nondescript balancing hops. Surprisingly flavorful considering how clear and light-bodied.

Mouthfeel might be on the thin side, but it works.

Extremely drinkable. A solid hefe, but it doesn't necessarily stand out from it's peers.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2009 22:11:20 | More by Jimbo87

Ohiovania

Ohio

3.88/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A - A nice hazy goldned yellow that you should expect from a good wheat ale. It poured a generous amount of head but didn't lace very well.

S - A sweet wheat aroma that was dominated by cloves.

M - Light and just a little frothy. Fresh and Refreshing and slides very easily.

T - I didn't notice much of an alcohol taste. Taste resembles smell almost exactly. Nothing over the top. Like most wheat ales it would be fantastic in the summer and is just as good or better than most summertime ales i have had. The clove taste is very nice and goes well with the wheaty bread sweetness.

D - I could definitely do this one again and will probably get this in the spring to get in the mood for nicer weather. Pick this one up and try it at least once.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2009 03:19:28 | More by Ohiovania

sirsteve42

New York

4.2/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had this at Blind Tiger in Manhattan. Good variety of taps there. Smooth and very drinkable. Had it with a lemon which made it all the more refreshing. Even though I had this in December, and really enjoyed it, this would make a great summer time beer. Perfect beer garden choice.

Serving type: on-tap

01-31-2009 03:15:05 | More by sirsteve42

OldYoda

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Received in my beer of the month gift pack for January ( a Christmas present from one of my kids). Poured from the bottle into my trusty standard Troeg's pint glass. Little or no head - pours a cloudy very light amber. Appearance really isn't wonderful, but not bad either.

Smell is subdued, some clove and lemon - not overwhelming but very pleasant.

Taste like smell is subdued - a malty sweetness up front with a hint of clove and lemon. Opens up into a very pleasant bread like taste with a hint of crisp lemon at the end.

Mouthfeel is enjoyable, effervescent with a nice smoothness.

Drinkability is fine - several of these on a warm summer evening would be fine.

Not my favorite style, but very enjoyable none the less. A good job.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2009 02:59:46 | More by OldYoda

krisandajt

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a cloudy yellow. Foamed up with well over an inch of head, but it faded quickly. What's left is a mildy bubbly top with an almost soapy like lacing.

Smell: Smell is typical of the style. You can smell the yeast, and there are slight hints of citrus to it.

Taste: Very crisp, clean taste. Nice mild malty sweetness, with tastes of citrus (lemon?) and yeasty goodness. Very nice.

Mouthfeel: Very refreshing. Right at home on a warm summer night...even though I'm enjoying mine on a cold winters night. Smooth, fresh, good.

Drinkability: Although I am not a huge fan of this style, it is a tasty brew. I can see myself drinking this on more than one occasion.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2009 01:03:49 | More by krisandajt

TimPowell

Ohio

3.85/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Penn Wiezen is an authentic German style, unfiltered wheat beer with the nose, look and taste of a classic German Summer beer.
The pour threw of some classic scents of banana or cloves.
Color is a cloudy, sunny yellow. while unfiltered like all hefeweizens, the yeast had clumped a bit more than I was expecting. The head was a nice, rich white, not lasting beyond two or three swallows.
Taste was crisp. First taste is pleasant malt, followed by a bit of sharp hop bitterness. This is a refreshing beer to be enjoyed on a sunny day, with or without a lemon.
All in all, Penn Brewing delivers a fine, German style beer.

I understand Penn Brewery's days are numbered due to the sale of the Brewery and the development of the surrounding land. I, for one, will miss this and other Penn Brewery beers.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2009 23:17:19 | More by TimPowell

skinny0ne

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Penn Brewing focuses on brewing quality German-style beers. Their Weizen hits a solid triple. Visually it's a bit disappointing. It's just kind of blah. But the smell is spot on with a nice balance of yeast, bread, clove, and lemon. The first sip bites hard with a crisp bitterness. Lemon quickly emerges and then transitions into the hearty bread flavor at the back of the throat. Throughout is clove. The exhale has that nice wheat undertone. Lemon and yeast linger on the tongue.

The Weizen is definitely great. But it's just missing a bit of something to make it perfect.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2009 01:43:22 | More by skinny0ne

Wasatch

Utah

3.85/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks goes out to Hojaminbag for this brew.

Pours a cloudy pale yellow color, nice carbonation, nice little fizzy white head, which leaves some sticky lacing behind. The nose is malty, with some nice yeast notes, and spices. The taste is malty, yeasty, spicy. Medium body. Drinkable, this is a nice Hefe.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2009 01:22:11 | More by Wasatch

joeysmokedporter

Maryland

3.93/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served in a 12 oz bottle into a sam adams glass.

A: appears gold, somewhat clear until rousing the yeast, with a white one-finger creamy head that dissipates after a short time.

S: trademark clove spiciness with some banana and a hint of powdery yeast.

T: first impression is the clove spicy flavor, with a bit of a sharp twang before getting to the banana. subdued malt character with the clove and banana standing out. some citrus orange also noticeable later on, which makes this somewhat different than most others.

M: light, creamy, although a little syrupy and not as effervescent as some weissbiers.

D: definitely drinkable, a good representation of the style.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2009 22:32:30 | More by joeysmokedporter

PatrickJR

North Carolina

3.63/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into weizen glass.

A - Murky brown/yellow with a finger of head that recedes quickly to nothing, leaving no lace.

S - Pleasant but somewhat restrained aromas of banana and clove. A bit of plastic-like phenolic smell comes through also. Little evidence of the wheat malt.

T - Moderate sweetness with a hint of banana flavor. Early to mid palate is mostly dominated by mild tartness from the wheat. Chalky and clovelike phenols are present late palate, and the brew finishes with a small bitterness and slight citrus character.

M - Light to medium bodied with high carbonation. Right on point.

D - One of, if not the best American-made hefeweizen I've ever had. It still lacks some of the depth and elegance of it's German ancestors, but remains a perfectly passable hefeweizen.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2009 08:42:04 | More by PatrickJR

danielharper

Michigan

4.18/5  rDev +8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Well, shiver me timbers, it's a real-life American-made hefeweizen.

Appearance: Very cloudy yellow, slightly orange. Opaque even to direct light sources. Has a thick foamy head that sticks around and leaves significant lacing.

Smell: Yeah, it's a real hefe. Strong German yeastiness on the nose, hints of cloves and thick aromas of banana. Some citrus way down deep.

Taste: Sweet with a slight hint of orange rind up front, very dry and yeasty in the middle, with a bit of a tart finish. The citrus is complex and intriguing, and overall leaves me wanting more. Very good flavor.

Mouthfeel: Thick, slightly chewy. The way a German hefe should be.

Drinkability: It's not the equal of my favorite hefeweizen, but it's definitely in the same ball park. I opened this expecting a dumbed-down American Wheat, and simply on that basis I must say I'm really impressed. This is a truly effective technically-accomplished German hefeweizen, and any fan of the style should at least give it a try.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2009 03:46:20 | More by danielharper

Rudgers73

New York

4.15/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Tried this beer on tap at the brewery when I was in Pittsburgh. I was down again for new years so I decided to pick up a case to bring home.

This is an interesting pouring beer. This beer has the most contrast from clear to cloudy based on the pour than any other beer I've had. Pour it from the bottle into a glass and it is a crystal clear golden beer with active carbonation. Swirl the last little bit and splash it in and you just made yourself one of the cloudiest beers I've ever had. There is a small white head that quickly fades and leaves a murky window to the inside of the beer. The nose is thick with hefe yeast. Big and soft with clove, banana, and earth. All other flavor is put into a distant background with the intense yeast presence. The taste is good. Carbonation is lively and prickly up front then it slowly fades away to leave a sharp, crisp yeast taste. Slightly tart with a malty backbone there are spices that start to mingle as it warms. Cloves, pepper, orange peel, lemon zest. This beer is a great session hefeweizen.

note: The flavor can be very drastically changed through the metering of the settled yeast. If you lighten the cloud a bit you can make it taste pretty close to weinstephaner.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2009 00:19:54 | More by Rudgers73

beerthulhu

New Jersey

4.03/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Poured a slightly hazy golden-orange with some noticeable yeast floaties suspended about. A fluffy dull white head sits atop, 1 finger in height, but doesn't stick around as long as hoped for leaving on a smidget of lacing as a reminder.

S: pleasant with a big helping of fresh banana bread, citrus and cloves. Very yeasty and aromatic.

T: The flavor opens with a nice helping of bananas and cloves with a smooth tartness. A big fresh wheaty backbone with a light helping of lemon grinds. Some tart oranges closes out a rather pleasant example per style.

M: T fizzy and active with an aggressive carbonation. The body was a little thinner then hoped for, but was very slick off the tongue with a dash of tart citrus.

D: good, with a low abv and nice flavor makes good for session material. Definitely one of their better beers and one worth taking a look at.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2008 00:10:06 | More by beerthulhu

akorsak

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A 12 oz bottle.

A: The ale is a golden orange color, tang with an alcoholic boost (why hasn't anyone marketed that one?). The darker autumnal colors (orange, brown, yellow) obscure the ale, too cloudy to see through. Not much head either, a thin band is all that there is.

S: The ale is wheaty, thick with the lightly tart grain. Not much in the way of esters, at least in the nose.

T: The weizen is thick, loaded with wheat and barley. The wheat is not the light and airy version of many hefes. This is thick and meaty, so thick that it brings a strong clove flavor to the table. Citric flavors, not hop-driven, cut into the dense clove. The wheat flavors are strong, bold and decisive, in this ale.

M: This much flavor in a 5% ale? Almost unheard of. While it sneaks in late, some wheat tartness is evident after a sip is swallowed. This is an aggressive wheat ale.

D: Again, the abv is ridiculously low, greatly upping the drinkability. The flavors aren't traditional hefe but they do factor in an American twist.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2008 03:58:55 | More by akorsak

blackie

Virginia

3.6/5  rDev -7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

a: poured with the yeast into a weizen glass, the head is pretty weak and soon dies completely, the beer itself is a very hazy golden wheat color

s: highly bready wheat body with a big yeasty aroma...not particularly heavy on banana or clove but more of a clean weizen, pale barley, some mild lemon

m: light-medium carbonation, lighter body, not bad but a little dead on the palate

t: spicy wheat dominant with chalky yeast flavors, some banana with a mild clove spice, lightly hopped with some lemon after the swallow, clean finish

d: expected a little more from this based on my experience with Penn's fine lagers, but it's a solid hefe nonetheless...just needs more malt and yeast character imo

single from Whole Foods, Falls Church, VA

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2008 02:14:24 | More by blackie

bndck

Virginia

2.15/5  rDev -44.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Bought this at Vintage Cellar expecting a decent beer, but I was unimpressed, I'm normally a fan of hefes.

A - yellow-orange, pours with very little head, no lacing

S - not strong, small hint of orange, not great overall

T -tasted more of clove and orange than clove and banana, the clove seemed heavy, poor aftertaste

M - light body, heavy carb

D -wouldn't recommend, won't try again

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2008 02:56:47 | More by bndck

CoalCellar

Pennsylvania

4.9/5  rDev +26.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bottle into a tall glass.
A: Fantastic, pours nice and cloudy as the filmy layer of yeast sediment at the bottom is disturbed.
S: Bananas, cloves, candy, fills your nose with cloves and wheaty goodness.
T: FANTASTIC. This is my favorite hefe. Lots of banana, cloves, with a puckering sour wheat finish. This is the real deal folks.
M: Slick and crisp with good carbonation.
D: I could drink this stuff all night (and sometimes do). A delicious and authentic representation of the style from a local brewer. As I love this style, I also declare this to be my favorite beer of all time. Life is good...

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2008 02:35:19 | More by CoalCellar

Gavage

New Jersey

4.13/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: yellowish orange in color with a short 1/2" head that breaks apart quickly. No lacing develops.

Smell: banana and clove are most prominant with some lighter grassy tones in the background.

Taste: banana, clove, hints of pepper, and bits of honey sweetness are built on a light grainy malt profile. Bitterness is soft and mild.

Mouthfeel: crisp from start to finish. Some dryness at the end too. Medium bodied. Definitely refreshing.

Drinkability: nice hefe that is very easy to drink and is nicely refreshing. Worth picking some of this up.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2008 13:57:53 | More by Gavage

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.6/5  rDev +18.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Another nice treat from the lands up north. I was surprised to see this one as an extra, but it is one of my favorite styles so needless to say I am always happy to try another good beer. Served cold, right out of the fridge and poured into a pilsner glass, this one was consumed on 10/18/2008.

The pour was very nice. Rich light golden yellow color with a ton of cloudiness and sediment built back into it. A nice head of white foam, perhaps two inches in height rose up from the bottom of the glass to cap the top of the beer. Nice retention let it hang around for what seemed like forever before finally settling on just a thin film across the top and a nice bit of side glass lace. Good carbonation could be seen through the glass.

The aroma was wonderful. Full of hints at banana and cloves. Nice touches of bready malts and hints of a nice, almost light peach like yeast aroma coming off of it, very full and complex to say the least. Nice flavor as well, well a bit more then nice I should say. Wonderful bready malt like flavor came crashing through on this one right away. Swiftly being overtaken by hints of banana, and light herbal like hops. Nice touches of biscuit like flavors, light grains and a well rounded light fruit all adding into the complexity of this one. Great feel, with a light, yet almost chewy consistency that really just popped with the loads of carbonation that came rifling through it. So session able it was scary. I wanted to conserve this, I really did, but it just was not going to happen and I ended up throwing it down way too fast.

Overall I am seldom blown away by things in this style, but this one caught me off guard. Really wonderful with a full, flavorful approach and a true to form celebration of the style. I would have no issues with this one, in fact; send me some I would love to try it again.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2008 23:22:01 | More by mikesgroove

ViveLaChouffe

Georgia

3.85/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours hazy bright gold with a sizeable head that dissipates to a wisp within a couple minutes. Smells of lemons and strongly of clove, underpinned with a grainy wheat aroma.

Taste is very much like the smell, grainy, almost sour, wheat malt followed by some lemony flavors and finishes with a fresh cloves. Light bodied with a slightly sticky aftertaste. Smooth and tasty. Not a top notch hefe but it's pretty damn good. Grab one.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2008 02:10:13 | More by ViveLaChouffe

wagenvolks

Texas

3.68/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Single 12 oz. bottle from Whole Foods, Raleigh. Poured into a pilsener glass.

Penn Weizen tries to build a tall head, but the foam only climbs to a half-inch in height before slowly retreating to a patchy lid of white bubbles. The color is a gorgeous, lemon-pineapple hue, and cloudy as all get-out. The fervent carbonation level releases aromatic notes of wheat and lemon zest that give way to cracked white pepper, banana, and some clove.

The flavor is definitely enjoyable, but nothing remarkable--a bit heavy on the darker wheat grains & cracker-like malts, while the yeasty fruit esthers are a lighter afterthought. Body is thin, with a good carbonation level that engages the palate. Finishes dry, packing a well-placed spice to end each sip. This is about what I expected from Penn Weizen -- nothing dramatic, just an easy drinking, solid summer hefeweizen

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2008 22:46:56 | More by wagenvolks

jdg204

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

3rd of 4 from the Penn Brewery 12 Pack, pretty excited about this highly touted Hefe from Pa's own named brewery.

A: This beer pours a lightly hazy orange hued body with lots of big bubbles. There is a big dish soap head that fades to a film of big bubbles around the edges pretty quickly.

S: The light smooth clove note is followed by wheat bread dough notes and a tartness finishes the smell.

T: The tart sweetness of wheat bread has a honey flavor to it with a soft yeast note and a softer green noble hop hint. There is a carbonic acid bite that finishes the taste.

M: This beer has a medium mouthfeel with a dry crisp finish.

D: Another solid Penn offering and a decent Summertime brew. Once again, Penn submits a solid offering at a fair price.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2008 00:36:40 | More by jdg204