Weltenburger Hefe-Weissbier Hell - Klosterbrauerei Weltenburg

womencantsail

California

3.9/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at Beachwood Brewing

Pours a cloudy golden orange with a fluffy white head. Nice banana on the nose, plenty of wheat, and a great biscuit malt sweetness. Moderate clove aroma throughout and just a hint of bubblegum. Sweet bread and biscuit mealtimes on the nose. A hint of bubblegum, light citrus, an plenty of banana. Nice clove spiciness, soft wheat flavor, and a touch of straw. Really nice.

Serving type: on-tap

10-24-2012 19:47:03 | More by womencantsail

steveh

Illinois

4.13/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Been enjoying the Weltenburger lagers, but haven't tried the Weizens yet. Here's the first for me.

Brown, half-liter bottle, no real translatable dating to find. $3.50. Poured into my HB modified Will Becker -- great for any German style.

A -- Hazy peach color with a tremendously dense, slow-settling, light cream colored head.

S -- Clove and bubblegum up front, light bready malts and grainy wheat back. Even some mild citrus in the finish.

T -- Sweet, bready malts up front with light graininess, mellow phenols from the Weizen yeast balance nicely. Lightest citrus and bitterness in the finish.

M -- Medium-light body with a spritzy to dry mouthfeel.

O -- Maybe not the best Weizen I've ever tried, but this is a great example for anyone looking for something out-of-the-ordinary line of well-known brands. It has bigger, more pronounced flavors than many others and even takes on similar characters as Schneider.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2012 20:46:05 | More by steveh

matjack85

Illinois

3.55/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I picked up a couple bottles of these light ("hell") hefes at the Binny's store in Bloomingdale, IL for $2.99 each. 1 pint 0.9oz brown bottles with no freshness date and no other information about the beer on the label.

Careful with the pour here as I got 90% of the glass to fill with white foam even with a tilted 45 degree angle pour. After the head went down (which took a few minutes), the beer revealed itself to be a hazy straw yellow color and it left plenty of nice lacing on the glass with each sip.

The typical banana/clove aroma was there, but it was mild compared to most hefes I've tried. Also picking up the wheat smell and some bready yeast.

Big under-ripe (almost green) banana flavor, along with some clove, white pepper, and lemony citrus taste. You can taste the wheat as well. The biggest disappointment is that all these flavors don't last very long. You taste them for a few seconds and then - poof - they're gone. No lingering aftertaste at all.

Light to medium bodied with low carbonation.

It's alright, but not good enough to get the good or exceptional rating from me.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2012 10:20:31 | More by matjack85

dsprainman

California

3.65/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- Pours a sexy hef color, 1.5 finger head
S- Banana and cloves, but a bit feint and light on the spice. A tad bready for a hef.
T- Again, heavy on the banana, light on the spice.
M- A bit flat, but pretty on-target
O- This one doesn't stack up to the best bavarian hefeweizens, but is a step or two above the american offerings.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2012 05:45:35 | More by dsprainman

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

3.43/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

500ml bottle into Weisse glass 27/10/11 sent out by EskimoDave

A murky dirty orange with the stranded shitload of bubbles that feed a large well retained three finger head that leaves spotted lace well down the glass

S not very strong but there's some wheat and banana and clove perhaps a little lemon and bubblegum

T tastes a little stronger then the smell with lots of dry cereal on top of what I smell, still a pretty basic Hefe

M not as light as expected and plenty of bubbles help its cause

O an OK beer but I stop before saying it's "good" I have pretty high standards whit this style and this ones just not exciting me

I think this may be my 300th brewery sampled, mind you if I lived in Germany this landmark wouldn't be all that impressive. When you live in a province that has maybe half a dozen breweries and 3.5million people you envy the Germans

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2011 17:42:16 | More by wordemupg

Derek

British Columbia (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Hazy straw with a white head, thin ring of retention leaves a little lace.

S: Definitely clove-forward, but not overpowering, white pepper, vanilla and subtle hints of tropical fruit.

T: Clove, wheaty biscuits, a little more bitterness than most (I like that), hints of banana bread and candied pineapple.

M: Moderate body is well-attenuated, not overly carbonated, crisp finish.

D: A good drinker.

This one has bottled & traveled well, but it is lacking a bit of a fresh flavour.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2011 22:21:45 | More by Derek

ritzkiss

Ontario (Canada)

3.4/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

500ml bottle thanks to EskimoDave, cheers! Best before of 27/09/11 is just a couple weeks away.

Pours a glass full of bubbles on the initial attempt, loads of carbonation, hazy and a light golden, streams of bubbles feed a pile of foam that reigns on top.

Nose has some light cloves and spicing atop a sweet banana and grain base, thin and a little washed out aside from the initial burst of spice. Flavor is dominated by spicing and banana, light bubblegum, faint citrus in the back along with a slight tang. Thin sweetness in the middle that is reminiscent of nothing but a thin sweetness, muddled grain notes, slighty bready character with a dash of honey, light drying in the finish, spot on carbonation. Drinkable in spaded on a hot summer day I imagine but not an exemplar of the style.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2011 04:16:38 | More by ritzkiss

aasher

Indiana

2.85/5  rDev -22.3%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

This one pours a light to medium in body, dull and only lightly cloudy gold in color. It has a one finger sudsy white head. It's pretty clear for a German hefe, and disappointingly so. It smells of sweet pale malts, cloves, smells fruity, and wet bread dough. It has the usual adjectives but not the usual effect or appeal. The flavor is of sweet and fruity, almost banana-esque, yeast and spice. It's an odd and awkwardly sweet mix for the style. I'm not really a fan. It drinks light to medium in body and doesn't nearly life up to other authentic German hefes. This one just misses the mark with me.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2011 03:46:30 | More by aasher

vtfan77

Virginia

3.23/5  rDev -12%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A- Hazy, muddled orange-yellow (or is it yellow-orange?). Nice big, fluffy white head that takes its time going down.

S- Tart lemons and a wheaty twang with subtle clove and yeast notes.

T- Tart wheat snap upfront segues into a chalky yeast. Finishes clean with very little aftertaste and a light, grassy bitterness.

M- Medium-bodied with a good, snappy carbonation.

Just an OK hefeweizen. The flavor leaves quite a bit to be desired. It's just a little too mild. Nice and refreshing on a hot day, but aside from that, it's just so-so.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2011 02:47:59 | More by vtfan77

BDTyre

British Columbia (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nice, murky cloudy orange with a thick, white head. Banana, bubble gum, orange zest, cloves and malt in the scent.

Nice, fruity malty taste with a good dose of spice. (My curry is killing it a bit). Low hops, citrus notes.

Smooth carbonation, nice finish. A very enjoyable hefe.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2011 02:21:26 | More by BDTyre

beerthulhu

New Jersey

3.58/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a murky orange with a light to medium haze. On top lies a monstrous firm and rigid foam head that was ivory in color. Carbonation was medium, spacious, and quickly paced. Smidges of lace speckle the glass in random and moderate coverage.

S: Scents of slightly tart oranges and wet bread are to be had on the nose. There is a bit of spicy citrus as well, light lemon and yeasty presence lurking about.

T: Sparkling flavor of bananas, lightly tart oranges, and perhaps a bit of apple juice. Light lemon citrus and cloves come about on the close. Yeasty, with a sharp and clean flavor off the tongue and a good presence of wheat with an ending wet quenching nature.

M: bright and lively brought about by the sparkling sharp carbonation that made things dance on the tongue. Decent amount of fullness, probably due to unfiltered nature and conditioning.

O: Overall makes for a good summer time quencher. Good flavor, and sharp carbonation makes this pop and a good way to beat the heat without being weighed down.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2011 22:48:05 | More by beerthulhu

sfsean28

New Jersey

3.85/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- cloudy straw color with big foamy head. Poured into HP Weisse glass. alot of yeaast settled to botttom of bottle. It took alot of swirls to dissolve.

S-light aroma of bannanas and cloves

T-refreshing light taste of wheat and cloves. not much of bananas as I expected

M- light carbonation. light body. very drinkable on a hot summer day.

O- nice brew refreshing light a crisp. Not the best hefe beer around but a good one.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2011 22:14:23 | More by sfsean28

sweemzander

Illinois

3.45/5  rDev -6%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

500mL bottle poured into a Hefe glass.

(A)- Pours a cloudy golden orange/yellow color. Produced a huge fluffy pure white colored head with a ridiculous retention behind it. Plenty of lacing left behind as it finally started to dissipate.

(S)- Dry and with tons of a yeasty wheat component. Slightly earthy like straw with subtle lemon and clove. Plenty of ripe banana.

(T)- Very similar to the smell. Dry with a big primary baked bread/wheat profile. Subtle bits of lemon and banana.

(M)- A crisp carbonation level. A nice balance too of wheat and fruit with a good dry yeast profile. Smooth and refreshing.

(D)- A good Hefeweiss. Primarily on the dry yeasty wheat spectrum for the style, but it still fits. Crisp and refreshing. I love this style for summer and spingtime.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2011 13:54:55 | More by sweemzander

corby112

Pennsylvania

2.88/5  rDev -21.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Picked this jawn up on a recent beer run in New Jerusalem.

Pours a very hazy, dark golden yellow color with banana yellow hues when held to a light and a frothy, pillowy three finger head that slowly fades into a lasting cap. Sporadic chunks of soapy lacing left behind.

Slightly spicy, zesty aroma with hints of bready yeast and citrus fruit. Lots of clove, pepper and coriander in the nose but it could use a bit more citrus character. Faint orange peel and tart grapefruit but dominated by clove.

Medium bodied and kind of bland with the most interesting flavor being the prominent bread/yeast notes. I prefer this flavor as a compliment to a spicy, citrusy beer but here it kind of overpowers everything. Spicy with hints of zesty pepper and clove along with subtle sweet orange peel. Kind of tart with a bone dry finish. Just an average example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2011 04:06:32 | More by corby112

Sachsenfreude

Germany

3.55/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

appearance; typical yeasty, cloudy yellow with a white head. Moderately good retention and patchy lacing.

smell; very spicy yeast and unripe bananas. Raw wheat and barley malt aromas are more wild and rustic in compariso to others of the style. Still somewhat bland.

taste; upfront, rather watery but the finish brings it all together. Very spicy malts and warm yeast, almost rye-like flavors. The slightest bit of tartness in the aftertaste.

mouthfeel; crisp, light and refreshing. Kind of watery but not terrible, The carbonation is nice but could lend more thickness and complexity.

overall; this is a decent Weissbier, not by any means amoungst the best but the price is low so enjoy.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2011 04:46:55 | More by Sachsenfreude

BillHilly

Washington

3.35/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A: pours with a nice 2 finger head, excellent retention for a hefe.

S: sweet, citrus, bananas

T: Nice sweet floral notes to start, has an intereting after taste and finishing note. A flavor more common in higher ABV's than here.

M: Excellent carbonation and consistent mouthfeel for the German hefe ales.

D: I can't put my finger on that after taste. Lowers the score in the taste and drinkability. A beer I am glad I tried, yet, I won't buy another.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2010 00:42:51 | More by BillHilly

joemcgrath27

Alberta (Canada)

3.58/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - very dark and cloudy golden, tall white head retained very nicely
S - sweet banana and some clove, grainy wheat malt with grassy hops and a slight metallic
T - definitely fruity with banana and peach nectar, light clove, very grainy, with a somewhat strange resiny metallic finish
M - smooth and slightly creamy, with a bready feel throughout but again the metallic is there
D - mostly easy drinking, but the metallic taste is a little unwelcome, but generally classic flavour as you'd expect from a German purity law compliant brew

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2010 03:21:13 | More by joemcgrath27

elricorico

Alberta (Canada)

3.7/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Hazy orange with two fingers of white head. Head falls halfway and holds there. Decent amount of lacing.

Strongly citric aroma with a healthy dose of esters. A little bit peppery. Smells quite nice.

Lemon-lime citrus flavour right up front (a little bit like a Sprite). Slightly under-ripe banana creeps into the middle and holds on for the long run. A slightly unusual finish, I can't put my finger on what it is but it may be some coriander.

Light bodied and fairly lively. Carbonation isn't coarse, it is relatively pleasant.

A solid hefe, not a world changer, but would make a hot afternoon much more pleasant.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2010 02:59:12 | More by elricorico

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.93/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

50cl bottle, with those weird label residue rings, usually indicative of a recycled container. Good for them.

This beer pours a densely cloudy dark golden colour, with a ton of foamy, creamy white head, which leaves some very nice webbed lace around the glass as it settles. It smells of sweet bready grain, banana esters, under ripened peach, spicy clove, and some mild yeast. The taste is sweet, sugary wheat malt, pithy, fleshy orchard fruit, some mild coriander and yeast spiciness, and a bit of soft black pepper. The carbonation is fairly soft, the body medium weight, puffy, and smooth. It finishes on a more even note, the sweet malt offset by a musty, earthy drying edge.

A pretty good hefe, thoroughly balanced, enough so that, uncharacteristically, I almost ran out of beer before be able to finish this assessment...

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2010 23:24:23 | More by biboergosum

Grunewald

British Columbia (Canada)

3.05/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - poured from a 500ml bottle into a weizen glass. It pours cloudy orange-amber with a clumpy white head.

S - very sweet, bubble gum, ripe banana, and a little yeast

T - sweet bubblegum, ripe nectarine and peach, not very much citrus flavor and a slightly tangy finish

M - low carbonation, medium body, warms the mouth and throat and finishes wet

D - lots of sweet ripe fruit flavors. The mouthfeel lacks character and and the sweet flavors have nothing to balance them.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2010 03:58:12 | More by Grunewald

BranfordBound

Connecticut

3.8/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Brown 500 mL bottle with no freshness date, into a weizen glass.

Looks like a nice hefeweizen, real thick orange cloudiness with a crowning head. Lots of yeast floating around, great carbonation, and leaves lacing every time you take a sip.

Smells of your typical hefe, banana, nice strong spice, and a sweet toffee in the back.

Very sweet in the flavor. There is a light fruit note, like apples and possible white grapes, which flow into that toffee from the nose. Some mild spices at the back end, like a small cinnamon. Yeasty at the end, not too much banana, though. At times can seem watery with just malt flavors.

Mouthfeel is slightly wet, nice carbonation refreshment.

Drinkability is pretty good, I would like some more traditional weizen notes rather than the fruits, the yeast seems a bit underpowered.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2010 00:59:50 | More by BranfordBound

canucklehead

British Columbia (Canada)

4.05/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Confusing label as the one I have has Kloster on the front and is different from the picture above but reading the back it looks like it still brewed at Regensburg.

Pretty decent Hefe at a good price. Lots of complexity in the midbody with the obvious banana clove nose and taste. The aftertaste is smooth and full. Would buy this again for sure as it compares with Paulaner, Konig and Erdinger.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2010 02:36:15 | More by canucklehead

philbertk

Washington

3.25/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Weltenburg Klosterbrauerei GmbH, Kelheim, Germany--Brauerei Bischofshof--Marke Weltenburger Hefe-WeiBbier Hell--Weltenburger Bier-Hergestellt nac dem Rezepturen der altesten Klosterbrauerei der Welt--2009 16.9 oz. Bottle. 5.40% ABV. 5 IBU's? (3.5 / 5.0) Hefeweizen. Medium foamy mild lace white head. Tight dark sediment. Cloudy bright light orange gold color. Aromatic spicy Bavarian hint wheat ester front. Slightly creamy mild sweet light wheat fruit body. Refreshing clean mild Hefe end. Tasty, but a little dull and old. Sampled 7/4/2010. 2 @ $3.29 Each.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2010 21:18:09 | More by philbertk

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked up a bottle from Abe's for about $3. Poured into a tall glass, it's a hazy murky amber with tall white head. The aroma is a standard mix of banana and mellow clove, but there's also an odd plastic note. The flavor has a dry earthy undertone below the juicy spice and mild citrus.

Overall, this is a classic hefe, though not quite as robust as the hallmark examples of the style.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2010 22:25:29 | More by tempest

Graham5161986

British Columbia (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

OK, this hefe pours thickly clouded pale orange with a big, frothy, rocky white head that has good retention and leaves some patchy traces of lace - not as much as I had hoped for given its large head though. But I digress . . .

Smell is full of classic citrus, banana, coriander yeasty goodness with hints of spice and candied sugar.

Taste is malty up front with hits of candied sugar flowing through to the flavours that make this a classic German hefe: lots of banana, citrus and coriander flavours going on with definite hits of spice and finishing with a black pepper bready combination that tickles the palate through to the linger.

Mouthfeel is light and creamy with a good level of crisp carbonation that gives this beer a clean, spicy texture on the finish.

All in all, this is a pretty darn drinkable hefe. I could see myself polishing off a few of these on a hot summer's day. Nothing too crazy going on flavour-wise in this one. It's just a light, easy-drinking classic rendition of the style that just has "summer session beer" written all over it.

Are there better hefes out there? yes. But, hey, this is a good beer that doesn't break the bank. I would buy this beer again.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2010 06:01:53 | More by Graham5161986