Weizenbock - Beer Camp #37 (Best Of Beer Camp) - Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.33/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Aroma was light, there was lots of grassy grain like smells in hear with a decent enough amount of yeast thrown in for good measure.The flavor was brilliant, full of life and grain for that matter. A very Belgian like flavor, witha good amount of light fruit like yeast and hints of pears and apples mixed in among the various grain like flavors. very light with huge carbonation. This was so amply carbonated I do not even know where t begin. Just a great light feel and smooth, crisp, clean finish. Really a winner here for sure. Very light bright flavors mixed in with a ton of carbonation to give it just that right feel really made this a winner. I could have easily had a few.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2011 01:50:00 | More by mikesgroove

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4.1/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I was surely surprised to see a growler of this beer sitting in front of me. I didn't expect to see this beer so soon.

The beer opens with a golden-straw color, assertive haze, fantastic head formation and lacing that lasts the session. Although I expect a bit darker color, the beer has an impressive appearance.

Rich, fruity aromas of cookie dough, yeast, and fresh baked breads are backed up with bananna, apples, pineapples, mangos, appricots, and papayas. Spicy, yeasty aromas also deliver a lot of clove and pepper notes. The spices twirl around a significant hop scent as well.

The aromas blend well into flavor. The fruitiness and bready malts swirl into a richly sweet taste, also bringing bubblegum and Fruity Pebbles cereal. Decorated with the clove, cumin, corriander, white pepper; this beer pulls no punches with complexity. Hop flavor is also abundant and gives a lot of freshness to the taste.

The beer is very full, rich, and almost too sweet upfront. As the fruits and breads subside and allow the peppery spices and hop bitterness to set in, the beer balances out quite well. Very smooth, creamy, and a joy to drink.

This is a terrific beer, but I would think that the fruity, bready sweetness would wear on me after any more than a pint at a time. I would prefer a more Bock-like toastiness, boldness, and melanoidin character to add even more complexity and balance to the beer. On the other hand, I love the fresh hop character of the beer for a snappy and clean texture and finishing flavor.

Thanks Mike.

Serving type: growler

04-14-2009 14:33:48 | More by BEERchitect

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Sierra Nevada "Best of Beer Camp" Weizenbock

Appearance: Typical appearance: orange-amber body beneath a frothy head of white. Average head retention and lacing.

Smell: Clove. Doughy malt.

Taste: Sweet, doughy, wheaty malt. Sugary. Clove. The alcohol never shows.

Mouthfeel: Medium-full body. Crisp carbonation.

Overall: Quite pleasant.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2011 17:36:05 | More by NeroFiddled

WesWes

New York

4.15/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On tap at the Blue Tusk 1/14/09

The beer pours a cloudy gold color with a thick frothy white head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is great! It has an awesome pale and wheat malt scent along with a monster banana and clove aroma. It has a large malt aroma with just a hint of hops. The taste is good. It has a super smooth malt flavor that goes down with ease and finishes with a really nice yeastiness. It appears quite simple, but it's not lacking in flavor. The mouthfeel is near perfect. It is a medium/full bodied beer with perfect carbonation. This is one of the easiest drinking weizenbocks I've ever had. It hides the warmth well and is so damn smooth.

Serving type: on-tap

01-14-2009 02:28:22 | More by WesWes

WVbeergeek

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a beatiful clouded banana smoothie hue with a bright slightly off white head forming thick with creamy textured head. Fine speckled lacing with chunks mixed in the pattern. Labeled as The Best of Beer Camp: Weizenbock #37. Aroma has sharp wheat with banana bread and citrus notes arising strong. Flavor is everything I enjoy about kellerweiss with a bit more punch to it. Sharp citrus/wheat combonation with hints of spicy yeast/banana/clove esters coming forth this is a very satisfying wheat beer, I had not idea that Sierra Nevada were actually wheat beer pros that hid behind the the Sierra Nevada Wheat with the red label for years, which was a dull American Wheat without any yeast fireworks from the German versions. Mouthfeel is satisfyingly carbonated with enough texture and girth the keep any craft beer drinker happy, a touch of alcohol in the back end but it's well orchestrated within the context of different flavors offered from this beer. Overall damn quality Weizenbock that I wish more craftbrewers would perfect like this.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2011 22:15:08 | More by WVbeergeek

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

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

Oooh a weizenbock. I think back to the last time I had a weizenbock, and I keep thinking back...and think back some more. And can't remember the last time I had one. This one works pretty well. But what the hell is in this? A lemon peel or something? Either way, the beer is solid. Hard style to pull off well, but it happens here. I can dig it.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2012 19:55:16 | More by RblWthACoz

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Big creamy and fluffy head of almost 2 fingers rises and fades at a medium pace, with a bit of lacing, over ridiculously hazy nectar orange carrot colored beer.

Nose has a nice weizenbock, lots of wheat, light yeast, plenty of citrus, orange rind, floral, light spices, touch of banana.

Taste starts slightly sweet, plenty of wheat, almost creamy, light yeast, tons of citrus, little bitter and sweet orange peel, light spices, touch of coriander, light floral like flower taste, little banana, little sticky syrupy sweetness. Finishes still a bit sticky, slightly dry but not as much as I expected, lingering spices and orange.

Mouth is medium bodied, a little creamy, decent carbonation but lower than I expected and a creamy carbonation not the small bubbles and lots of carbonation I expected in a weizenbock.

Overall not bad, not what I expected, the mouth is a little flat and not what I expected.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2011 23:10:21 | More by jlindros

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.95/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Good cloudy inviting gold color, ample head. Yeasty nose, banana, all the traditional hallmarkes of a decent weizenbock.

Taste was again, wheaty, yeasty banana-y. Very bready. Light sandwich in a bottle. Good creamy and chewy aspects. Other slight citrus flavors as well, but not from hoppiness, which is all but absent, as it tradionally should be. I'm not a weizenbock guy by any stretch of the imagination, but you'd be crazy not to realize this is a legitimate beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2011 18:06:18 | More by Beerandraiderfan

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4.47/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Well, it took over 2 years for it to finally happen, but the other day I was able to sample again the excellent SN weizenbock I had in SoCal a few years back.

On tap at Max's.

The SN weizen pours a somewhat cloudy amber orange color with good head retention and lacing. The nose is textbook weizenbock, with banana, clove, brown sugar and a hint of chocolate. The flavor profile replicates the nose pretty closely in this beer, though I was happy to see that it was not overly sweet or spicey. Also, while the beer had something of a creamy mouthfeel, it was still light on the palate and very drinkable.

Don't see all that many domestic weizenbocks, and frankly I'd be hard put to think of a better one than this. Impressive stuff...

Serving type: on-tap

05-27-2011 10:54:01 | More by johnmichaelsen

kojevergas

California

2.65/5  rDev -34.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

12 fl oz brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap served into a generic hefeweissbier glass in low altitude Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live. Fresh out of the fridge, but not too cold. Acquired as part of the beer camp pack, at Wally's Wine.

A: Pours a four finger head of slight cream, fair thickness, and good retention. Colour is a hazy copper.

Sm: Definitely a wheat foundation. Some citrusy notes are present: orange and light lemon. Also, banana and clove are in there to be sure. No alcohol comes through. Aroma is moderate in strength.

T: The wheat base is complemented nicely by the banana and clove. The orange is present but unfortunately restrained. Well balanced, but a bit simple and without any bold dominant flavours. A bit boring.

Mf: Smooth and wet, but a bit undercarbonated. Also, a touch thin. It does complement the flavour, but it doesn't feel tailored to it.

Dr: Drinkable enough, but lacking a bold or inspired quality. It's fairly priced, but boring. Where's the beef?

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2011 08:21:32 | More by kojevergas

Brad007

Vermont

3.73/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a cloudy pale golden color into my glass with a small head as well.

Lots of clove upfront with just a hint of banana as well. Come to think of it, it's sweeter than I thought.

Taste is bursting with clove, wheat and banana flavors that coat the tongue. Very delicious. Sweet but delicious.

Lingering clove and banana at the back of the throat. Very palatable.

I like this example of the style. It's highly drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2011 01:28:18 | More by Brad007

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

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

The beer is very slightly hazy and light orange hued, with a smallish head that leaves some caked on lacing on the pint glass. The aroma brings banana, sweet malt, fruit, wheat. The flavor is decent. Sweet and fruity, with emphasis on bananas. Medium-thin in body, with adequate carbonation. A decent beer, but not in the same league as Aventinus.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2011 03:27:47 | More by Huhzubendah

Tone

Missouri

4.18/5  rDev +4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a cloudy, orange color. 1/4 inch head of a white color. Decent retention and decent lacing. Smells of wheat, yeast, slight alcohol, and slight citrus. Fits the style of a Weizenbock. Mouth feel is smooth and clean, with an average carbonation level. Tastes of wheat, yeast, slight citrus, slight spice, and a hint of alcohol. Overall, lacking in appearance, but good aroma, feel, body, and blend.

Serving type: on-tap

10-04-2011 20:36:53 | More by Tone

kylehay2004

Florida

4.2/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Smooth, creamy taste, easy to drink with mild to medium body. Only a subtle after taste which is pleasant.

Cloudy, yellow-amber color. Formed good foamy head.

Compatible with multiple foods. The first I have had of this style. Look forward to trying others.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2011 00:35:29 | More by kylehay2004

LilBeerDoctor

New York

3.73/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed on 06/21/2009. I had this on draft. This beer pours a cloudy yellow with a small white head. The aroma is of wheat, melon, and clove. The flavor is more fruity with tropical fruits, lemon, and citrus. It is rather light and refreshing. A nice surprise!

Serving type: on-tap

07-11-2009 18:26:06 | More by LilBeerDoctor

Brent

Kentucky

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

Included in the "Beer Camp" mix pack. Big punch of banana ester at the front, followed by more fruity esters and a candy-sugar sweetness that veers perhaps a bit toward Belgian influences. Substantial malt body leaves no question as to the bock aspect of the beer. Quite nice.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2011 18:17:52 | More by Brent

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

4.25/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle from The 2011 Best of Beer Camp mix pack served in a weizen glass.

L - murky amber/yellow with a creamy white head that stayed as a thin layer leaving behind some lacing.

S - very good blend of spices and wheat.

T - the blend of flavors is very tasty, you get bubblegum and banana but never loose sight of the wheat.

F - medium/full bodied with a crisp feel.

O - a very good example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2011 20:59:25 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

Gmann

New York

3.75/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Out of the Beer Camp mix pack. Pours a muddy golden color, choked with yeast. The off-white head is huge, dense, and creamy. It slowly settles into a solid cap leaving plenty of lacing.

The aroma is of sugary bananas, light clove, and a doughy wheat malt. Much like a banana creme pie.

The taste is of a banana smoothie and light clove. There is a bit of a mineral aspect to the beer which was unexpected, especially for the style. There is also a slightly sour note, kinda lemony. These flavors take away from what is otherwise a really smooth beer.

A very smooth and very drinkable weizenbock. The flavor isn't up to snuff against the german counterparts, see Aventinus, Ayinger, Vitus.

The feel is well bodied and very smooth. Sweet on the palate but not cloying. Again, very smooth.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2011 01:55:47 | More by Gmann

ngeunit1

California

4.22/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a cloudy golden-orange color with a finger of white frothy head on top. The head fades down slowly to a thin layer leaving behind some nice lacing.

S - Aroma is full of wheat and fruit smells with some strong banana notes. There is also spices (clove and pepper) and some yeast mixed in.

T - Starts out with light lemon flavor and some wheat. There is a touch of banana in the background. Through the middle, more banana as well as some yeast and spices come in. Light pepper and clove. The finish is a mix of wheat, banana, lemon, pepper and some yeast that lingers.

M - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Smooth and super crisp. Never feels watery. The finish has some spices that tingle the tongue as the beer finishes and lingers.

D - Very drinkable. Flavors are really well balanced and complex enough. The banana and spices really work well together here. The spices in the finish are also really nice.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2011 03:06:02 | More by ngeunit1

billab914

Virginia

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

Poured from a 12oz bottle into my Terrapin glass. It poured a murky orange/amber color with a big, bright white, fluffy head filling a good portion of the glass. The head faded a little but kept a nice layer covering the beer as I drank it.

The aroma has a lot of bready, sweet, wheat malt flavors to it. The yeast plays a big role too adding some notes of clove and nutmeg spices as well as a little banana. Very nice balance between the malt and yeast flavors, and a very appealing and inviting aroma overall.

The taste starts off with more of the bready, wheat malts coming through. Midway I start to get more of the yeast spice, which leads into some citrusy and banana flavors coming through in the finish. The wheat malt flavor was very nicely done and flavorful.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied with carbonation being a little above average. Overall it was a very good beer, definitely the best out of the beer camp 12 pack. They got a great balance between the wheat malt and yeast spice, where it seems a lot let the yeast spice overpower the beer. Very solid beer overall, and one I really hope makes an appearance again in Sierra's line up. There definitely is not enough good versions of this style around, especially under 7%.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2011 22:58:41 | More by billab914

laituegonflable

Australia

3.78/5  rDev -6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a deep rusty orange colour, fairly cloudy. Off-white head of small bubbles dissipates quickly but leaves a thin film of lace behind. Moderate bead. I like my weizenbocks dark, but I'm also aware that styles are open to interpretation. Still, not overly exciting anyway.

Smells quite Belgian, actually. Plenty of clovey spice with a hint of nutmeg, pepper, but it has an almost saisony funk to it as well, possible just because of the green-ness of the fruit esters it's giving off. Maybe needs a bit more sweetness to add a 'bock' element - it's all spiced pear and maybe a hint of banana, but all spice and just slight sourness.

Taste is again largely spice and fruit. Quite fruity on the front - apple and pear with a good quantity of banana coming up behind. Sweeter, with the fruit dominating to late-mid with a warm kiss of booze to accompany it - sherry and a touch of brandy. Finishes with a pleasant weizeny spice - green pepper with clove and cinnamon. Quite tangy on the back with a touch of astringency from the spice, but it's a pleasant fruity palate overall - not too big that it loses the development of flavour. Enjoyable, but not mind-blowingly good.

Bit of zip on the back, from the yeast. Bit of carbonation, bit of booze, but no hegemonic texture so it's quite well balanced. Good for style.

Yeah, a good, big weizen. I did love the Sierra Nevada Kellerweiss, and the question must be raised as to whether this is just a big version? It's bigger, but not really more complex or interesting. It's only 6.6%, so I feel like if they upped the malt a bit more, made it even bigger and sweeter it could be spectacular.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2011 10:13:00 | More by laituegonflable

Overlord

California

2.98/5  rDev -25.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Did. not. like. While I appreciate Sierra Nevada branching out, this was a clear misfire for me.

Pours a hazy golden yellowish. Doesn't look like a weizenbock. If anything, looks like a wit or hefeweizen.

Smells like a bit of spices, and maybe some malt. Faintly. Not much going on with aroma. Some breadiness to it.

Taste was thin, weak, and just not appealing. There was a muddled spicy cloviness to it, maybe just a tad of bready malt ... but it really wasn't special or memorable.

Too thin, as well.

Serving type: on-tap

05-20-2009 05:11:16 | More by Overlord

cjgator3

Florida

4.53/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle

A- Poured into a pint glass. Pours a hazy golden yellow/orangish color with an off-white head with excellent lacing and retention qualities. Looks fantastic.

S- The aroma is fantastic! The aroma is sweet and malty with some spices (clove), banana, and yeast. There is no sign of alcohol in the nose whatsoever. Smells great!

T- The taste is equally as good as the aroma. The taste starts out with a lot of sweetness with some wheat and banana. The clove flavors come in next along with some yeast and a touch of warmth from the alcohol in the finish.

M- The mouthfeel is medium bodied with a good amount of carbonation. Really nice!

O- Overall, this is a fantastic beer. I would love to see this one in the regular rotation from Sierra Nevada. Highly recommended!

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2011 01:42:47 | More by cjgator3

flexabull

California

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

Pours a bright and hazy light gold color with a decent bright white head.

Aromas are of bananas, bubble gum, and sweet cream.

Taste is just like the nose. Notes of bananas, bubble gum, clove, and some general sweet creamy malt flavors. Finish is dry, with a peppery hop taste.

Mouthfeel is full. Beer is smooth, thick, and feels good in the mouth.

Drinkability is good. Nice Weizenbock, fits the style rather well. While this isn't really my favorite style, it reminds me of Weihenstephaner Vitus. Not quite as good, but still a fine example.

Serving type: on-tap

01-24-2010 08:06:22 | More by flexabull

BretSikkink

Mexico

3.95/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Very murky, orange-brown body with lighter highlighting. Good look. Strong nose of phenolic clove and enough esters to qualify for balance. Coriander is there, along with some fresh herbs and citric zest. Alcohol heat.

The flavor is a little less assertive than the nose. Clove is strongest, with an astringent black pepper note. Very drying. Banana is way back in the mix, a hint toward bubblegum, and some citric and spice notes.

A little dry and thin to be considered among the giants of style. Kudos to the effort.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2011 04:09:34 | More by BretSikkink