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

sullied

California

4.95/5  rDev +23.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Appearance: Cloudy orange color with a small amount of head that dissipated after a bit.

Smell: Citrus smell is the strongest smell but a bit of a bread like smell under it. A hint of a sour note on the nose as well.

Taste: Wonderful. This is one of the best tasting beers I've had to date. It has a nice citrus flavor well balanced by the wheat flavor. A little sweet, but still has a bit of hop flavor as well. Aftertaste is a nice bread like flavor.

Mouthfeel: A bit thick leaving the mouth slightly dry. Very nice.

Overall: From the moment I began pouring this into my glass to the very end of the glass, this was the best overall beer I've had to date. Highly recommend to anyone that likes a good wheat beer (my favorite style).

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2011 01:25:40 | More by sullied

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.8/5  rDev +19.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours a hazed honey/apricot color with 2 fingers of ivory head. Good lacing & average head retention

S: Cloves, breadyness & phenolic notes

T: Sweet breadyness, figs & apricots mix with green apple peels & green banana, plus cloves up front. Slight smokeyness, more green banana & cloves once this warms, a touch of boozeyness nixes with juicy fruit, plus white pepper. Finishes fruitty, juicy & with nice banana peel notes

MF: Medium bodied,carbonation is subtle & really pushes the flavor

Super example of the style, I really can't find any fault at all this, great quencher n another 100 degree day!

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2011 02:40:01 | More by russpowell

DocDownUnder

Illinois

4.78/5  rDev +19.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

330ml into a stein.

A-Beautiful cloudy burnt orange with a 2cm white head, fading quickly.

S-Strong ripe banana and bubblegum.

T-Very sweet, candy rich, and heavy almost syrupy but enough carbonation to keep it from cloying. Dense and moist like banana bread, with a hint of bitterness that was similar to unripe fruit, but this provided a nice complement to the banana/gum sweetness.

M-Extremely creamy, almost like drinking a milk stout on nitro. Velvet.

O-An amazingly rich and warming beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2011 23:00:45 | More by DocDownUnder

nickthetick

Maryland

4.7/5  rDev +17.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: pours an opaque hazy orange with a thin skim of white bubbles.

S: wheat, caramel and toffee. Banana bread and mild green apples.

T: more biscuit and banana bread than the nose but basically the same. Caramel and honey right off the bat. The fruits and spices come in fast and strong but the new honey taste lingers throughout and hangs on the tongue.

MF: full flavor and medium body with great effervescence and sweetness.

O: great weizenbock!!! I would buy sixers if not twelve packs of this only.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2011 05:54:36 | More by nickthetick

dcook11

California

4.6/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a flute glass. Thick white head, cloudy orangish hue with some lacing and a pencil thin that maintains after the initial larger head fades. The smell is delicious. Banana, clove, some taffy (banana taffy). Smells amazing. The taste is off bannana cloves, spices, hops. the mouthfeel is medium bodied and very smooth. Overall, i love this beer. Man i wish this was year round and in six packs.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2011 05:44:20 | More by dcook11

morimech

Minnesota

4.55/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Very cloudy golden color with a massive white head that had excellant retention. Huge chunks of lacing is left on the glass.

The aroma is thick with yeasty esters. Heavy with banana and clove aromas.

One of the better tasting weizenbocks around. I would have to have this side by side with an Aventinus and see how this truely compares. The yeast really did their work. Flavors of bananas and bubble gum. A little alcohol warmth in the finish.

Soft, creamy texture with a larger than typical body for a wheat beer. Perfectly carbonated. Do not know how it could get better.

Did not expect much from this beer since I have not been impressed with Sierra Nevada's previous wheat beers. But this one could be one of the best ever crafted.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2011 22:12:15 | More by morimech

gpogo

California

4.53/5  rDev +13%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A- Completely opaque hazy golden brown. Large light brown/cream colored head.

A- Very wheaty malt aroma. Spicy cloves and bananas dominate.

T- Wheaty flavor. Tastes like a field of wheat in your mouth. Clove and banana, as it warms it has less and less of a spiciness. Crisp finish.

M- Medium-full bodied; smooth, but with a spiciness. Moderate carbonation.

D- This is a great Weizenbock and one of my favorite beers in the beer camp collection. Check it out.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2011 20:32:25 | More by gpogo

yemenmocha

Arizona

4.5/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Sexy appearance with creamy white head atop a deep dark golden cloudy body of weizenbock. Nose is a delight with loads of bready/yeasty aromas, along with some spices & citrus. Palate is quite creamy, yet not too heavy to loose drinkability. Gorgeous mingle of wheat, bready flavors, citrus, spice, and a zesty carbonation level that carries nicely through the finish.

Brewed in the lighter weizenbock way, similar to Vitus, compared to the more dunkel versions like Aventinus.

A must try.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2011 03:48:12 | More by yemenmocha

swooshjtb

Mississippi

4.5/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I poured this beer into a goblet style glass.

Weizenbock pours a cloudy, amber color with a thick white head.

I could smell this beer from a few feet away. It smells of citrus and sour malts that I usually associate with hefeweizens. However, there is also a hint of banana in the smell.

Initially, the taste offers citrus, spices, and a small amount of banana. The malty taste follows on the way down the hatch. Honestly, one the best tasting hefeweizens I have had in a while. The mouthfeel is very smooth and slightly under carbonated in a good way.

Overall, this is another great offering Sierra Nevada. I really like this beer. It's great in the summer and goes down smoothly.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2011 03:24:40 | More by swooshjtb

LiquidAmber

Washington

4.5/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Review from 5/2011 notes. Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip.
Pours a very cloudy orange amber. Thin white head, but nice lacing. Aroma of caramel malt, wheat , clove and light citrus. Sweet caramel malt, citrus, wheat. Everything comes together for a pleasant flavor combination and finish. Somewhat complex flavor. This is an excellent wheat beer. It leans more towards a hefeweizen to my taste, but really enjoyed it and I'm not going to argue.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2012 03:05:20 | More by LiquidAmber

JizackFH

New York

4.47/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - This beer pours a very hazy yellow color that has some orange tints too it. It has a small 1-finger white head on it. The head has pretty good retention, and it leaves some decent lacing behind.

S - It has a big smell of banana right off the bat. There are also notes of lemon, clove, and other spices. Mmm this smells excellent.

T - The taste also has a big banana flavor right away. Other than that there are some nice lemon and spice notes that accompany it. Also, there is some nice light maltiness, some yeast funkiness, wheat, light hops, and some clove. The finish leaves some lingering spice notes behind.

M - This has a medium body and average carbonation. It goes down smooth, and it has a super creamy feel to it. This is a super refreshing beer. There are some spice notes left lingering in the finish.

O - This has awesome drinkability. I could easily drink a bunch of these. It is just a great beer overall. I really hope they consider keeping this beer around. I definitely recommend trying this. I look forward to having more.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2011 08:39:22 | More by JizackFH

PDXHops

South Carolina

4.47/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12 ounce bottle poured into a Duvel tulip. We're well past cloudy into murky territory here. Huge initial head, but it's a thick skim that lingers. Attractive streaks of lace.

Massive fresh banana aromas backed up with hearty doses of clove and lemon. Yeasty and very lively. Somehow juicy and bready at once; it sounds odd, but works quite well. Bubblegum and clove bring the sweetness, but the wheat's up to the challenge and provides a nice bite. Thickish with a coating feel. A fruity mix of bananas, apples and grapes tossed with lemon juice lingers.

Overall impression: Explosively fresh and flavorful. Well done. My favorite of the Beer Camp brews.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2011 01:50:26 | More by PDXHops

Fernans

Rhode Island

4.47/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Tried this at Boston Beerfest, then bought the 12. What a top notch beer. Weizens are not my favorite style, but this is exceptional.
App: Cloudy yellow/orange
Smell: Bananas, hints of flowers or cloves
Taste: Slightly toasty, wheaty, great
Mouthfeel: Easy drinking, smooth with just slight carbonation

This is a really good beer. They should just make 12 packs of this stuff. Highly recommended. Cheers!

Serving type: on-tap

07-02-2011 22:12:04 | More by Fernans

tavernjef

Minnesota

4.47/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Cloudy dark lemony yellow with a small dusty white crown of foam. Keeps itself a tight skim the entire session. Some spotty lacing.

Wonderfully complex and bountifully pleasant nose of dark soggy citrus that seems a mellow mix of mango, tangerine, melon, and starfruit. Quite doughy too with nice notes to clove and phenolic spice.

Smooth yummy taste of firm mellowing citrusy things, make yourself a dark-sided melonyness, mango, blood orange, lemon, berry smoothie laced with clove. And blam-O you have this wonderfully tangy sweet malty treat. Nice background of doughy breadyness while the spices left lingering are spot on perfectly balanced.

Firm, smooth, lofty, large medium body with a small spiked touch of German hefe-like fluffy bitten carbonation. And at 6.8% you can have a number of these without to much head buzzing hassle. A terrific showcase of the style.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2011 00:42:57 | More by tavernjef

Clydesdale

District of Columbia

4.47/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a very hazy burnt orange color. Definitely (and thankfully) unfiltered. The tall, densely foamy head has a soft orange tint. Retention is very nice, and splotches of sticky lace stick to the glass.

S: Tangy notes of bready wheat malt and the trademark yeast esters. Banana, bubblegum, and peppery spice are quite vibrant. There's also some orchard fruit (golden apples/pears) for good measure. Light clove. Highly enjoyable so far.

T: Some bready maltiness up front, with a pleasant wheaty crispness. Yeast flavors take center stage. Bubblegum, banana, clove, pepper, and some mild fruitiness are all readily available. A low level of hop bitterness keeps things relatively balanced. Alcohol is undetectable, although the abv seems to be on the lower end of the spectrum for this style.

M: Medium bodied. Quite creamy overall, with smooth, light carbonation. A light level of crispness up front prevents it from becoming too soft overall.

D: This is an excellent American weizenbock. The aroma and flavor are vibrantly, complexly yeasty. Despite the complexity, this drinks very easily and boasts a refined mouthfeel. There's a lot to like about this one - definitely the standout from the Beer Camp mixed pack.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2011 22:35:02 | More by Clydesdale

Shaw

Florida

4.43/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

They don't look any better than this: Cloudy golden in color with a big foamy head that doesn't vanish. Nice!

Big aroma of cloves and spices with a hint of green banana.

The taste is excellent: It's fruity, spicy and sweet with a complex flavor. It's like a hefeweizen pumped up a bit, but not too much. Of course, that's why it's a weizenbock.

A very nice, creamy and slick body.

I'm a hophead, but this beer shows you don't need lots of hops to make an excellent brew. There really isn't any room for improvement with this beer. Sierra Nevada puts the Germans on notice. Seek this -- and its Beer Camp brethren -- out.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2011 02:49:29 | More by Shaw

JayQue

Virginia

4.43/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This was really good!!!! I read a lot of reviews saying Juniper Black Ale is the best of Beer Camp. If so, that must be a hell of a beer!!!

This one poured into my Aventinus glass as a very murky caramel color with a good size delicate white bubbly head. Head retention is decent and there are some rings of lacing on the glass. Smell is awesome. All the hefe aromas are there: wheat, bananas, cloves, bubble gum plus a heavier malty backbone.

Taste is excellent as well. The smell is a good indicator of taste. Kind of like a richer, good hefeweizen featuring more bready malts, but still with all the hefe like flavors.

Mouthfel is crisp and refreshing like a hefe, but a good bit heavier with the malty presence. This is more than a summertime thirst quencher. A few of these could be a cold weather nightcap as well.

A real winner. I would like to see this one year round.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2011 17:51:02 | More by JayQue

DJED69

New Jersey

4.43/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Excellent brew! To me, best of the sampler pack by far. Pours a beautiful, hazy gold with nice fluffy head. Smells of yeast, spice and mild banana. The taste folows suit and is a wonderful balance of all the above scents. Body of the beer is medium with nice mouth feel. This is truly an excellent beer, one I wish Sierra would consider releasing again. Sad to be having the last of my samplers three botles.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2011 22:23:56 | More by DJED69

WesWes

New York

4.43/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The beer pours a cloudy gold color with a thick frothy white head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is great! It has a wonderful pale and wheat malt scent along with a nice hefe yeast aroma. The banana and clove character is well pronounced. The taste is great as well. It has a delicious pale and wheat malt flavor along with a very yeasty character. It goes down easy and finishes with tons of banana and clove character. The mouthfeel is fine. It is a full bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is a damn good weizenbock. It's rich and flavorful with tons of yeast deliciousness.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2011 22:33:45 | More by WesWes

ummswimmin

New Jersey

4.43/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Overall this is a very good example of a Weizenbock. I haven't had this style in a long time, and it feels like coming home.

I get a lot banana, clove, and some bubble gum. The flavors balance really well. I smiled from my first taste.

It looks good, smells good, and tastes good. I wish I could buy a six pack of just this beer. Thank you Sierra Nevada.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2011 20:02:50 | More by ummswimmin

obywan59

Virginia

4.43/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours into my Schneider Weisse glass a thick, cloudy, tropical orange like mango/pineapple. Thick white head of 4 1/2 fingers that becomes chunky as it recedes leaving some thick lacing.

Smalls like when the hot sun beats down on a meadow of mixed wildflowers and tall grass in full ear, releasing their aromas. Very peppery, some clove and and other spice with lemon.

On the sweet side. Banana and clove. Lemony with some earthiness thrown in.

Thick and chewy. Some light, peppery carbonation on the tongue, and warming alcohol in the throat.

Borderline cloying, but there's enough going on here to overcome it. A very good brew.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2011 03:37:22 | More by obywan59

JosiahS

California

4.43/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

a: Great appearance. Soft, pillow-like white head with a hazy dark orange that cascades to a lighter, clearer bottom.

s: Sweet. Banana, clove, a light wheat aroma underneath and alcohol.

t: Consistent flavor from start to finish. Bready, wheaty goodness. A nice banana/clove that's just right. Finishes clean.

m: Surprisingly, low-medium carbonation with a smooth slick mouthfeel, about medium-high.

o: Awesome. Alcohol is well integrated, flavor is perfect. Very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2011 01:14:49 | More by JosiahS

fields336

North Carolina

4.43/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Hazy as hell orange/golden color, with 3.5 fingers of foamy creamy off-white head. Leaves nice lacing on the sides of the glass. the head stays around fairly thick for a while.

S: Huge banana and spicy clove, cinnamon notes. Tons of yeast is there with some bready and biscuity notes.

T: Peppery, cinnamon, and banana backed by huge yeast notes. There is a distinct hop character underlying the bready malt notes. This is a tasty beer. All of the elements are working in perfect symphony.

M: Medium mouthfeel with really nice carbonation, the carbonation lingers in your mouth and on your tongue for a while.

O: I'm making it a point to search out this style more often, this is a well crafted beer. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2011 22:32:36 | More by fields336

RonfromJersey

New Jersey

4.43/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Very hazy orange body topped by two fingers of extremely creamy white fluff. Thin drippy lace.

Enticing assertive clove and banana nose.

Taste is strong assertive wheat characteristics: banana, clove, pepper, and a firm wheat tang. Sense of alcohol, almost a delayed belly warmth.

Firm mouthfeel has a little bubbly to it too.

A highly enjoyable weizenbock, a great example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2011 00:02:29 | More by RonfromJersey

teromous

Virginia

4.4/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Hazy orange with an eggshell white head that is fluffy and stands for a good while.

S: Smells like oranges and has a slight malty scent, like sweet smelling syrup. The sent is very light though.

T: It has a very nice taste to it, with a lot of spiciness. There's a wheat character but it's not bready. The spice gives it a great character, and it has a date-like flavor to it.

M: The mouthfeel is very nice. I feel that for this style of beer it could have been a tad bit heavier. It has a nice coating on the mouth delivering flavor to the entire palate.

O: Overall I would love to drink this beer again. By no means is it perfect, but I would definitely buy it and drink it again.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2011 19:51:09 | More by teromous