Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse - Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Popular brew in these parts. On tap at Blue Tusk in Syracuse. Spicyness tingling tongue, which is a plus for some and me depends on the night. Cloves, banana from yeast. Lemon in there. Above average for style. Malt sweetness aftertaste. Less carbonation would work .

Serving type: on-tap

11-18-2004 00:48:22 | More by northyorksammy

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

3.93/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Lightly milky lemon-amber that clears quickly. Where's all the yeast? Must be in the bottom of the bottle. The head is expansive and fills the glass quickly, but looks to be pillowy and insubstantial. As expected, the bone white cap compresses rapidly and lays down very little lace.

The nose is enjoyably wheaty and contains a judicious amount of clove spice. I don't appreciate any banana esters; perhaps that characteristic of the yeast is waiting for actual taste bud submersion. That's it exactly because the flavor is a wonderful mixture of wheat malt and fresh banana with a polite sprinkling of clove.

While the flavor profile makes a feint towards sweet at the start, the majority of the mouthful (and especially the finish) is tangy, tart, slightly puckery and ultimately dry. A relative lack of sugar and a light body increase drinkability in terms of 'ease of'. I'll let the generous amount of carbonation slide since it isn't that bothersome.

Franziskaner Hefe Weisse is good beer. It's a flavorful, well-constructed version with a quenching dryness that is atypical for the style. Although my favorite hefes have nothing to fear, I will look for this one again.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2004 15:49:51 | More by BuckeyeNation

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.15/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured a nice golden yellow with a big white billowing head, slow fade left a small lace, lots of carbonation. Smell was highly yeasty and full of grain and cereal aromas with a hint of fruit. Very lively feel, good carbonation had alot to do with this, and a nice all around flavor. Very drinkable, I could easily put down a six pack, gotta love a good Hefe!

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2007 13:55:34 | More by mikesgroove

womencantsail

California

4.03/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: The beer pours the typical cloudy orange color with a massive white head that has awesome retention and lacing.

S: Very bready on the nose with a fair amount of banana. There is a moderate level of clove spiciness and some undertones of bubblegum. A decent wheat sweetness and some mild citrus notes.

T: A pretty decent flavor profile. Sweet bread, malt, and wheat with a nice banana note. The spices seem more pronounced than they were on the nose. The flavor is actually pretty creamy.

M: The body is medium with a moderate level of carbonation and a slight creaminess to it.

D: For this price, this is tough to beat (less than $2.50 after tax for a half liter). Pretty solid hefeweizen.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2011 03:47:03 | More by womencantsail

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.48/5  rDev -14.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked up a bottle of this at Chevy Chase in DC. Served in a Mikasa weizen glass.

Pours a very hazy apricot color with a super-fluffy white head that sticks around for quite a long time, leaving behind gobs of sticky lacing. The nose hits with some malty bread plus a bit of bubblegum and banana. Faint hint of cloves in the background. The flavor comes through with all the same notes. Not nearly as much clove as I would prefer, and the other yeast elements are a tad bit muted as well. Mouthfeel is light and moderately creamy. Nothing too special about this, but it's certainly easy drinking and is a good choice on a balmy February afternoon.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2011 17:01:34 | More by Thorpe429

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.5/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

16.9 ounce bottle - $2.59 at Bullock's in Marietta, Georgia.

Appearance: Pours out a cloudy, golden-orange body with a rather large, fluffy, off-white head, though it quickly gasses out into just a very thin layering of fizzle.

Smell: Mild nose smelling of wheat malt, lemon wedges, ground coriander, and banana, with nothing previously listed being particularly aromatic.

Taste: Lightly tangy-tasting malted wheat with a thin measure of honeyish sweetness. Small hint of raw grain. Light touches of lemon, coriander, and banana pass by the tongue. Hop bitterness remains very low, just enough to be felt. Things thin out considerably as you near the dry finish, but there is a bit more lemon to be had.

Mouthfeel: Medium-thin body, though lacking the creaminess of other weiss beers. Medium carbonation.

Drinkability: Sure, it's got ease of drinking and refreshment on its side, but it comes across as simply being dutifully, dully average. So, all in all, while it's by no means bad, I've had better

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2010 00:34:00 | More by ChainGangGuy

brentk56

North Carolina

4.22/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Arrives at the table with a cloudy golden color and a nice head that has reasonable retention but does provide good lacing

Smell: Bananas and cloves

Taste: Banana and clove flavors predominate with a nice balance

Mouthfeel: A touch thick and modestly carbonated

Drinkability: Much better on tap than in the bottle with an excellent flavor profile

Serving type: on-tap

07-21-2006 02:01:13 | More by brentk56

UCLABrewN84

California

4.22/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a cloudy pale wheat color with a very nice 2 inch head that fades to a 1/2 cap. There is decent lacing present.

S - Smells of sweet fruits (banana, pineapple), biscuit, and spices.

T - Crisp wheat bready flavor. Spices like clove and cinnamon. Subdued fruity flavors.

M - Great carbonation makes for a very crisp and smooth drinking experience.

D - Very, very good and very, very refreshing. I will buy this one again. I had always passed this one up on the shelves as a cut rate hefe but I was wrong.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2010 04:05:38 | More by UCLABrewN84

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

4.55/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle: Poured a cloudy dark beige color weizen with a huge pure white foamy head with good retention and great lacing. Aroma of banana and cloves is huge and very enjoyable. Taste is also dominated by some banana, cloves and bubble gum notes with a perfect creamy texture of wheat malt. Full body with limited filtration and great carbonation. No date on the bottle but I am guessing that this is somewhat fresh. Probably the best form a style that I enjoy consistently.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2008 18:03:23 | More by Phyl21ca

BEERchitect

Kentucky

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

Love this beer. Simple and pure, and with a lot of flavor, character, and complexity. It's even better on tap. This seems to put more emphasis on the bananna, clove, bubble gum flavor and a creamy, bready texture. The bottle shows better citrus and orange peel flavors that comes across more crisp and hoppy. Both are great beers for summertime consumption, but I seem to prefer the tap better.

Serving type: on-tap

07-24-2006 16:44:55 | More by BEERchitect

oberon

North Carolina

4.33/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This is continuosly one of my favorite hefes in the world,pours a deep yellow/orange color with a very nice big blooming head.The aroma is yeasty and I always got somewhat of a smokey aroma from it with some banana clove presence.The taste is refreshing and a little lemony to go along with some nice spiciness.This is the first hefe I think of when thinking of good German style wheat beers.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2003 01:05:39 | More by oberon

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A very unique weizen. The color is darker than most, pouring an amber, almost brownish color that looks like "apple cider" and has the haze to go along with it. The head is white and foams up into a "rocky, mountainous peak" yet is actually quite thin. The effervesence is high (though not as high as some other leading Bavarian hefe's) and the bubbble are astonishingly tiny, forming a very tight - but light - foamy head. The mouthfeel is similar in many ways to the head with it's very fine bubbles that give a gentle zest - but appearing thinner than some other examples. The yeast character is more restrained than it is in many weizens, in terms of both flavor and aroma. The nose expresses a sharp fruitiness, with less banana than many hefe's. The cloviness is clearly present but subtle, and there's an uncommon note of a bready-spiciness... maybe nutmeg? The sweetness of the flavor is restrained in comparison to many. Again, the banana is limited but the clove is present and leaves a slight spice in your mouth at the finish. A sublime weizen. Instantly recognizeable. Quite refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2002 04:32:27 | More by NeroFiddled

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.13/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Hazy, straw-yellow color,
enormous, pillowy white head: so far, the perfect look for a hefe weizen.
Aroma: fresh, flowery, dry, loaded with lemon.
Light and smooth, with a good, grainy texture.
Marvelous fruity flavor, with the requisite Bavarian banana/clove character really showing itself more in the middle, and rides on out through the end.
Wonderfully refreshing, thirst-quenching, damned-easy quaffability.
Belongs among the top tier of weizens: ah, delicious!

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2003 02:18:30 | More by feloniousmonk

drabmuh

Maryland

3.93/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served on draft at a local beer bar. 16 ounces served in an imperial pilsner glass, close enough.

Beer is yellowish orange and has high haze. A thin white head forms of small to medium bubbles and slowly falls away. Not much lacing on the glass. Carbonation is low to moderate. It looks like a hefeweizen but I expect more from the head of a beer like this, and higher carbonation.

Aroma is small, slightly soapy, moderate esters / fruity smells, it smells wet, like really clean water.

First off, the drinkability of this beer is off the charts. I could drink this all day. Mouthfeel is moderate body, a little heavier than I expected, some late bitterness and some fruity banana flavors in the mid-palate. OK, there is a slight aftertaste as I finish the beer, this hurts drinkability slightly. There is a tiny bit of sweetness at the front of the mouth. Good palate connectivity. Overall, a decent beer but there could have done a lot more with this platform. A good standby.

Serving type: on-tap

12-03-2009 18:49:31 | More by drabmuh

metter98

New York

4.03/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: It poured cloudy golden yellow into a weizen glass with a perfect head. A high amount of carbonation is visible and there is very good head retention.
S: There are aromas of bananas and cloves in the nose.
T: The taste has flavors of bananas and grainy wheat along with some hints of cloves and yeast.
M: It feels light-bodied on the palate and rather smooth with all of the carbonation.
D: The beer has excellent drinkability--it's very thirst quenching and refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2010 13:01:50 | More by metter98

zeff80

Missouri

4/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Poured out a cloudy orange color with a foamy, white, one -finger head. It left a little lace.

S - It smelled of wheat and yeast.

T - It tasted of sweet wheat. Also a good dose of clove, yeast and a hint of citrus.

M - It was crisp and bubbly. A light-bodied beer.

D - This is a pretty good hefe. Nothing extrodinary but it makes a good session beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2007 17:40:41 | More by zeff80

Gueuzedude

Arizona

4.05/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a hazy orange color, topped by a thick off white head. Aromas of clove, banana, and citrus waft from my glass. The taste is tar, acidic, and it has a soft banana finish. This beer is well carbonated, which contributes to a tingly sharp sensation in my mouth. This is quite good, and quite refreshing. Certainly not the most complex, but it is quite tasty and hits the spot perfectly on a warm day spent outside brewing beer. Quite fruity, with a bit of sweetness. This beer is light bodied, which helps it to go down easily. This is as good as it gets for warm weather/ in the sun drinking; smooth and thirst quenching.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2004 01:02:10 | More by Gueuzedude

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

4.22/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On-tap served in a 16oz. plastic cup.

A: The beer is a light gold color, with a large foamy white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace.

S: The smell is very complex with aromas of wheat, banana, clove, lemon, coriander and some hops.

T: The dominant flavors are wheat, banana and clove & coriander spices. There's also some hops and citrus. The after-taste is bready.

M: Crisp & smooth, high carbonation, light-to-medium body, very clean finish.

D: Very tasty and easy drinking, a little filling for the style, but an excellent representation thereof.

Serving type: on-tap

11-14-2006 02:00:15 | More by TheManiacalOne

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Probably one of the first Hefeweizens I had ever tried. This beer pours out as a cloudy looking yellowish gold color with a thick billowy white head on top. The smell of the beer is grainy, it's got hints of banana and clove in it. The taste is similar to the nose, it's got a soft fruitiness to it and some grains as well. The mouthfeel is pretty thick feeling which surprised me, it's almost got an oily feel to it, making this beer very enjoyable. Overall I feel that this beer is a really good choice for to have if there is someone interested in trying German imports.

Serving type: on-tap

08-18-2011 00:35:03 | More by Knapp85

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.7/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Picked this up a the class six store a Vance AFB, review based on notes

Poured a cloudy amber with 3 fingers of cream colored head. Head & lacing disappeared fairly quick

S: Cloves, appleskins, phenols & breadyness

T: Band aids, cloves, apricots, grainyness, & grapeskins up front. More grapeskin & white pepper as this warms. Finishes fruitty, juicy with grapes & bananas

MF: Medium bodied, with moderate carbonation

Drank alright, flavor mix didn't really come together for me, there much better hefes out there. I wasn't much impressed with this on Germany, a bit better von fass though

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2008 14:48:31 | More by russpowell

Halcyondays

California

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

16.9 oz. bottle,

A: Cloudy orange-yellow, with a thick, voluminous, white head, with good retention.

S: Cloves and bananas, very fragrant.

T: There is a large hint of bubblegum in this hefeweizen, along with the requisite bananas and cloves, very classic flavors.

M: Spritzy, smooth, and yeasty. Very refreshing.

D: A good beer, a classic hefe, that is easy to find, a great drink on a hot day.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2007 07:38:14 | More by Halcyondays

Gavage

New Jersey

4.28/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Appearance: hazy golden yellow in color with a 2" fluffy head that lingers around a while.

Smell: wheat, banana, and clove are easily detectable by the nose.

Taste: grainy wheat profile with banana, clove, and bubblegum. Bitterness is mild.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied beer. Crisp to start, less crisp at the finish. Short aftertaste.

Drinkability: this one goes down quickly. Very refreshing and hits the spot when looking for a solid hefe.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2010 12:46:59 | More by Gavage

jwc215

New Jersey

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

12 oz. green bottle-

Poured cloudy orange with huge foamy head that settled after a short time.
It had subtle aromas of bubblegum, clove and a touch of banana with some yeast blended in.
The taste was on the lighter side. Had the flavors of banana/clove mxed with a touch of lemon.
Overall - it was refreshing and a good weisse. Personally, it's not among my favorites among German beers of this style, but that is probably personal choice more than anything else. (I certainly wouldn't turn it down though!)

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2006 14:44:15 | More by jwc215

tempest

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

This is my stand-by beer in Syracuse. Always on-tap at the good bars, and easy to find in all the grocery stores. Oh yeah, and its delcious.

Pours a hazy yellow with a thick white head. Smells of lemon and yeasty goodness.The citrus taste is creamier than most hefes I've tried. Flavor also has some citrus, wheat sweetness and yeast. Not much for the hops as far as I can tell. And while this isn't the best hefe available, the Franz is way up there.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2006 16:17:22 | More by tempest

akorsak

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A pint glass served at Gilligan's in Harrisburg. The orange wedge was removed.

A: The hefe is a hazy brew, midway between brown and yellow, think 1970's San Diego Padres jersey colors. The head, even with the lemon, was sizeable up front and reatined sufficiently throughout.

S: The nose is damned near perfect, full of bubblegum and banana sweetness that is intense without going too far.

T: The esters take hold of the ale early and never let go. Even the high wheat content is unable to impart its tartness here. The esters create a swirling dervish of banana sweetness, bubblegum sugars and clove dryness. All together, the flavors are strong and refreshing, equal parts full-bodied and light. The body turns dry in the finish, showing off a little more of the malt content.

M: THe mix of flavors if wonderful, sweet and fruity without ramping the alcohol up too high. This is amongst the best German hefes available.

D: A big weizen glass of this beer on a warm Indian summer day would really be tough to beat. The only thing I can think of is two glasses.

Serving type: on-tap

09-29-2007 02:35:52 | More by akorsak