Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse - Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu

joejost

New York

3.03/5  rDev -25.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bottles brought to a BBQ by a friend who claims the beer to be the best Hefeweizen in tne world.

Appearance is a bright yellow.
Smell is of heavy clove and maybe other tropical fruit.
Taste is not of the best Hefs in the world. Almost funky bread flavor.
Mouthfeel is a tingle from the high carbonation.
Drinkability for me is one and done. Although I did enjoy it more when it warmed up and sat around awhile, which is rare for me and this type of beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2009 03:18:20 | More by joejost

ms11781

Massachusetts

3.03/5  rDev -25.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

16.9oz bottle into a weizen glass.

Pours a cloudy, golden straw/yellow color with a huge, fluffy white head. Head eventually dwindles by about half but sticks around for the duration.

Smells of wheat, banana (among other fruity aromas), cloves and other pepper-like spices.

Taste is much more subdued than the nose. Some wheat flavor and a hint of banana but not much else. No sign of the cloves or other spiciness that was in the nose.

Lower carbonation than other beers of the same style make the body feel medium with an almost creamy-like finish.

Light enough for multiple pints. That being said, I'd rather move on to something a bit more flavorful. Appearance and aroma were right on for the style but the taste was lacking a bit.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2011 04:39:44 | More by ms11781

Floydster

California

3/5  rDev -26.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle taken out of avariety around the world beer pack purchased from Cost Plus World Market in Redlands

Poured into a pint glass with a cloudy yellowish orange color

Head was about 1/2 inch thick and faded quickly

Smell had a little citrus, particularly oranges and grapefruit

Taste was purely wheat with a hint of lemon, smell threw me off

Could drink about three or four of these, pretty heavy stuff for a hef

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2007 00:49:18 | More by Floydster

JBogan

Nevada

3/5  rDev -26.1%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Looks like unfiltered apple juice. No head or lacing to speak of. Not very exciting to look at.

Smelled of musty fruits and yeast.

Tasted somewhat of banana and maybe even a bit of pear in there somewhere. No alcohol present that I could detect.

Mouthfeel was thin and rather flat. Also a bit slippery. Only a slight hint of carbonation.

Overall this was an unremarkable brew and not one I'd seek out again.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2008 01:26:27 | More by JBogan

rickyleepotts

Arizona

3/5  rDev -26.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

After reading about this beer, it’s pretty obvious I am from Germany! Well, not in this lifetime… but a previous. What’s even creepier than that, my mom’s side of the family has some Sedlmyr in the lineage. I hadn’t heard that name for a LONG time, but it immediately rang a bell. Looks like I am from Germany! Maybe that’s why I like beer so much?

Now I won’t even begin to pronounce most of the names found on this bottle and in the research we did. I can barely speak English, let along German. But let’s just hope the Germans know how to make a good beer. (And what it is it with this gold foil wrapper over the top and the caps of beer? The beer we had last night had that too.)

The beer pours out with a nice head. Looks like a wheat sitting in the glass. Makes sense, since this is a hefe-weisse. But the nose is MUCH more intense than a wheat. There is an immediate sour, fruit-based nose. Then it ends with a hint of spice and a subtle wetness that I often talk about. Let’s see what she tastes like.

The beer is weak on the from of the palate, but expands as it makes it way back. Then you are hit with a hint of carbonation and a filling, pleasant finish. The aftertaste is almost nonexistent, but that’s okay. This beer is light, and with a 5% ABV you can drink three or four of these before you start to feel the alcohol really kick in. This isn’t my favorite beer by any means, but it does give you that feeling that you sitting outside on a hot summer night in the beer garden. Or however those Germans spell it. (Their spelling is MUCH cooler than ours!)

I bet this beer would taste better outside, during a hot summer day.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2011 01:53:01 | More by rickyleepotts

darkmartin

Virginia

2.98/5  rDev -26.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance: Pours to a murky, caramel brown with a large, fluffy white head.

Smell: Smells of citrus and sweet malt.

Taste: Citrus abounds on the initial taste, and is followed by a slightly bitter finish.

Mouthfeel: Quite smooth, little carbonation.

Drinkability: The abundant citrus and spicy notes in this beer simply dont sit too well with me. I also would prefer that it were a little more bitter. I had no problem finishing this bottle, however I don't really want another.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2010 05:58:28 | More by darkmartin

SudNut

Oklahoma

2.95/5  rDev -27.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

I split a pitcher of the Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse at the Tulsa Oktoberfest on a perfect autumn day. Yes this was our first pitcher. It poured to a nice golden color with an enormous head, my mouth was watering, mmmm.

The smell was typical bread, with banana and clove. I also noticed a bit of a hops smell.

Taste was of wheat and cloves, with a tart aftertaste. My buddy said it needed a lemon but to me that’s an insult.

The mouthfeel was nice and light with my favorite sud feeling! Life is good.

Drinkability is just below average. I prefer the smoother wheat beers the tart bite at the end of this one gets me. We went on to sample some of the other fine Oktoberfest beers on tap.

Serving type: on-tap

10-23-2006 00:42:38 | More by SudNut

gfreed

Massachusetts

2.95/5  rDev -27.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A rather flat head for a Hefeweizen, with typical but nothing-special aroma, even a bit underpowered for my liking. Fizzier than I like for a beer of this type, and a light body that lacked any density or punch easily found in better samples. "Malt liquor," according to the label, but not even much evidence of maltiness. Average but you can do much better.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2008 00:55:11 | More by gfreed

roddwolff

Mexico

2.93/5  rDev -27.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A: Light brown with a layer of white foam on the surface, never disappears, i like the fat monk drinking it;

S: Sweet essences, vanilla and horchata (drink meade from fround melon seeds);

T: Very sweet wheat;

M: Bitter sweet;

D: Acceptable wheat beer but very sweet in all respects.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2009 23:09:32 | More by roddwolff

JackTheRipper

Pennsylvania

2.9/5  rDev -28.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: Huge head with a nice bit of cloudiness from the yeast in the bottle. Color is cloudy yellow. Very nice lacing.
S: Initially very bland. After a few sips, there was a nice wheaty smell with no real banana/clove smells.
T: Better than what the smells would lead me to believe. Some hints of bubblegum in the taste, with hints of lemons and bread. Nice sweet maltiness with low hop flavors.
M: Smooth drinking and clean. CO2 and alcohol seem to be in good levels.
D&N: The budweiser of hefe's. Nothing spectacular, nothing that is plain bad, just a middle of the road representation. Try it if you haven't, but don't expect a world class beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2005 05:45:50 | More by JackTheRipper

AlexLMS

Portugal

2.9/5  rDev -28.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Appearance: hazy without floating yeast. Deep yellow colour. The head is huge, white and frothy but may not persist for a long time (not much lacing).
Aroma: its best feature with notes of yeast, wheat, banana and sweet malts.
Taste: citrus, yeast and wheat.
Mouthfeel: smooth, high carbonation, medium to low alcoholic strength and a thin body.
Finish: weak and short wheat aftertaste.

Overall: Despite the general opinion I found this one watery and diluted. It can be crispy and refreshing but there is not much there. Easy to forget. The dunkel Franziskaner version is much better.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2008 17:59:59 | More by AlexLMS

phantomwyse

Massachusetts

2.88/5  rDev -29.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pealed off the gold foil around the cap to reveal rust -- never a good sign.

A: Cloudy marigold orange, billowy head, yeast floats in slivers of caked sediment.

S: Yeasty, pilsner like. Some citric character in the background as well as banana and clove, but just faintly there.

T: Light malt character, grassy -- semi- sweet caramelized sugar, barely perceptible banana.

M: Nice carbonation on the tongue, slick right after the swallow, and dry and tart afterwards.

D: Drinkable enough.

I attribute the medicority of this brew to the fact that the bottle is most certainly on the old side and past its prime. However, beyond this fact, I still feel it would be an average hefe-weizen.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2008 14:33:52 | More by phantomwyse

KoG

Nevada

2.83/5  rDev -30.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours out of the green bottle a semi-hazy yellow with a touch of orange. Head runs rampant and nearly flows onto the counter, had to let the creamy head settle before I could finish pouring it.

Smell seemed a bit weak, might be my slight cold. Smells like bananas and beer, but not offensive at all, just odd. Not skunky either.

Taste seemed a bit watery, this my be due to the fact that the beer may have not been cold enough. Banana flavour with a bit of... something, not wheat or malt though. Strange aftertaste, sour.

Mouth seemed watery as well. Slightly creamy with a bit of a dry finish.

Drinkability doesn't seem very high, just about average.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2004 05:12:38 | More by KoG

maddamish

Tennessee

2.8/5  rDev -31%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Short review here...

Nice big head that laces nicely.

Smells of watery orange and a slight hint of spice. The taste is a bit watery and a little too sweet like an overripe orange. Not really a bad thing but not something that I could not drink a lot of. The aftertaste is a bit mediciney for my tastes. Reminds me of baby aspirin.

The mouthfeel is a bit watery.

What we have here is just a decent beer but not anything that I would want to revisit. Sorry.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2006 02:33:57 | More by maddamish

Toddv29424

District of Columbia

2.78/5  rDev -31.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This beer came in a sampler pack, and I think that it is past its prime: there is little punch to it like most Hefes, and the ingredients just seem to be sub-par. I could be wrong; this could be the way the beer was made. It pours a golden color with a little head. The smell is light and mostly wheat filled, with a hint of sweetness to it. The taste takes a while to develop, but when it does it comes in the back of the tongue with sweetness that I've come to love from Hefes. However, the finish is much like water, and doesn’t hold any real taste to it. I've seen it many places and its probably good to try for yourself at least once, but it doesn’t rank among my favorites for German Hefes.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2006 23:21:26 | More by Toddv29424

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

2.78/5  rDev -31.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into a Franziskaner hefe glass a nice pale orange-ish color and foamy head that was pretty thick. Refreashing and citrusy. It also is light yet a little more body than expected. I do hate when it is served with a lemon, I feel it just kills some of the natural flavor. I know the majority of people like it, but I do not. All in all, a very nice wheat.

Serving type: on-tap

06-08-2007 11:16:59 | More by OWSLEY069

burnerfinger

Texas

2.78/5  rDev -31.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

A poured from the 12 oz bottle into my tumbler.
CLOUDY with a finger and a half of white head.
yellow color
deliberately poured all the yeast into the glass.

S clean, unfamiliar smells

T is this lemony? not sure if I like this or not

M light body, medium carbonation

D funny taste - not sure I'll come back here.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2009 02:55:11 | More by burnerfinger

jarmby1711

Australia

2.75/5  rDev -32.3%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

This was mid gold to light amber and densely cloudy
The head was pure white and dense with an active bead.
The smell was redolent of bread yeast and not particularly pleasant.
Initial taste is acidic/sour and not particularly nice however it finishes nicely with malt sweetness.The change is abrupt and challenging.
It has an astringent feel in the mouth
Overall I didnt enjoy this beer,but it may be that I just dont like wheat bears

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2005 05:46:06 | More by jarmby1711

teg8612

Texas

2.73/5  rDev -32.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Served in official glass during brewery night at Flying Saucer.

A-Cloudy, golden color with thick foamy head. Does that head ever go down? Hold my lemon please.

S-Real mellow scent, that head just gets in the way when you want to stick your nose in there. Smell the wheat, citrus (stupid lemon) and spice notes.

T-Wheat malt stands out with a bready, buttery texture. Some citrus and coriander sneak through. Very faint sweat, off-taste.

M-Served kinda cold. Heavy on the tongue and kinda flat for all that head. Clean finish like it never happened.

D-I like hefe's but a like more spice and citrus and less malt. Not one of the better wheat beers from the Rhineland though I haven't found too many that make the trip across unscathed. Go with a fresher American version instead.

Serving type: on-tap

07-28-2006 03:22:30 | More by teg8612

stevecee2003

Florida

2.73/5  rDev -32.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

I guess I am discovering that Hefe-Weisse is not my taste. At least this one isn't. As one reviewer called it, it's the cloves. Yes, that's the taste.. I don't like.

APP - Nice and cloudy, with a good foam that settles into a fair lace.
SMELL- Not much as I can tell. There is the yeast.
TASTE- this is where it loses me. As earlier stated, I now know that wheat must not be my taste. And those cloves! Uugh.
MOUTH- at this point does it matter?
NOTES- This beer is somewhat highly regarded. So be it. Just not for me.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2007 03:03:30 | More by stevecee2003

scoobybrew

Iowa

2.7/5  rDev -33.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

I poured this into a typical weiss bier glass. It has a dark, cloudy golden color with a decent 2-fingered head with good retention. The smell is yeasty with hints of banana and clove. The taste is of yeasty banana and malty with a very slight hop bitterness. I think I detect a trace of skunk…this could be from the store's method of storage (green bottle...florescent lighting) or how long it's been sitting there. I am in Bud, Miller & Olde Style country after all. It has a medium body that is very highly carbonated.

Overall, I'm disappointed. I tasted this beer from the cask in the Styrian region of Austria, which is very close to Bavaria. This is not quite the same beer I had there. I put an orange in about halfway through the glass to finish it off. Perhaps this deserves another chance at some point in the future.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2006 23:20:39 | More by scoobybrew

Kudashov

Massachusetts

2.68/5  rDev -34%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

wonderful gold color glows within the glass . It seems brighter than the light on my desk . Nice to look at . Tastewise that is where it is not my type . I like a little bite . It is weak I guess you can say . Is it bad ? No . But for this "-1st year BA apprentice-" I will try another type / style

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2007 21:11:53 | More by Kudashov

goblue3509

Pennsylvania

2.68/5  rDev -34%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a light yellow orange color with a two finger white head. The head gives way to some lacing. The aroma is kinda weak with a hint of coriander and maybe some orange. The taste was clove up front with a hint of citrus, however, the taste was very faint and it left me wanting more i felt it was a bit watery. The mouthfeel was good, good carbonation, and tangy. The drinkability is high, you could have a lot of these and be very fine.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2009 13:22:06 | More by goblue3509

bobhits

Kentucky

2.63/5  rDev -35.2%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

How have I not had this yet?

Franziskaner Lefe_Weisse

Pours a huge white creamy head. This is going to take a while to finish pouring. Forest of bubbles explode from the bottom of this beer. Though hard to see them through far more yeast and protein than expected.

Bananas and cloves as expected, but stronger is a sour aroma. What is happening here?

Cloves, bananas, touch of vanilla, and a light touch of sour to even the sweetness out. This beer is rather light in flavor and a touch lacking in some of the better qualities of a great wheat beer.

The mouth is really where this beer falls apart for me. All this head, bubbles, etc and it still comes off as thin and watery.

This is better than any American wheat beer, but it doesn’t stand up next to some of the better Germans. Still pretty good stuff on a hot summer day.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2011 17:57:41 | More by bobhits

jenbys2001

Florida

2.6/5  rDev -36%
look: 3 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

I didn't care much for this beer, which could have to do with the freshness here in the states. Something about this brew tasted rather old and stale to me. It had a medicinal, alcohol smell to it when first poured in a glass, which I found unpleasant. The head was foamy and the color was actually lighter and less cloudy than other Hefeweizens I've tried. This beer was very carbonated which lent each sip a tart sharpness which finished with a heavy banana flavor. As I continued sipping, the scent mellowed out a bit and became reminiscent of brown sugar and cloves. Hopefully I'll make it back Munich again where I can sample a fresh Franziskaner. Until then I doubt I would purchase it again.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2008 21:20:58 | More by jenbys2001