Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse Dunkel - Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu

Jason

Massachusetts

3.68/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Presentation: Tall 16.9 oz brown bottle with no freshness date.

Appearance: Fastidious foaming, nearly uniform bubbled head with a good retention. Hazed leather brown, a few bubbles race to the top here and there.

Smell: Dry malt aroma with a wheat twang. Dried bananas, powdery clove, mild esters, touch medicinal with an earthy yeast is only a quick brushing in the nose.

Taste: Flexed medium body with a mild crispness that draws on a full and smooth mouth feel. The dry malt character is complexly layered with a toasted malt then a pale huskiness and finally and wheat malt twang. Very soft clove, light banana fruitiness and a subdued alcoholic ester barely brake things up. After that dull excitement it is back to the dry malt character but in a really dry way. Even the yeast flavour is placid with a chalky earth flavour.

Notes: A decent dunkel weiss, not as expressive as others but just as nurturing as the rest. The malt is the show it seems, all of the other flavours are meek in comparison but this does not take away from the brew too much because it still has the lovely wheat twang.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2002 17:25:42 | More by Jason

Billolick

New York

4.28/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

16.9 oz bottle, pours a soft dark brown and cloudy. Stately puffy tan head, excellent retention and leaves creamy lacing. Nose is of ripe bananas and a wiff of chocolate. Soft creamy mouthfeel, medium carbonation. Flavors of bananas, chocolate, vanilla, and cocoa. Reminds me of a yeasty chocolate milk shake. Love the style and love this Spaten creation.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2004 02:54:37 | More by Billolick

jlindros

Massachusetts

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

Pours a big creamy 1.5 finger head that fades semi slowly over mostly hazy auburn amber reddish brown colored beer.

Nose has plenty of dark wheats, nice wheat aromas, a slight estery aroma from the yeast, a bit of banana that adds to a slight brown sugar like sweetness almost bananas foster aroma, the slight fruity esters almost make it want to see like there will be booze but there isn't.

Taste starts with fruit actually, a bit of apple, banana, sweet brown sugar like bananas foster again, a slight raisiny flavor, and fruity esters. The malts are soft and subtle, with some wheat flavors and darker like wheats, a creamy soft caramel malt and reddish malt that seems like it was probably decocted. It also brings nice soft crisp lager flavor with the fruits. A bit of caramel and slight toffee. Finishes dry with a bit of the lingering caramel and wheat flavors, and more of the fruits, with just a slight hint of bitter grassy hops.

Mouth is med to slightly lighter bodied, soft and a bit creamy, with decent carb, but I probably would have liked a bit more carb for the style.

Overall nice, drinkable, nice flavors all blended well between the wheats, fruits, bananas foster, slight sweetness, soft malts, and dry slightly bitter finish. There are plenty of dunkels that are better, but this is a nice drinking one, esp one that I can buy regularly.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2011 02:58:48 | More by jlindros

weeare138

Pennsylvania

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

On draft at Ludwig's...
Appears a mahogany red/brown color with a lush tan head that stays untill the last few sips. Light lacing is seen in this one.
Smell is of Bavarian yeast, bread, cocoa, light banana, roasty nuts, cream, and clove.
Taste is equally as good as the aromas.
Mouthfeel is decent. Seems to be medium bodied and refreshingly not to cloying. This would score a bit higher if it filled out the palate just a tad more but it's nice, nonetheless.

Serving type: on-tap

10-02-2005 15:21:12 | More by weeare138

Zorro

California

4.58/5  rDev +19.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Very tasty, looks like dirty sewage though.

VERY pleasant smell, kind of a malty bakery in the morning smell. There is a bit of spice in it too allspice I think? That or cinnamon and orange peel.

Taste is quite pleasant and has that dunkel taste. Malty and some raisins and tart lemon if you hold it on your tongue and let it warm up. Malty yet manages not to be sweet.

Mouthfeel is very good, medium carbonation and a neutral dryness. Medium heaviness.


Drinkability is very good! I like the Erdinger version better, but this is certainly acceptable!

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2003 01:28:03 | More by Zorro

Bighuge

Minnesota

2.9/5  rDev -24.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Thick milkshake-like beige head tops the dark scarlet red brew. Aroma is musty and stale. The taste is better than the smell, but not by much. Slight phenolic tinges and fruity esters. Slight chocolate. Slight roasted malt. Creamy medium body. Drinkable, but pretty average for a dunkel weizen.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2002 19:34:00 | More by Bighuge

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

2.63/5  rDev -31.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

One of the better "Franzishizers," actually, I shouldn't call it a shizer, since its not shitty, but I digress.

Pours a nice dark, thin bubbled beer. Aroma, nothing apparent, but doesn't seem alcoholic like many of this breweries stuff.

Taste, here comes the strange nuances for this American boy's palate. Apple, banana, fig, raisin, all that kind of stuff I don't prefer to mix with my beer. If you're the standard guy who drinks hoppy ipas and fortified stouts, I don't think this complex batch is for you (or at least not me). But with that said, there is something respectable about the interplay between all these styles, and the malt bill here, that doesn't taste like the typical chocolate and coffee you might get for something this dark.

Can't give it good reviews on mouthfeel and drinkability. Its value to me is that of something different to sip, but I don't see myself going back to these.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2010 00:38:58 | More by Beerandraiderfan

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.33/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

First had: on tap at Brauhaus Schmitz, Philly, PA

First had this on tap in a 22 oz. glass. It was kind of disappointing. I'm a big fan of dunkels, and in my early drinking days, I saw "dunkel" on this tap handle, so I ordered it up without a second thought. When I saw the "light," golden brown tea color come out of the tap, I was disappointed right away. When I think "dunkel" I think something darker nearing schwarzbier territory. Then I noticed it's also a hefeweizen. So it's a blend? It was then that I discovered that there are such things as dunkelweizens. :) Anyway, it was okay, but just not what I was expecting. Smell of dried fruits and malts. Bready taste, with some light fruits coming through, dried bananas, and a bit acidic and harsh. Medium body, and average drinkability...22oz. was alot.

Serving type: on-tap

05-06-2011 20:56:29 | More by Rifugium

lacqueredmouse

Australia

4.13/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Sampled in a beautiful-looking tall weissbier glass at the Bavarian Beer Cafe, York St Sydney.

Appearance: Creamy-looking cloudy reddish brown, with a clean slightly off white head. Good head retention, good lacing. A fine looking beer.

Smell: Wonderful dark caramelised fruits. Syrupy sweetness with a refreshing scent of clean wheat. Also hints of chocolate and clove. Yum.

Taste: Wonderfully rich and complex. A roasty sweetness, like honeyed nuts, or tropical fruit compote. There's a nice refreshment from the yeastiness there as well which adds something to the drinkability. Wow, a really nice brew this one. Mouthfeel is crisp, but filling and refreshing.

Overall:
A very fine beer this one, supremely drinkable, ultimately enjoyable.

Serving type: on-tap

10-10-2005 02:43:44 | More by lacqueredmouse

glid02

Georgia

3.9/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Got this on-tap at The Porter Beer Bar in Atlanta.

Pours a cloudy medium-brown color with a big three-finger tan head. The head slowly dissipates into a patchy layer of foam on top and a thick ring around the glass. Lacing sticks around for a bit but rolls back down into the beer pretty quickly.

Smells good. The most pungent is the smell of bananas, but even that is subtle. There's also a malt aroma, both bready and sweet.

Tastes just like it smells. There's a big hit of bananas up front followed by the malt flavors, again they're both bready and sweet, but both mildly so. Every now and then a light wheat flavor pokes through.

Mouthfeel is good. It's got a good thickness that's substantial but also light. The carbonation is very fine and it gently bursts, releasing the flavor. Very smooth.

Drinkability is good. It goes down very easily, and none of the flavors are overwhelming.

Overall I thought this was a solid Dunkel. Nothing is done exceptionally well, but it's very solid. Worth a shot.

Serving type: on-tap

09-19-2008 03:19:46 | More by glid02

DoubleJ

California

3.78/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I've had its lighter sibling, and now it's time to go on the dark side of Franziskaner:

Cloudy orange to brown in color with a gigantic foamy head. The head looks like a scoop of ice cream in a root beer float! Phenolic smell with spice and a touch of apple. More phenolic flavor in the taste. Coated plastic on the palate, some nutmeg, a little sizzle of wheat malt, with the aftertaste leaving spiced apples and cinnamon. The beer has a firm and creamy feel, not crisp like other wheat beers. Not quite the same as their hefe, but definately worth a few samples. At $1.59 a half-liter, I'm not bitching and moaning.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2007 03:09:58 | More by DoubleJ

Gusler

Arizona

4.18/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a slightly indistinct garnet color with a Herculean sized head, frothy in texture, the lace is thick clinging sheets. Aroma of fresh bread dough is upper most with nice hints of malt and coriander, fresh and clean and a pleasure to the senses in all respects. On the outset sweet with a middling top and a modest acidity that is followed by an apropos hop spiciness ending in a dry long lasting aftertaste, quite a decent drinking beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2002 07:22:47 | More by Gusler

wl0307

United Kingdom (England)

3.43/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Purchased from the Beers of Europe. BB 01/2009, served lightly-chilled in a 500ml weizen glass.

A: pours a dirty chestnut brown hue, coming with a tight frothy beige head with good retention, while the carbonation is lively without being OTT.
S: the dusty edge comes big and nice, buttressing a banana-ish fruit estery main theme with sweet bready wheat-malts and faint touches of caramel-fudge on the side. Not complex, just like all other dunkel weizen I've had, but a certain integrity in aroma is demonstrated.
T: a sour-sweet banana-ish flavour as well as caramelised mango-slices dominate the foretaste, then the thin, sour-sweet wheat flavour and yeastiness turn up, bringing aboard plenty of caramely sweetness and a rusty touch a bit like over-cooked Chinese red beans. Semi-chewy in the end with more lingering rusty fruits...
M&D: quite soft in carbonation, this dunkel weizen drinks not bad, albeit not so impressive in terms of the flavour profile and in lack of the necessary spicy edge that is indispensable for a weizen.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2008 20:47:55 | More by wl0307

beerthulhu

New Jersey

3.63/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Poured a dark cloudy golden orange color with a frothy 1 finger white head that was moderately lasting leaving only slight tell tale hints of lacing. There was a considerable amount of suspend particle matter.

S: The nose was wheaty with a touch of sweet caramel, and some yeasty attributes of bananas.

T: The flavor starts off really smooth and very light with a creamy wheat palate, dried bananas, and some hints of fruit. There was some slight hints of caramel sweetness as well as apples.

M: light, with a strong crisp carbonation but goes down pretty smooth. Leaves a slight sweet caramel lacing behind.

D: A pretty decent dunkel, though a little light. Goes down easy enough and certainly good to put down a few at a time.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2008 14:25:59 | More by beerthulhu

DrJay

Massachusetts

3.13/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Hazy, coppery amber with a short beige cap. Good head retention, clumpy lacing. Strong banana and clove in the aroma, bready yeast, lemons and wheat crackers. Slight brown sugar character. The flavour was bready with lemon and banana, slight tartness. Mild bitterness. I found it to be overly dry, which probably explained the thin mouthfeel. The only thing holding the texture together was the carbonation. I liked the aroma, but was ultimately disappointed with the beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2010 21:06:51 | More by DrJay

plaid75

New York

4.13/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Poured a hazy medium to dark copper hue with a four finger foamy and creamy off white head. There was very good retention and lacing.

The smell featured a spicy wheat malt with hints of caramel and some lemon zest. The yeast esters were a bit subdued.

The taste was light and clean. Essentially a hefe with a bit more caramel element. The flavor, however, remained dry. Some astringent wheat malt flavors as well.

The mouthfeel was clean and dry. Slight chewiness.

Overall an exceptionally easy to drink hefe. Just as clean and refreshing as the standard hefe (perhaps it shouldn't be this way however).

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2007 01:56:22 | More by plaid75

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nobody get excited - this is just a couple of Franciscan monks, one on the label, the other behind the keyboard, getting together for an outing. CAN you believe it?

Bro. Francis came roaring out of his home, resulting in a big foamy finger of tan head with moderate retention. Color was a VERY cloudy dark reddish-brown. Nose was big with a pleasant admixture of banana and clove with the former leading the way and the latter directly underneath. Mouthfeel was big and full with banana the main attraction, followed by pink bubble gum and then clove spiciness. It is a good thing that I have been exposed to a number of hefeweizens recently or I would have HATED this. I am more mature in terms of my palate, so it is palatable, but I am still not a big fan of the banana esters being so prevalent. Finish reminded me of banana bread, simply in liquid form, which is appropriate since it was the monks who first referred to beer as "liquid bread". I just wish that the clove/spiciness had been more forward.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2011 01:25:13 | More by woodychandler

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

3.63/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Opted to buy a bottle after an excellent serving of the hefe off tap. Pours with a rather large head, an odd brown in colour - strongly resembled tea actually. Two fingers at least (off a soft pour) and stayed constant through the course. A warming flavour, profiles cinnamin, brown sugar with a light spritzy, rotting wheat aroma. A lot of yeast in the aroma as well. Not bad. A good mouthfeel, easy on the wheat punch - fairly light and certainly more dry than most others. I like how this one is a little dulled. Flavour is also a little restrained. Nothing too rich. As it warmed I could taste more and more (until almost exclusively) raisons and prunes. The darker fruity notes (prunes, raisons) of this one make it a great compliment to the lighter (banana, etc) fruity notes of the hefe they offer. Very little, where any, aftertaste. Yeast became a little too strong near the end. I found that both this and the hefe lack tremendous complexion but are quite fair - and overall - quite nice.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2006 22:14:29 | More by biegaman

kojevergas

California

3.4/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served on-draught into a conical pint glass at the Yardhouse in Los Angeles. Reviewed from notes. Expectations were high becuase I loved the regular hefeweizen. Paired with Sweet Potato fries.

A: Pours a 1.5 finger head of good cream, nice thickness, and good retention. Colour is a strange caramel-amber.

Sm: Cream, yeast, and some clean malts. A mild strength aroma.

T: Cream, berry ester hops, and malts (some caramelized). Amber hops. Balanced and enjoyable. I like it, but it's not unique or special.

Mf: Smooth and wet. Not too thick nor too thin. Not too light nor too heavy on the palate. Suits the flavours decently.

Dr: It's very drinkable, but far from unique. An enjoyable little dunkel that will satisfy fans of the style. Just don't expect too much from it.

B-

Serving type: on-tap

02-20-2012 02:39:25 | More by kojevergas

Brad007

Vermont

3.83/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a brownish, amber color with a minimal one-finger head. Aroma is one of banana and clove. Taste is much of the same except that the clove is more prominent in this brew. Much like the regular Franziskaner beer except that it's darker. Smooth and tasty though. Very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2007 02:14:23 | More by Brad007

stakem

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Review from notes on 2/6/10

Pours a cloudy brown color with a finger of slightly tanned head. Fair amount of retension and minor spotty lacing on the glassware. Aroma of cloves, malt and slight bit of fruitiness lingers. Taste is equally clovey with malt sweetness. Thin body and lightly carbonated. There is a slight amount of breadiness and yeast that remains in the mouth.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2010 16:47:31 | More by stakem

Derek

British Columbia (Canada)

4.47/5  rDev +16.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I had this (vom fass) at Spaten Hof in Munich on March 17, 2006. It was 3.35 Euro for 0.5 L. Slainte!

A: Hazy caramel, off-white head, great retention and lace.

S: Banana bread, with a little bubble gum.

T: Banana bread! Really.

M: Moderate body is creamy, carbonation is light to moderate.

D: Very good.

Serving type: on-tap

04-03-2006 00:31:07 | More by Derek

Georgiabeer

Georgia

4.33/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had on tap at the BSP, Decatur, Georgia. Pours a chestnut brown with a slightly beige head that settles into a cap after a nice initial head. The smell is a little light, but there is mostly banana and clove as well as some light wheat. The flavor is a little more pronounced. Raisins, clove, banana. Somewhat mellow. Very smooth and creamy mouthfeel combined with the flavor profile makes this one delicious. Not sweet, and there is still a snap to the mouthfeel. A nice summer brew especially.

Serving type: on-tap

06-29-2007 15:48:30 | More by Georgiabeer

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

3.78/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a pint glass.

Served with a finger of off white head. Color is a dark murky brown. Head fades down to a thin layer. Some lace left.

Aroma: Smells very roasted and malty. Bananas, cloves, and wheat all show.

Taste: Same roasted malt feel which I normally don't get from a dunkel. It has some spice notes to it as well. Bananas, cloves, and wheat all show.

Mouthfeel: Smooth and creamy. Medium bodied with a medium amount of carbonation. Ends with a bit of spice flavors.

Overall, the pint drank pretty easy. No real problems finishing it. The only difference with this beer was the roasted malts that I picked up.

Serving type: on-tap

06-23-2010 03:56:32 | More by mothman

tavernjef

Minnesota

4.03/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Beatifully clouded dark leather brown color with a miraculously tall cap of finely whipped tannish cream that creeps and murks its way down to a hefty skim. Laces in one big drippy sheet.

Aroma is a very nice array of banana mush and banana bread laced with tangy mango, slight caramel, spritzed with lemon, and the perfect amount of typical clove hefe yeast spice.

Taste is a lightly softened tangy and smoothly clean delight of lemony bananas mixed over a pretty solid caramel malt backing. All the while maintains a more dryish malt character and softer clove spice underneath the sweet tang and fruits which floats through consistently right on to the finish where it stays dry and kinda dullish with a pale tang undertow of lemon meringue and a ghostly chocolate roast.

Feel is quite clean with a boastful little shot of carbonation within a semi-soft, steardy, smoothened, creamy medium body. Softly tangy and fruity while dryish over the top and not overly spiced with too much clove; which I like. Mends into an earthy dryish tang in the finish.
This grew on me by leaps and bounds as I continued to enjoy it more and more after each sip. The softer smooth body is more to my liking compared to most weizen type brews. Quite smooth and nealry chewy with the perfect tang and spice. A solid dunkel.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2005 02:27:53 | More by tavernjef