Julius Echter Hefe-Weissbier Hell - Würzburger Hofbräu AG

missingsense

California

4.58/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours a hazy pale orange with a nice, soft, foamy swirl. Good retention, but not much lacing. Smells like cloves and allspice, crackers, and faint banana... very nice. Very good carbonation on the tongue. Taste is a great balance of lemon and spices, with hints of orange. Excellently balanced. This a very solid Bavarian Hefeweizen, and it stands up to the best of them.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2010 00:52:18 | More by missingsense

thekevlarkid

Maryland

3.88/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Out of a Bavarian bomber bottle this beer was a cloudy mustard yellow color with two fingers of puffy white head and lots of rising carbonation. The retention was good as thin but persistant layer and left lacing. The aroma was a semi-sweet blend of white pepper, cloves, light fruit and yeast. The flavors were good, mimicking the aroma with an added dry note that crisply finished the brew. I tasted bitterness at first followed by a long sweet note of cloves, citrus and a hint of nutmeg followed by the yeasty finish. The mouthfeel was good, the carbonation a bit high but in a good, effervescent way. This is to say, I didn't think it was prickly or too much, especially for the style. The body was medium/light. Refreshing and on-point for the style. Also a bargain for a good import!

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2010 01:34:31 | More by thekevlarkid

Stigs

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

500ml bottle, poured and served in a tall Hefe glass

A - massive amount of pillowy meringue-like white foam. the beer is hazy, light gold in color. leaves behind some random spotty lacing.

S - slightly musty grains, soapy wheat sweetness. just touches of banana, clove, apples, belgian spice.

T - belgian yeast, small amount of banana, apples, touch of cloves and belgian spices.

M - very creamy, carbonation is very subtle creating a thick and coating drink. a little less refreshing than standard for the style. lingering fruitiness.

D - pretty good, a little off the style but brings its own sort of quirky attributes to the table.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2010 00:16:49 | More by Stigs

rootbeerman

Virginia

3.63/5  rDev -9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

poured into aventinus glass.

A: pours cloudy yellow with a two finger head. tons of lacing.
S: rather light on the typical hefe aromas, and it is more yeasty
T: again light on the banana and clove, more yeasty and wheat.
M: smooth and light, carbonation is sort of high but not overly.
D: 0.5l goes down fast, i would imagine a full liter would to

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2010 08:50:06 | More by rootbeerman

dgv0

Florida

4.43/5  rDev +11%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

P: 500mL brown bottle, typical of the style. "Best before date" printed on the front.

A: Pours a cloudy orange and relatively thick, creamy head. Approaching the bottom reveals my inability to decant an unfiltered beer (small amounts of yeast).

S: Usual hefeweizen fruitiness with hint of wheat.

T: Fantastic, one of the best flavored hefeweizen I've had. Slightly spicy with just enough malty goodness. Also taste a bit of fruitiness on the tongue; reminds me of a sweet olive.

M: Well carbonated, light mouthfeel. Leaves your tongue tingling.

D: Extremely drinkable. Makes me want another just thinking about it. The combination of low alcoholic content, high flavor, and a delightful mouthfeel make for an excellent experience.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2010 23:45:43 | More by dgv0

irisier

Georgia

4.05/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a brown 500 ml bottle with best before date printed on front.

Appearance: Hazy golden orange. Effervescent body with a thick pillowy, white head that just won't quite.

Smell: Fruity. Peach and banana with maybe a bit of citrus. Wheat spice is also present.

Taste: Sweet fruit upfront, but quickly followed and indeed overpowered by spiciness and a kind of dull bread and yeasty flavor. No hoppiness that I can taste. Pale malt towards the very end. Savory yeast lingers on the tongue along with some mild citrusy qualities.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied and rich with a prickly mouthfeel. Both from high carbonation and strong flavors.

Impressions: Pretty good. This hefeweizen has really strong wheat spice characteristics. (If you've drank hefeweizens before you'll know what I'm talking about.) Uses wheat spice and interesting yeast flavors instead of hops to balance the sweet fruit and malt flavors. This might not be my absolute favorite hefeweizen, but it's a unique one that I would definitely try again.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2010 18:08:27 | More by irisier

ffejherb

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Brass Rail Deli on 4/5/10.

A - Cloudy pale golden with slow-rising carbonation bubbles and a rocky cap of white foam that settled into a thin retention and left patches of sticky lace around the glass.

S - Straight up Hefe nose with equal parts clove, banana and bubblegum, as well as an underlying grainy malt character.

T - Spicy up front with clove and a hint of pepper, which then segues into a sweet character with bubblegum notes and a light lemon presence. There is a slight buttery character as well, which doesn't really hinder the taste. Finishes with a wheat grain malt character.

M - Medium bodied and kind of chewy, although it drops off a bit in the backend, giving the mouthfeel a slight watery character. Minimal carbonation, susprisingly.

D - Solid German Hefe that's an easy quaffer, albeit a bit thin and watery overall.

Serving type: on-tap

04-22-2010 00:24:08 | More by ffejherb

jlindros

Massachusetts

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

A: Huge 3 finger fizzy head fades semi slowly w/ a nice fluff. Super hazy wheaty golden pale yellow color.

N: Bavarian wheat, lots of nice wheat malts, light spicy and banana, touch of grassy floral hops.

T: Bavarian hefe again! Wheat, light malts, some banana and darker fruit, almost a fig taste, slight creamy, almost light Belgian candi sugar, light and fizzy with a slight chewy malt, and some richness.

M: Lighter but rich, tons of carbonation.

F: Pretty dry with lingering wheat, fruit with banana and fig, touch of stickiness, and a touch of orange and citrus.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2010 01:39:01 | More by jlindros

chaz01

Ohio

3.78/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served at a local beer tasting event from a bottle with an expiration date of Aug, 2010.

A: Pale yellow, cloudy color. Thick creamy head produces some nice lacing.

S: Banana and cloves -- what I would expect from this style.

T: Follows the aroma. Nice fruity banana flavor.

M: Creamy and smooth in the mouth, light-bodied, well carbonated.

D: Very easy to drink with a low alcohol makes it a great beer to have on a hot summer day, or as a session beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2010 13:15:43 | More by chaz01

organicbrewer

Pennsylvania

3.55/5  rDev -11%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

a-Hazy and cloudy. Huge cloud like head. Dark straw to light gold color

S-old banana and some clove. Some circus peanuts. very light breadiness. No hop aroma.

T-clove and very dry wheat. moderate bitterness which is kind of a surprise. Leaves a bit to be desired. Very little yeast character in the flavor.

M-bone dry. medium high carbonation. No alcohol heat.

D-Nice beer for this time of year (74F outside). Aroma is near spot on with a good balance of banana and clove but the flavor leaves a bit to be desired. Still tasty.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2010 00:24:29 | More by organicbrewer

drabmuh

Maryland

4.08/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

No date on the bottle but I'll assume its relatively new. Working my way through the hefes pretty well at this point.

Beer served in a wheat beer glass, 0.5L. Beer is dark yellow / straw and completely hazy. Forms an insanely thick white head of medium and small bubbles that eventually falls away to a two fingered head and leaves a lot of lacing on the glass.

Aroma is slightly sweet but lacking the esters department. They are there but muted, still smells fine.

Good, slightly bitter but there are some nice fruity esters in the palate and in a slight aftertaste. Very nice. Beer finishes wet and starts wet with a mild sweetness up front. I am really enjoying this beer a lot. Drinkability high and mouthfeel good. There isn't much carbonation on the palate but its ok. Body is a little thin. A very good example.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2010 00:44:00 | More by drabmuh

puboflyons

New Hampshire

3.98/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From a 500 ml. bottle marked Best Before: 2010/06-09:11. Sampled on March 28, 2010. A very heady pour with a cloudy pale yellow color and busy carbonation. The puffy white head slowly diminishes but not first without leaving a foam moustache on my upper lip. The aroma is speckled with wheat, yeast, light malts, and spices. The mouthfeel is creamy once you get through this monstrosity of a head. The barley malts and wheat in the taste are somewhat subdued under an overarching sharp tanginess. Yet there is a kind of clean freshness of hops at the end.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2010 20:57:38 | More by puboflyons

TonyReaves

Maine

3.5/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

A guy at Florian's, seeing me with an armload of beer and wine, asked if I liked wheat beer and recommended this. It's the best, he said. He was happy to finally see it in Maine. I couldn't say no to that.

Poured with a head that filled most of the glass. It took 5 pours over 10 minutes to get the full pint into a 23 oz. wheat beer glass. At the end, it was cloudy gold with a pillowy head.

I spent the wait taking in the bouquet of cloves, hops and lemon.

Taste was milder than I expected. Not a lot of yeast esters, but instead clean citrus and cloves coming through. Still, it was crisp and refreshing.

And smooth. This is a big-bodied weizen and it goes down so easy.

Even though it's a sessionable strength, this feels a bit heavy to drink more than a few pints. This would be great with a light meal, though. Maybe a chef's salad.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2010 05:53:24 | More by TonyReaves

irishking1977

New Jersey

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

A: Cloudy gold hue that creates a ridiculous large,white fluffy head. Head retention is quite remarkable and leaves an abundance of lacing. A sight to behold.

S: Mild clove and yeast in addition to some banana and mild spice.

T: Banana and clove dominate the taste. Some spicy citrus characteristics as well. Finishes abrupt and relatively dry.

M: Not as creamy as it appears, but creamy nonetheless. The abrupt and nearly non-existent finish leads me to believe there are little to no hops present in this one. Well carbonated, though that isn't a surprise considering most Hefes are moderate to highly carbonated.

D: A good, sessionable brew that is really exact in the hefeweizen style. Just like witbiers, hefeweizens are highly mimicked, and usually seem to be very similar from one to another. This one stands out just a bit more in it's near perfection.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2010 02:46:29 | More by irishking1977

dstc

Florida

4.35/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy, golden orange with a huge, foamy white head. Head falls very slow and stays. Lace is nice but seems to disappear back down to the head.

Nice lemon, wheat aroma with a bit of spice and mild clove tones.

Nice wheat taste with a lemony tartness and a peppery bite on the tongue. I bit of the clove from the aroma comes through in the taste as well. Hop bitterness does not exist.

Smooth across the tongue and mildly carbonated. Very nice.

Nice, easy drinking brew. Really like this one and go back to it often.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2010 21:48:42 | More by dstc

Mosstrooper

California

3.93/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured from 500 ml bottle into Ommegang tulip glass.

Appearance: Deep, cloudy gold with a huge white head that dissipates very slowly, leaving behind lots of lace.

Smell: Smells of clove, banana, and yeast, with slight spiciness.

Taste: Banana flavors up front, with a yeasty finish that has notes of spice and slight herbal flavors. Also has some hints of citrus and grain.

Mouthfeel: Light body, heavy carbonation, refreshing.

Drinkability: A very good representation of the style, and an enjoyable beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2010 04:17:11 | More by Mosstrooper

HeroJH

Colorado

4.38/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

An excellent Hefe-weiss. Delicious and tasty. Not overwhelming and easy to drink. It would pair great with a variety of foods. For some reason I'm thinking of pairing this with some grilled shrimp.

A - Yellow, cloudy, foamy marshmallow head that formed when swirling the sediment in the bottle.

S - Clean and nice. Notes more like a witbier in a way. More complex than the usual banana/clove but subtle. I'd say it's more like clove/corriander/orange.

T - Light grain. Balanced. The flavor starts light and smooth then grows to some orange clove.

M - Perfect. Soft, good carb.

D - Excellent. I can't wait to pair this with some food.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2010 23:39:53 | More by HeroJH

brewbasterd

North Carolina

4.33/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Out of a bottle it pours a hazy golden-orange color with a frothy white head that dissapates fairly quickly and leaves moderate lacing. The nose has typical banana and light clove scents and an undertone of lightly toasted grains. The taste is is a bit more complex, still hosting banana and clove, it is now accompanied by orange,citrus,pear and some apple. Toasted wheat is vagely present and a little bit of a tang is at the end. The mouthfeel is a little more than light, it coats the mouth and flavors linger very nicely. A great beer that can be appreciated any time of the year.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2010 03:06:00 | More by brewbasterd

josefnewsong

New York

4.45/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A - hazy goldenrod color with two-fingers of frothy/bubbly head that hangs around for a bit and leaves some lacing
S - smells almost immediately of yeast, then banana and wheat
T - Wheat and banana, first and foremost, then yeast, then a very refreshing and very mild hop finish
M - light-bodied but not too light, carbonation makes bubbles dance on your tongue, nice wet finish
D - i feel like i could chug this beer, but it's so damn good that I don't want to

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2010 01:17:51 | More by josefnewsong

r0nyn

New York

4/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a hefeweizen glass from 500 ml bottle.

Pours a misty-looking straw yellow with orange-ish highlights. Nice two-finger head from a vigorous pour that dissipates at a comfortable rate, leaving a lot of lacing. Rather nice looking, actually. Smell has a lot of yeastiness to it along with a bit of spice and fruitiness as well.

Initial sip has a very, very slight tinge of bitterness, but it quickly gives way to some yeast and maltiness, with a good amount of citrus nuances as well as some typical banana flavoring. Pretty standard for a hefe, but well-done nonetheless. There's a subdued breadiness to the finish, not as evident as other beers of this type, but enough to make itself known. Not very much of an aftertaste, with the yeastiness lingering the longest on the tastebuds. Mouthfeel is actually a bit on the thinner side, but still quite smooth with a decent amount of carbonation, nothing too extravagant.

Drinkability is good, given the rather low ABV and the pleasantness of the taste. A solid hefeweizen through and through, but still not to the level of some of the better wheat examples like Weihenstephaner and Ayinger. I'd gladly have it again if given the chance, the hallmark of a good, solid beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2010 07:22:19 | More by r0nyn

KingEdward

North Carolina

4.53/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I poured This beer from a bottle into a pint glass it had a 2 to 3 finger head that is white in color. The head is very fluffy/frothy and lasted a very long time. I thought there was minimal lacing for such a fluffy head. The color of the beer is a pale yellow/orange and the beer is cloudy. The aroma is of citrus, banana, and yeast. The taste of the beer was a little sour with notes of banana, wheat, and yeast with a very clean after taste. This is a very refreshing beer that would be a great session beer (I could drink this all day long) and perfect for summer. A classic weissbier!

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2010 01:24:41 | More by KingEdward

zeff80

Missouri

3.8/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Poured out a cloudy, golden color with some orange highlights. It had a large (three finger), pillowy, white head of bubbly foam.

S - It smelled of clove, banana, and sweet fruits. There were also strong notes of yeast and wheat.

T - It tasted much like the smell only weaker. Clove, banana and wheat were the dominant flavors. There was a spicy yeast bite.

M - It was crisp and very sharp with a dry finish. A light to medium-bodied beer.

D - This is a very nice hefe. I'm glad I found it in Milwaukee.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2010 01:59:11 | More by zeff80

HeyItsChili

South Carolina

3.75/5  rDev -6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked up on a whim from CBX. Poured into a weizen glass.

A - Pours hazy goldenrod with a lumpy white head that sits around a bit.

S - Sweet fruits, light citrus, banana, clove. Not an atypical hefeweizen profile.

T - Smooth upfront with some lemony citrus added to the wheaty, sweet hefe flavor, but the finish isn't quite as polished as some better hefeweizens I've tried.

M - Bubbly, crisp, smooth.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2010 03:47:35 | More by HeyItsChili

KyleMWood

Texas

4.3/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Great example of a german hefe. Excellent balance and mouthfeel, could be a great session beer. It looks great, with a very pale golden color, with a slight hefe haze. 1/2 finger, white head. Scents of lemon on the noze and on the palate. I highly recommend you try this beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2009 23:51:56 | More by KyleMWood

rtepiak

Poland

4.03/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

a rather brisk hef which lack latitude. yellow mild orange with some cloudiness. nose is one dimensional. bubblegummy more so than clove and fruit. wheat malt and a trace of citrus fruit but it really has to open up. better warmer. palate is reasonable with a good wheat malt quality but lacks body and fruit to go anywhere besides one dimensional. goes quick and is quite crisp... and i don't feel that the palate was really a 3.5 but a bit more. good mouth feel... must will drink before the beer even opens up a bit. still a quality german i would take over must american attempts but its base at best.

08/10
had it about six months later and it was fantastic... mild sweet with a balance few achieve. the only beer i've had that didn't taste too sweet but it has a marzipan creamy mineral quality. nice lemon nose.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2009 17:32:53 | More by rtepiak