Julius Echter Hefe-Weissbier Dunkel - Würzburger Hofbräu AG

barczar

Kentucky

3.79/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Pours a hazy dark brown with a dense, frothy 2 inch khaki head that dissipates extremely slowly, leaving sheets of lacing.

Brown sugar, burnt caramel, banana, wheat, clove, and orange form the initial aroma. Yeast and fruity esters add complexity.

Flavor reveals appley yeast esters at the base, which pair nicely with orange, clove, and banana that hit mid palate. There's a substantial toasted, nutty malt and wheat backbone that carries through to the lightly dry finish.

Body is a touch on the light side, with slightly high carbonation.

Yeast esters and wheat are well represented. Not a standout in any particular area, but a characterful brew that's worth a try. Apple becomes overwhelming as it warms.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 00:45:04 | More by barczar

flagmantho

Washington

4/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from 500mL bottle into a weizen glass.

Appearance: nutty brown hue with a moderate haze and a very strong effervescence. Head is four fingers of creamy tan foam with good retention. Attractive.

Smell: sweet, wheaty malt with a balanced banana and clove aroma. I just had the Julius Echter hefeweizen, and this dunkelweizen has a lot more banana character than the regular hefe. I quite like it.

Taste: sweet malt right up front with a mild caramel character. A nice wheatiness follows which brings with it the banana character from the yeast. Balanced and tasty.

Mouthfeel: medium body with a strong carbonation and a good, creamy texture. I like it.

Overall: a good dunkelweizen. I've had a lot of dunkels that are overdone, with too-high alcohol and too much phenolic messiness; in contrast, this is a clean, quaffable brew. I'd definitely have this again.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 03:48:19 | More by flagmantho

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

3.28/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a bottle and served in a weisse vase, the beer is a bright, hazy, golden-orange coloring with a thin, filmy, white surface coating of head. Aromas of banana bread, biscuit, and tangy fruit sweetness. Flavors are rich and round initially, with a banana and clove forward flavor that ends up sharp and frothy due to a light body and increased carbonation. The aftertaste is fruity, as well, with some subtle citrus highlights and a grainy undertone. Sharp, effervescent finish that cleans the palate, but is a tad bit rough overall.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 17:52:43 | More by GarthDanielson

TappaKeggaBrew

Ohio

4.35/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Cloudy, muddy-brown with a hint of orange, head was decent but not towering, lacing was good.

S: Spicy clove and pepper, fragrant citrus, yeast, and wheat.

T: Not much sweetness to the malt; instead, it's a lightly-toasted wheat, then tangy citrus notes, light pepper spiciness, yeast, and finally mild bitterness.

M: So crisp and refreshing, with just the right amount of carbonation. It takes discipline to slow down and savor it. Finish is clean, with a hint of dryness.

O: Not perfect, but pretty darn good -- Everything a Dunkelweizen should be! Seriously drinkable alone, or with a lightly-spiced meal. I'll not hesitate to get another at the next opportunity.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2012 01:55:27 | More by TappaKeggaBrew

falloutsnow

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

From: Binny's, Des Plaines, IL
Date: Best before 12/2012
Glass: Weihenstephan weizen glass

Echter's dunkelweizen is a fairly good version of the style. I would like to try some fresh, on-tap, to see if the off aroma is something that occurred during/after bottling, or if it was intended.

Pours a tall head made up of small bubles, thick and creamy on top. Head fades to a ring around the glass with some residual islands of thin foam, leaving minimal lace. Body is cloudy brown when out of light, pale brown with yellow highlights in it. Body is totally opaque, with no visible carbonation.

Aroma is of dark malt sweetness with strong yeast and mushroom compost components. Interesting, but not particularly appealing.

Taste opens with darker barley malt sweetness, strong clove phenols then, very heavy wheat breadiness with medium-level banana esters. Closes with wheat bread, residual banana esters and spicy phenols. Aftertaste of malt sweetness, bread, slight tartness.

Beer is medium bodied with mid-level carbonation; foams up slightly, giving a pillow-smooth mouthfeel. Semi-dry finish.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2012 04:47:34 | More by falloutsnow

UCLABrewN84

California

3.55/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Best before 12/2011.

Pours a murky brown with a 2 inch foamy light tan head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of wheat, spices, yeast, and some slight dark fruit aromas. Taste is much the same with a slight alcohol kick on the finish. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer that is still tasty a good 6 months after its best before date.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2012 03:44:55 | More by UCLABrewN84

Brenden

Ohio

3.98/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks again, Bobby.

The color is a thick, murky sort of medium brown. A smallish light brown head forms but holds together, leaving spotty lacing as it recedes down the glass.
As it ought to, the nose has the typical banana and clove of a hefeweizen with a darker, maltier undertone. The flavor offers the same with some ripe fruits notes riding along. Cloves and a bit of a spicy nip round it out. Just a touch of alcohol sneaks in with some warmth.
There's plenty of carbonation in a light-medium body. Crispness remains all the way and rides alongside a smoothness.
Nothing earth-shattering, this beer does what it should.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2012 02:26:50 | More by Brenden

morebeergood

Massachusetts

3.4/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from bottle into a Paulaner hefe glass. Looks amazing. Light brown colored body, with a huge creamy head that looked like creme brulee. Smell was disappointing. No real hefe aromas present as with other German brands. Taste was good. Nice balance of dark malt with the wheat. Mouthfeel was thin, so I would have liked it to be a bit thicker. It's a fine beer to look at, but the taste overall was just decent but nothing special.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2012 05:16:21 | More by morebeergood

gc4hokies

Virginia

3.78/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a cloudy auburn brown color with a very thick off-white head. The head never dissipated on this one.

Aroma is the strongest trait of this beer for me. Clove and other spices are very strong. Yeast phenols are intense. Bready aromas in there too.

I was expecting something a little more intense for a Dunkel. This doesn't have the rich maltiness I was expecting. Still, very pleasant to drink. I like it. It has a tangy, almost citrusy finish.

Mouthfeel was right for the style. Highly carbonated.

Overall, not a bad beer. I was looking for a little more malt body, but it's still a good beer that I would buy again.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 02:27:01 | More by gc4hokies

TheStig

Virginia

3.23/5  rDev -15%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours with the appearance of some of the more expensive brands of organic apple juice-- cloudy, vacillating between yellow and amber.

Aggressively produces a three-finger head, with no lacing.

This is not a particularly pungent beer-- which, by me, is fine for this style. A pleasant blend of lemon, malt and yeast.

Taste is suitably light and crisp with a subtle fruity finish. Plum perhaps?

The carbonation is almost on par with most popular soft drinks, but even with that in mind, it's a pleasant, easily-quaffed brew.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 18:21:34 | More by TheStig

Heatwave33

Florida

3.08/5  rDev -18.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a 500 ml bottle to a Cigar City Snifter.

Color: A murky yellow-orange with a white head.

Smell: Malts, lemon, earthy hops and wheat.

Taste: Same as the aroma.

Mouthfeel: Huge carbonation, smooth and slightly dry on the palate.

Overall: A nice crisp and clean brew. Very easy to drink. Maybe just a little too mellow. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2012 03:55:27 | More by Heatwave33

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

3.45/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-Pours a fairly transparent brown color. Head is huge. Doughy head retains and leaves popped bubbles and lacing rings along the glass.

S-Spicy and yeasty. Wheaty and bready too. Cloves and fresh baked banana bread.

T-Flavor is very, very mellow. It does have a slight metallic flavor but it is not too much to really hurt the overall taste. Banana bread flavor is predominant. Yeasty and spicy like the nose. Finishes a bit sticky.

M-Light going on medium. Carbonation isn't intense but it is plentiful. A bit watery. Feels creamy somehow at some points as well.

O/D-For $2.75 for a 500 ml, this is a decent deal. I don't love this beer, but I appreciate the value. It isn't bad at all, but its no more than a mellow brew.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2012 00:42:53 | More by VelvetExtract

Bouleboubier

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A quite "yeast-forward" weizen by any estimate. A little left to be desired as far as its "dunkel" qualities.

Copious carb: a tall, sandy off-white head - firm, silken, long lasting, pillowy. Tons of yeast pour out, lightening up the dunkel to amber. Very cloudy. Omen of a hearty, filling brew?

Yeasty (yet mild) aroma - musty, musky, quite (dried) fruity - lychee?. Perhaps some dark malt and a slight perfumy alcohol thing late.

The flavor suggests a higher percentage of wheat and fair bit of yeasty tart-tang. Malt seems pushed to the back, blurry, all the way. Certainly not a significant contribution via dark malt.

With so much lasting foam, it can't help making contact first - cottony, delicate - nearly desiccating, and too much?. Sort of a mild sticky-mucky finish. Overall, a pleasant, soft, mid-range body.

It's pretty good, just muted all over (again, yeast?). Primarily tart and yeasty (can't avoid it).

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2011 01:05:32 | More by Bouleboubier

BryanRex

Virginia

3.48/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

The opaque muddy brown pour with thick white head sure looks good. The smell is even more inviting with hints of banana, clove and fig. So far it would be tough to distinguish this beer from my personal favorite, Aventinus.

The taste is good up front, but it lacks the complexity and semi-sweet aftertaste I've grown accustomed to in other beers of the style. The carbonation seems to overpower the malt, as if it wasn't quite brewed correctly. After a swallow it reminds me of most other run of the mill beers out there.

Overall it's a decent session beer because it's drinkable. It looks and smells great but I won't bother putting it in my fridge again.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2011 03:12:28 | More by BryanRex

DavidST

Texas

3.45/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 500 ml bottle into a pint glass, best before 2012/02. This pours a hazy amber color with a massive white head. The smells are of sweet yeast esters, banana and spices. Feel is medium to light with high carbonation, taste is a little lighter than expected, wheat, banana, spices, not bad though.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2011 03:19:48 | More by DavidST

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Julius Echter Hefe-Weissbier Dunkel

Pours a caramel brown color. Aromas of Bavarian yeast, noble, flowery hop and straw. In the taste, smooth clove and muted fruit notes. Caramel, sugar, and faint banana bread. There is little bitterness. Crisp, somewhat smooth finish. Overall, a nice dark wheat beer and goes down easy.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2011 04:55:38 | More by Stinkypuss

Flounder57

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

16.9 oz bottle was poured into a hefe glass.

Appearance: The beer poured a four finger head, let it reduced, added more beer, let it reduced an now down to a half finger that just seems not going away anytime soon. The beer is brownish orange with a decent amount of carbonation running up all over the glass. Lacing on the glass from taking the first few sips too.

Smell: bready, malty, smells very edible, bananas and cloves from the yeast. Light hop profile.

Taste: Same as above, very nice. Bready, sweet malts, bananas and cloves, a little bitterness and spice, but those two are not that noticeable up front and takes a few sips.

Mouthfeel: smooth, a little chewy, nicely carbonated, medium to full bodied, and easy to drink on the palate.

Overall: I enjoyed this dunkelweiss and look forward to trying many others this upcoming winter.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2011 06:53:42 | More by Flounder57

TownDunkel

Texas

4.28/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This is my first review so forgive the amature nature of it.

Serving type - glass pitcher, poured from bottle

Appearance - It pours from the bottle dark and cloudy, almost a mysterious nature to it. After it settles it is a copperish/golden brown.

Smell - Initial smell is of a mild house coffee, but subtle. Second whiff reveals a trace amounts of fruit, hops, but mainly house coffee, still very subtle.

Taste - First sip reminds me of a mild Guinness, but without the extreme coffee flavor. Delicious mellow complex taste with a soft after taste of bitter chocolate, but only for a second.

Mouthfeel - Full bodied and satisfying. Not your everyday getting smashed beer.

Overall - Excellent smooth beer. My personal feeling is that this is a professional and classic beer. Only if I could find this in a six pack for a Friday night.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2011 23:44:47 | More by TownDunkel

depechemode1983

Texas

3.73/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Pours out copper in color and very cloudy. The two finger head seems to last forever. It has incredible retention.

S - The nose is somewhat sour as well as a bit sweet. Getting banana, cloves, floral hops, honey, and bread. Smells fantastic.

T - Lots of wheat in the taste. You also get a light clove spiciness, a mild sugar sweetness, and bready finish. Taste almost like it smell but with less pizazz.

M - Medium bodied. Smooth. Carbonation is up there.

O - Not bad a 2.99 a pint bottle. I remember this being 4.99. At this price you can't beat it. A good wheat beer for sure.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2011 06:17:15 | More by depechemode1983

TheQuietMan22

Iowa

3.43/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Poured into a weizen glass. The color is a very cloudy caramel/light brown. Three fingers of eggshell-colored head dissipated slowly to leave a billowy cap.

Smell: It is like a hefeweizen with a dark side. Which it is. Lots of fruit up front — banana, apple, a little strawberry, and also fruity bubblegum — which is balanced with caramel malts, chocolate pudding, yeast, and clove spice. The overall aroma is sweet — so much so it makes my cheeks tingle.

Taste: The mouthfeel is spot on — thick and bready — but the flavor is a little lacking. It is, however, very sweet. The fruits from the smell show up big time; banana, apple, strawberry, and bubblegum dominate. The caramel, chocolate pudding, bread, and clove spice are also present, but do not play an equal role as they do in the smell.

Drinkability: Good stuff, but I think it is a little on the sweet side.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2011 04:10:08 | More by TheQuietMan22

Berrmecca13

Florida

3.23/5  rDev -15%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 1 Pt 9 oz btl into a nucleated tulip/snifter.
Excellent head retention with adequate lacing hugging the walls. The head is white and creamy.
The smell is light with some sweet malty notes.
Upon tasting it is surprisingly crisp and effervescent. Some nice malt notes and a subtle caramel flavor.
Overall nice but probably not a repeat buy.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2011 03:29:29 | More by Berrmecca13

olimpia84

Florida

3.13/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Had this at the DRB in Miami. Server poured the 16.9oz bottle into a Weihenstephaner Weizen glass.

A: it was a bit hard to tell since the place was very dark but this beer has some dark brown tones decorated by glowing red areas on the sides and the bottom. Beatiful three finger tanned head that refused to disappear. Some lacing present.

S: very faint smell of hops, wheat, bread pudding, dark fruits and even some beet.

T: mute taste, it was very hard to tell what I was drinking. There was some malts, dark fruits and bread pudding in the taste but combined in a very strange way that didn't impress me very much.

M: smooth, medium body with medium carbonation.

O: not very impressed with this one and probably won't be going back. Unfortunately the smell and taste were a bit boring and didn't make for an enjoyable experience.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2011 15:34:57 | More by olimpia84

schwaeh

Ohio

3.53/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

500ml bottle

A: Pours a hazy amber rust color with a massive head that caught me off guard. Good looking Dunkel.

S: Smells mostly of wheat, clove, and banana. Bready sweet malts are in there too with some faint hops. Smells pretty simple.

T: The taste is banana pudding, cloves, pepper, and bready malt that adds sweetness. The cloves and hops add some pepper/spice qualities. Some other light fruit flavors make appearances throughout the glass.

M: Soft yet very full in the mouth. Refreshing summer beer. The carbonation has a lively feel.

O: This beer is a real soft easy-drinker. Nothing really jumps out at you to make this amazing but the dunkel aspect makes this more interesting than a standard Hefe. This was priced very well at $3 for the 500ml, so I'm glad I picked this up. Nice value.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2011 23:44:04 | More by schwaeh

Brabander

Netherlands

3.13/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I bought this beer in the south of Germany when i was there a few weeks ago. Bottle best before october the 20th 2011. Because we had warm wheater in Holland yesterday it was time to drink this one.

Poured in an original hefe weizen glass the beer looks very promising. 5 fingers head with thick bubbles; easily! Nice brown fluid with no carbonation visible.

For the taste i can only say one thing; flat all the way. No beer to drink a second time.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2011 12:40:40 | More by Brabander

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.48/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This beer poured out as a hazy dark brown color what had some orange highlights around the egdes. The head was fluffy and tan typical of the style. The aromas were of banana, some clove, some raisin and a hint of yeasty wheat. The taste was decent, there was the typical wheat beer flavors along with some toasted flavors as well. There may be some fruits in there as well. The mouthfeel is smooth much like other beers like this. Overall it wasn't too bad but I think there are better ones out there.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2011 03:26:44 | More by Knapp85