Julius Echter Hefe-Weissbier Dunkel - Würzburger Hofbräu AG

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Best by 5/2011. I guess I'm having this just in time.

This is a pretty tasty beer for a sessionable 4.9% weight. I'm impressed. There's a big cinnamon raisin aroma with light candied bread behind it. The body and flavor are a touch on the thin side, understandable for the lighter alcohol. The flavor has more a of date and plum taste, similar to a dark Belgian ale, with hints of the wheat malt and a slight spicy rye bread taste (though I'm sure no rye was used). I'm not usually a big fan of this style, but I'm digging this beer. Sure it drinks more like a dark Belgian ale, but it's damned tasty. I'll take another.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2011 03:06:48 | More by tempest

generallee

New York

4.05/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Presentation: It was poured from a brown 500ml bottle into a tall weizen glass. The label has a "BEST BEFORE END" date and no abv.

Appearance: The body has a brownish tan color with a very hazy or cloudy look. From the pour I got an average size off white head that slowly settles to a light ring of foam. Lacing is very slick and slides right down the glass as I drink leaving no traces behind.

Smell: It has a deep yeast and wheat character. Classic German notes of banana and clove come through with a heavy sweet wheat presence. Hops are very distant and are barely noticeable.

Taste/Palate: There are big banana notes with spicy clove on a solid bed of sweet/sour doughy bready maltiness. The hops are laid back and offer very little bitterness and just a slight touch of earthy/leafy character. The palate has an almost chewy slick or creamy feel with soft carbonation.

Notes: Overall it’s a good solid Dunkelweizen with all the good classic German flavors.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2011 15:18:28 | More by generallee

ZenAgnostic

Texas

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

Appearance - Dark ruby body. Slightly offwhite half finger head with decent retention.

Smell - Banana.

Taste - Overripe banana.

Mouthfeel - Slight bite. Mouthfeel is good while the head lasts.

Overall - Not impressed. Don't hate it, but won't spend another penny on another bottle. Would drink for free.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2011 01:56:50 | More by ZenAgnostic

beershrine

California

3.83/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

a- reddish brown and alittle murky looking poored nicely into glass, nice ring of foam around glass.

s- malt nose dominates

t- temp of beer was 45° cold enough to balance the malt carbonation against the few hops 'n there. I love dark hefe.

m- mouthfeel...there is alot of flavors in there....competeing with each other than at the finish I taste faint clove.. spice.

o- overall a nice german dark wheat beer. I love this style so I'm a little biased.

3.59 at total wine 500ml bottle

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2011 00:05:42 | More by beershrine

socon67

New York

4.1/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Poured into a pilsner glass

A - Caramel brown pour. A high foamy head that dissaptes quickly. Cloudy in appearance.

S - Sweet and malty; touch of cloves. A little hint of wheat which reminds me of a trip to the bagel shop.

T - Tastes like a well made wheat beer. More sweet than bitter, and a little bit of banana.

M - A very smooth beer, and light enough to enjoy with a good meal.

O - An outstanding drinker. I prefer this to the Julius Echter Hefe. A solid example of a good dunkelweizen.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2011 23:44:57 | More by socon67

txbrewer

Texas

3.8/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - reddish brown, somewhat hazy - thick just darker than off white head

S - slightly floral with mild sweet, not a lot coming from the bottle and even less coming from the glass

T - mostly like other wheat beers. Other dunkels seems to be slightly more bitter than this (hops) but this has none at all for bittering

M - champagne like carbonation, a bit thick in the aftertaste but quickly fading.

D - yes - rather quickly in fact. Not having the bitter makes this a bit more of a smooth/quick drinker.

After other dunkels I think I was expecting a bit more in the smell and taste. I am not disappointed but this is just more like a wheat beer than I expected. I marked down on smell because it seemed rather lacking (again, not a bad thing)

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2011 23:33:03 | More by txbrewer

chicagoabbot

Illinois

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

500ml into a snifter. Pours a deep brown, almost black in incandescent lights with a massive head that doesn't want to go anywhere, just sit there on top of the brew like a fat top of goodness. Nice and cloudy too. Gorgeous. Man, the Germans brew great beer. I realize this isn't a favorite style of many people, but I love it in the spring and it's delicious. The nose is big and reeks of excellent lager funk that gives it kind of a banana like nose with the alcohol. The taste doesn't disappoint either, it's got a great sharpness from the wheat with a substantial and complex malt profile. Hops balance it just right but don't get in your face. Perfect after the big IPA I just drank, great contrast. Mouthfeel is like a semi-sweet loaf of rich bread, tons of texture. Leaves lace all the way on the glass as the head subsides a little and I drink some more. Very drinkable at this ABV. Wonderful beer. A classic of the style. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2011 05:25:10 | More by chicagoabbot

bobhits

Kentucky

2.98/5  rDev -21.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 4

Pours a huge white 3 finger head that a quarter could float on. Huge amount of lacing down the glass as would be expected. The body is an opaque, merky, brown hint of red dirty color that seems even for the style a touch too cloudy. I've never noticed a non black beer to be this hard to see light though.

Bubble gum, strong harsh wheat, subtle candy, cane sugar, bananas, cloves, and maybe a hint of ginger. So nothing new or surprising here as expected. This beer has a nice aroma after the pour, but it quickly looses that once the head subsides. I'm rather unimpressed given it starting with a decent bit of power.

There's a touch of toast, bubble gum, and wheat flavors. It's very lacking in flavor. The flavors from the aroma are here but some just barely and mixed in the back.

Very dry, off putting, and dull. Certainly a beer you could have a few of but at 3 bucks a bottle, why?

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2011 22:54:42 | More by bobhits

Geuzedad

Arizona

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

Poured this into a Heffe glass. Had a medium brown color with an off-white creamy three finger head that stuck around.

Aroma was that of banana,followed by wheat, malt and some hops. Really had my mouth watering for that first sip!

First taste was a roasty malt followed by wheat and yeast, with a mild hop finish. Really tasty!

Mouth feel was a medium body with moderate carbonation. Unlike some reviews I felt carbonation was just about right on this one.

This is a very drinkable beer. Not the best but a good solid pick for a dunkel Heffe. I will definitely pick this up if I see it again.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2011 03:46:52 | More by Geuzedad

DrinkingDrake

Massachusetts

3.68/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Shared a bottled with a buddy who just discovered craft brews and fell in love with any Hefe style of beer.

A medium darkness with a fluffy off-white head. Smells of some fire-roasted sweet malts and darker zesty fruits. Some yeasty banana zest but not dominating.

Hits with some roasted bitterness upfront but twists too some sweet fruit bread. Bananas/lemon/apple zest faint chocolate and bitterness. A caramel sweetness permeated the whole body of the beer balancing everything.
Drinks well but one was fine with me.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2011 01:23:01 | More by DrinkingDrake

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

4.13/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 16.9oz bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a light brown color, with a large and dense off-white head that fades very slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains wheat, bananas, caramelized malts and some hops.

T: The taste starts out with bready flavors of wheat and a hearty malt character that are quickly followed by mildly sweet flavors of bananas, caramel and some citrus. The hops presence is also mild but it's where it should be for the style and provides a good balance. The after-taste is slightly bready and slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is clean.

D: Tasty, goes down very easily, not too filling, mild kick, very good representation of style, this is a nice beer to drink for a long time if you're in the mood for the style.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2011 04:09:49 | More by TheManiacalOne

ar70584

Maine

3.2/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

500mL bottle
app: very dark reddish brown, nearly opaque. Fluffy white head reduced to a thin fill after about 2 minutes. Decent lacing.

smell: not a lot going on. sweet earthy aroma, honey-like

taste: caramel malt flavors. slight sweetness at first fading on the finish. lacks typical hefe-weiss flavors, but finishes very clean. no off-flavors

mouthfeel: good rich mouthfeel, finishes dry with a clean aftertaste.

A very drinkable beer, but nothing extraordinary.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2011 00:35:15 | More by ar70584

JayQue

Virginia

4.33/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Very good. I had it with some Moroccan chicken and it went down very nicely.

Pours a murky light brown color into my "Bud Select" flute glass with a huge dark cream color head. Head retention is good and there is a lot of light lacing on the glass.

Aroma is like a good hefeweizen but more malty. The taste includes cloves, banana, yeast etc like a hefe, but the big bready malt profile cuts the astringency that a typical good hefeweizen has. This is my idea of what a good Dunkle should be.

Richer than a hefe, flavors just about as pronounced, this is a light crisp beer with just the right amount of carbonation.

Very drinkable, I could happily swill pitchers of this in the summertime.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2011 01:50:54 | More by JayQue

OtherShoe2

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a nutty brown with a towering cream colored fluffy head. Some bubbles rising, some sticky lace.

Some toasted grain in the nose, and some tart apple skin, some clove, touch of banana. Spice heavy.

Nice toasted malt to start, with the right sweetness and yeast. Some light sour punch, like a tart fruit skin, and some mild bitterness in the finish. You can try to find some cocoa elements in this (chocolate covered banana), but it would be a bit of a stretch. Clean flavors.

Lighter bodied and good carbonation.

Easy to drink, once you fight thru the head. Solid drinkability right to the last drop.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2011 20:09:15 | More by OtherShoe2

jiggahertz

New Hampshire

3.83/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Chocolately brown beer with a huge 2 finger head dissipating slowly,

S: Dates, molasses, cloves. Something I can't place too, the combination is interesting, unique.

T: Slightly tart at the front, almost candy like. Then the sweetness comes along, fruity, apricot.

M: Medium bodied, medium carbonation. Tartness lingers slightly.

D: Different than how I remember this beer, had a nut brown before tasting this but a favorite of mine when going out for german.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2010 23:35:07 | More by jiggahertz

russwbeck

Virginia

3.63/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Murky brown pour with a brown hinted fluffy white head. Decent retention and minimal lacing.

S: Not getting much from the smell here. Malts and dark fruits with some bananas.

T: Not at all what I expected. Almost like a wheat beer, but with some dark roasted malts.

MF: Medium Bodied. Leaves you with some dryness.

D: High, but not what I wanted from this beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2010 07:24:27 | More by russwbeck

MillRat

Illinois

3.93/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A solid dunkelweizen that doesn't do anything wrong, but doesn't have that any one distinctive flair that sets it apart from the rest of the dunkelweizens. A brown that's more murky than just regular weizen cloudiness, with a fine cream-colored head. The aroma is notable for the baked bread aroma, and more clove than fruit. Flavor faithfully follows the aroma, with hops finally putting in an appearance to keep it balanced. A little less carbonated than I'd expect for a weizen, but the hops still keep it balanced. Overall a nice beer that reminds me of south German bierkellers.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2010 03:14:12 | More by MillRat

gtn80

Maine

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

Poured from the bottle into a weizen glass.

Appearance is a murky brown with huge fluffy white head.

Smell is of wheat, malt and banana. Fruity and malty.

Taste is malty up front, gives way to banana and fruit. Pretty subdued, the flavors are there, but remain in the background.

Mouthfeel is a bit thin for the style. It's a full bodied beer, but goes down on the thin side. Huge carbonation.

Drinkability is good, goes down smoothly, pretty refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2010 23:09:27 | More by gtn80

BeerAndBourbon

Ohio

3.18/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A. Pours a hazy brown with a one finger head that dissipates to a thin film with tons of residual lacing.

S. Light wheat and what smells to me like silly putty.

T. Somewhat sweet and malty - there's not a whole lot going on with this. I expect (and desire) more banana aroma and flavor than I get from this beer.

M. Medium body with high carbonation.

D. Eh. I picked up a few imports today on the recommendation from a friend who lived in Germany and grew to love German beers. I was much more impressed with the Kolsch than this.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2010 05:00:12 | More by BeerAndBourbon

brentk56

North Carolina

3.93/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a cloudy ice tea color with a very nice head that lasts and lasts while leaving shards of lace behind

Smell: Brown bread predominates with hints of spice cake and banana

Taste: Spice cake, up front, with the banana and brown bread flavors arriving underneath; after the swallow, the spicy clove aspect tends to outweigh the other elements of the profile

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body and creamy, with moderate to high carbonation

Drinkability: Not in the top echelon of the style, but a decent beer; would like to see more banana and less clove

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2010 23:11:48 | More by brentk56

metter98

New York

3.8/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: The beer is cloudy light brown in color and poured into a weizen glass with a two finger high head that has good retention properties. A high amount of carbonation is visible from the rising bubbles.
S: There are aromas of bananas, dark malts and yeast in the nose; the smell isn't that strong and somewhat resembles banana bread. The aroma intensifies as the beer warms up.
T: The taste is similar to the smell, except for having a slight amount of sweetness. There are flavors of bananas, clove and wheat as well as some hints of caramel.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied and slightly creamy on the palate with lots of carbonation.
D: The beer is very easy to drink and is rather thirst quenching.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2010 15:12:24 | More by metter98

rtepiak

Poland

3.8/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

a enjoyably savor dunkelweizen that has a dry qualities to it but quite a mild palate. nose is floral wheat and apple pie... a touch of buckwheat. palate is subtle and wheat malt predominant. not sweet at all for a dunkelhef. taste of cameralized apple with... dry and mineral earth with sugar extracted. when its too old this seems to drain out all the other favors with a predominant sour finish. when fresh... there is sufficient hopping to clear the palate and provide for the delicate roasted flavor. apple. clove. and very mild grassy lemon bitter... mind you quite subdued citrus. great beer on the delicate side.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2010 21:21:12 | More by rtepiak

LacquerHead

Illinois

3.15/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Looked like a strong brewed black tea - very hazy. It had a light tan foamy head with decent retention. The head eventually settled to a very thin lace. (served at temp 51 into a Sam Adams pint)

At first it smelled like a normal hefeweizen. Has it warmed up a bit, I smelled caramel malt and straw.

Initially I tasted caramelized wheat and thought, "hey, this is pretty good." However, after the first few drinks the intensity of the flavor dissipated. It became more subdued and remained so even as it got warmer.

It had a light carbonation similar to an Italian soda. Refreshing.

I could see myself drinking this outside in the early evening on a lazy summer day. While I wouldn't mind having it again, I don't think I'll be revisiting it anytime soon. It was good, but didn't make me want to keep going back. I was expecting something more.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2010 18:45:27 | More by LacquerHead

PDXHops

South Carolina

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

500ml bottle poured into a weizen glass. Murky burnt caramel body with a a fluffy 3 finger beige head that soon settles down to a 1/4 inch layer, but good retention from that point on. Lacing is patchy, but the patches are quite thick and sticky.

Mild clove and wheat aromas greet the nose, with a bit of brown sugar and baking bread. Just a hint of banana, which becomes much more apparent in the taste. The wheat is much more assertive as well, a nice lemony bite. Fresh bread and toasted malts are on display from midswallow on. Nice hearty mouthfeel; it seems to 'fluff up' throughout the sip. A pretty tasty dunkel that's worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2010 22:28:05 | More by PDXHops

Parrotbeak

Minnesota

4.4/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Murky amber color with a golden hue at the edges. Two inch, creamy off-white head that remains. Very thick lacing.
Smell is malty, with some spicey, peppery notes. Other notes of banana, melon, clove, and brown sugar come in as well.
Taste is spicey, buttery malts, with notes of bubblegum, banana bread, melon, and clove.
Mouthfeel is smooth and slightly creamy, with a enough carbonation to round it off. Slightly dry on the finish.
Drinkability is very good. Very tasty beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2010 22:01:38 | More by Parrotbeak