Bavarian-Styled Doppel Weizen - Lagunitas Brewing Company

rfbenavi80

Missouri

3.55/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this on tap once, bought a bottle of it to try and review it.
Poured into a 23oz Wheat Beer Glass. Beer was kept in refrigerator.

A- Very orange/golden, more orange than golden.
very hazy, light comes through the beer, but it is very filtered
light. Very small bubbles are rising from the bottom of the
glass. Head dissipates quickly and is gone leaving no lacing.

S- Yeast. Strong breads like sourdough. A little banana.

T- Strong breads. Banana notes come out later, as an aftertaste.

M- Thick and creamy. very filling beer. Low to moderate
carbonation.

O- not my favorite, but good beer none the less.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2012 00:50:38 | More by rfbenavi80

sulldaddy

Connecticut

3.08/5  rDev -20%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Reviewing a cellar temp bottle poured into a snifter. The beer pours a hazy copper hue, looks similar to an unfiltered apple cider.
A fizzy eggshell white head foams up minimally and is completely gone within seconds. The beer looks like a still beverage almost immediately after the pour looks more like unfiltered apple juice now than beer.

Aroma is a mix of some caramel and some spicy hops. I also get a bit of green apple I think. Not sure if that last part improves the beer, it doesnt seem to be infected, but something is a little funky here. I also get some mild clove notes mixed in the background.

First sip reveals a crisp bodied beer with fine tingly carbonation. Very easy drinking and mild texture.

Flavor is some sweet malt with caramel and some grainy notes, rolls to a bit of spicy hop bite and again some sort of green apple notes that are a little funky, not quite tart, but on the verge. Cloves are in the finish and linger a bit. No where is the booze evident from start to finish.

The beer is easy to drink, but the slightly funky flavors and murky showing take away from some of my enjoyment.
A decent beer, but I wonder if mine was a little off?

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2012 04:48:52 | More by sulldaddy

ebrauser

Utah

4.03/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Apperance: hazy orange with a this white head that dissipated very quickly

Aroma: strong banana and wheat with no spices or pepper notes

Flavor: more strong banana nots with a very slight alcohol stringency that dies quickly as you sip this one. The finish is big and bready. The body is perfectly weighted, slightly chewy and very pleasant.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2012 01:00:55 | More by ebrauser

deebo

Minnesota

3.88/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-Cloudy, dirty light brown with white head

S-Banana esters, cloves, wheat, hefe weizen for sure

T-Banana bread! Yeasty, malty and heavy. Nice flavor

M-Pretty full bodied. Heavily carbonated, a little alcohol end note but never would have figured this beer was this strong. Well done!

D-A little heavy, but is definitely a souped up Hefe.

O-Nice flavor, strong wheat taste, heavy on yeast and malts. A really good beer, a good beer to start the night with.

Serving type: on-tap

01-08-2012 01:24:46 | More by deebo

Lawl3ss

Texas

3.3/5  rDev -14.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

22 oz. bomber (2011 vintage) poured into a tulip pint glass.

Look- Cloudy butterscotch with a loose finger of foam that dissappeared pretty quickly.

Smell- Sour, somewhat flowery, plenty of banana and a hint of clove. About what you would expect from a robust hefe.

Taste- Sweet! Banana dominates, along with light toasted rye bread. Ends with a hint of cloves and cinnamon. Nice, but too sweet for my liking and rather plain for Lagunitas.

Mouthfeel- Chewy, almost syrupy. Starts tart with a moderate amount of carbonation, ends somewhat cloying, just a few hairs shy of sickeningly sweet.

Overall- I have to say that the alcohol is well hidden, but the sweetness and heavy body made it rather tough to finish the bomber on my own. I was also expecting something more complex from this brewery. It is just what the bottle says- a doubled-up hefeweizen without a lot else going on. Probably wouldn't pick it up again, though I'd try it if I saw it on tap.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2012 01:46:53 | More by Lawl3ss

brewerburgundy

California

3/5  rDev -22.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

22oz bottle, weizen glass, 2011 version.

Clear sunset goldenrod yellow that glows pleasantly. My buddy poured softly, so the head is not what it could be. Swirling and rising bubbles show that it has potential.

More banana than clove dominant nose. Sweet wheat, sweet.

Salty banana bread, again, the clove is subdued. A peppery bite and a soapy sweetness. Lagunitas hit all the classic notes, no more, no less.

Slick and slippery and honestly, syrupy. It's a tad too much.

This beer checks almost all of right boxes for a weizenbock. It is too sweet for me. This is one Lagunitas brew that doesn't have a twist though.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2012 20:15:42 | More by brewerburgundy

raffy313

Texas

2.88/5  rDev -25.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Bomber poured into a Weizen glass.

A somewhat cloudy amber/orange color, with very little half inch off white head. Some slight lacing, but otherwise appearance was quite uneventful.

Smells are bananas, cloves and wheat. Very sweet, fruity lemon/orange like aromas. AND... I've heard this as a description before to describe a beer's aroma, but have never actually had the pleasure of experiancing it until now... HAM! Honey-baked ham, to be exact. Kinda weird.

Flavors are intense. Similar to the nose. Quite alot going on here, but sadly... abit one demensional... not very balanced. Just sweet!

Medium body, low to medium carbonation. Has a weird unpleasant artificial sweetner(saccharin)-like, dry aftertaste that definately takes away from the overall drinkability.

Oddly enough, I enjoyed this beer quite abit initially, but the more I drank, the less I liked. Hard to explain, it just went nowhere. Odd aftertaste kinda killed it for me.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2012 04:20:09 | More by raffy313

czfreeman

Michigan

4.05/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

First review of the new year. I really like Weizens, weizenbocks, etc..
After living two years in Germany I judge this style by pretty hard standards, studying at Weihenstephan will do that to ya.
Pours a slightyn murky orange tone. Good carbonation, foamy frothy head sticks around a while. Not quite the Bavarian foam cap level, but good.
Smell is phenominal.This is stright up German, clove, Banana in a huge way, wheat mustiness, dried figs,hay,grass,a nice touch of smokiness like oak chips on the end.lemon,orange, really a nice spiced grain profile. Pepper and clove add the needed spice profile.
on to the first sip..pepper, clove,orange,banana,wheat,yeast,sourdough starter,sweet honey-like,maybe mead.Sour femented wheat, fresh yeast, alocholic phenol, lingering slight spicy sourness, nice balance, sweet and fruity upfront, sour and spiced on the finish.
Carbonation is perfect, alcohol is quite a bit stronger than German versions, but in turn it adds a nice sour spicy finish I find highly enjoyable.
Great brew and start to the new year.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2012 02:41:51 | More by czfreeman

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a lightly hazy yellow to orange-ish color with an off white. In the aroma, lemon citrus and wheat notes. In the taste, a lemon citrus note, a nice wheat presence and a small dry alcohol presence at the end. A small bite and a medium bodied mouthfeel, with a small dry alcohol and small wheat notes in the aftertaste. Smells like a standard hefe, but boozier in the taste.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2011 18:33:35 | More by OWSLEY069

bluejacket74

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22 ounce bottle. Serves in a weizen glass, the beer pours a slightly hazy golden/orange color with about an inch and a half off-white head. Head retention is good, but there isn't much lacing left on the glass. The brew smells like cloves, bananas, wheat, and a little bit of orange peel. The brew tastes like cloves, sweet spices (maybe allspice?), wheat/bready malt, bananas, orange and orange peel, and some bubblegum. Mouthfeel/body is medium, with a moderate amount of carbonation. I think it's a decent overall brew, but there's nothing that's memorable about it. Not bad for $4.99 a bottle, for that price it's certainly worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2011 23:39:38 | More by bluejacket74

Hex92

Virginia

3.38/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I'm always looking for a cheaper version of Aventinus. Upon opening the bottle I thought I was on to something. It has a very similar smell, I like it alot.

It has an odd aftertaste that isn't good. The initial flavor is real nice, but then...not good.

I like the moutfeel, but in the end the taste is what its all about, and this just isn't going to do it.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2011 04:28:39 | More by Hex92

plfahey

Minnesota

3.45/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22 oz. bottle poured into a wine glass.

Appearance-Golden orange copper color with medium haze. Short cream colored head has poor retention.

Aroma-Heavy spicy phenolic character-extremely clovey with background notes of ginger and allspice. Light toast, honey, caramel and raisin malt aromas. Extremely light banana aroma. Also noticeable booze in the aroma with a slightly solventy character.

Flavor-Sweet toasty caramel and slight raisin flavor with a light bananas foster type character. In the midpalate bigtime clove flavor comes through. Mostly spice character in the finish with a some alcohol in which carries into the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel-Medium body with moderate carbonation. Carbonation is soft on the palate-gives a smooth and creamy feel to it.

Pretty extreme spice character and not that much else to it. Not bad and pretty drinkable, but I'm not a huge fan and there are much better examples of the style. One of my less favorite beers from Lagunitas.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2011 07:12:16 | More by plfahey

Jammies

Illinois

3.33/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A- pours a deep golden orange with minimal foam that slowly disappears.

S- sweet with a strong malty odor.

T- sweet and malty.

M- watery and smooth. The malts destroy the palate.

O- not my favorite style. The malts leave a sticky and sour feeling in my mouth, not a huge fan.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2011 20:44:11 | More by Jammies

fsimcox

California

3.78/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a cloudy, off-orange color. Off-white foamy head dissipates quickly to a thin layer. Some lacing.

Smells of sweet malt and banana, hints of sweet fruit, and cloves. Some hints of bubblegum, and an overall wonderful aroma.

Tastes of banana and citrus, with some tart sour notes in the finish. I think they overdid it a bit with the alcohol finish.

Mouthfeel is creamy, with some carbonation in the finish. A very full bodied beer. A warm finish with the alcohol.

I was very excited to try this beer, and the wonderful aroma made me think this beer would not disappoint. But the alcohol finish was a little too much for me.

Still, a very good example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2011 17:56:03 | More by fsimcox

industrialswill

Washington

2.25/5  rDev -41.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

They might as well label this stuff "High Strength Banana Beer.
Appearance wize, all beer is beautiful and this one is no exception. As a matter of routine, this beer gets a rating of "good" from me for appearance.
Aroma is a different story..the smell of this beer is simply unappetizing. I smell banana and alcohol fumes. Like Banana Aftershave Lotion..?
Tastes like it smells, but with a pinch of disgusting clove thrown in. If this stuff was made in prison in a ziplock bag from left over banana peels, I'd be pretty proud of it...but otherwise it just isn't what I'd call "good beer".
The saving grace is the relatively high alcohol content. I was able to fight my way through this bomber, but I would have found a bottle of just about any malt liquor to be much more enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2011 23:58:57 | More by industrialswill

jbonapar

Ontario (Canada)

4.15/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Consumed on Xmass even 2011.

Amazing pour, thick thick thick creamy head with a cloudy light amber. Cool.

Smell is basically 100% ripe banana's. Dam. That is some banana there!

Taste, amazing. Almost like sweet banana cream pie. It is SO strong in the Banana departement. However, there is a biting clove flavor at the end. A really nice beer for sure.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2011 16:52:47 | More by jbonapar

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.53/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Almost liquid banana. Banana aroma, mouthfeel consistency, and in the taste. That and the cloves, and herbal orange peel aspect to it are not my favourites, and were counter to a style I like a lot better. The mouthfeel is above average. Dark brown bodied. Better after spicey food.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2011 03:19:19 | More by northyorksammy

SolarMikey

Michigan

3.7/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Found while on a Central Florida vacation, perfect for a warm winter afternoon while the pig is roasting away. The beer is a deep golden color, slightly hazy with lots of carbonation that visibly continues for a while after pouring. The medium white head lingers well.

It smells of banana and cloves, but not overwhelmingly, and malty yeast and wheat contribute to the aroma.

Flavor is dominated by esters, yeast, and sweet malt, though there is some bitterness in the background. An initial hoppy bite gives way to a nice long sweet finish.

The beer is somewhat thick and creamy without being syrupy in the least, and the carbonation is lively.

It is a solid example of a Bavarian weizen and extraordinarily drinkable for being 9% ABV (I was surprised to learn this after the fact), though the flavor profile doesn't stand out among those of other beers in its class.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2011 21:44:50 | More by SolarMikey

BMac17

California

3.73/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Light orange, creamsicle

S: Cloves and fresh baked banana bread

T: Sweet cream with bitter hops on the back but the banana really stands out

M: Med to heavy rich

O: A fun once in awhile beer.

Silky, rich and spicy clove all mashed together with tangerine cream and orange zest! This “double wheat” make’s your mouth water from slightly bitter and floral hops with a banana bread finish.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2011 07:21:21 | More by BMac17

uwmgdman

Wisconsin

4.22/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a snifter this beer pours hazy golden-amber with a white sticky head the diminished to a skim and leaves a bit of lacing. The aroma is highly banana, clove, malty wheat, and hints of citrus. The flavor is a pleasant mix of phenolic yeast tones, crisp, malty wheat and a slightly tart, dry finish. The hop bitterness and medium-high carbonation accent the dry finish. Just a few hints of booze emerge after the swallow, especially at the warms. The body is medium-full, bordering on full but pleasantly so. Overall a well crafted tasty beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2011 01:42:11 | More by uwmgdman

beagle75

Iowa

2.58/5  rDev -33%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Poured from a bomber into a goblet.

A: Hazy, light orange-amber color with a peripheral ring of fine white bubbles. Scant lacing remains on the glass.

S: Over-ripe bananas reveal the presence of authentic weiss-beer yeast, and also suggest underattenuation. Breadiness identifies a baked good--more a quickbread than something leavened by yeast. Aside from a subtle spirituous thread, this beer smells like banana bread.

T: Begins very sweet, with bready malt and an odd estery astringency. Acidity is bold, citric, but not out of place. The astringency, however, has an aspirin-like quality that is hard to shake. Wheat is muted in the middle, and bitterness is insignificant in the finish, other than the medicinal-type still hanging around. No alcohol is detected.

M: Medium to thick viscosity, acidic and syrupy coating the palate, with moderate carbonation.

D/O: This is a clumsy attempt to install big Bavarian flavors together in a high-gravity package. It has Lagunitas written all over it--it lacks balance, with clove phenolics absent from the sensory profile. Palate fatigue is induced almost immediately after first exposure.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2011 20:19:06 | More by beagle75

JTSbeerislife

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22 oz bottle, bottled on 9/9/11, purchased 9/2011 and well stored at temperature since.

Poured into a Franziskaner Weissbier Signature glass.

Pours a nice thick one finger head, which slowly reduces to a thin cap. Easily revived, a live ale.
Golden honey amber color, with amazingly lively carbonation. The carbonation explodes from the bottom of the glass thru the entire pour.

Huge aroma of yeast and malt. The banana and citrus yeast definitely dominate. The golden, toasty malt hides in the background. Wonderfully fragrant and extremely enjoyable. Excellent!

Crisp, hoppy entry on the palate, followed by caramelized banana and yeast, then a little somewhat sweet malt. The yeast and malt play against one another in a very delicious way. Medium mouth feel and lively carbonation, perfect for the style. Just the faintest hint of the 9% ABV and quite enjoyable for it. Delicious!

Long lingering finish of bitter hops and yeast.

Excellent balance of all the components of this brew. Wow, this is just flat out delicious!
Even though this bottle is three months old it tastes amazingly fresh, almost as if it was just tapped.
I have become a great admirer of this brewery. No matter what the style they brew their signature hops are present, and what delicious hops they are.
Very Highly Recommended!

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2011 23:49:44 | More by JTSbeerislife

MNJR

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A thick powerhouse of a brew. Color is normal for a weiss, golden and cloudy. Smells fragrant and strong: spice, lemon/citrus, lemon cake or cookies, and a bit of alcohol to boot. Goes down much thicker than I expected. Chewy, spongy and yet creamy mouthfeel. Very strong and spicy flavor. A hint of astringent in the background. Estery and yeasty. But, not bad. Just a bit "too much" for me. I don't have much experience in the doppel weizen department. Maybe just not the beer for me, but if this is your thing it seems to firing on all cylinders.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2011 22:42:19 | More by MNJR

CowsCanBark

Pennsylvania

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

Poured from 22 oz. bottle into pint glass.

Appearance: Pours a cloudy copper-orange with a one-finger white head. Heavy lacing left as I drink.

Smell: Smells of wheat and bananas, with a hint of spicyness.

Taste: Mainly cloves and bananas, wheat, biscuits, light alcohol, metallic tinge.

Mouthfeel: Heavy bodied and creamy, low carbonation. Definitely a sipper.

Overall: A great beer to sip on to warm you up, do not buy if you dislike banana flavors in your beer, though!

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2011 06:34:49 | More by CowsCanBark

WoodBrew

Illinois

3.93/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Trying the Lagunitas Doppel Weizen during a beer tasting party last night. The beer poured a copper orange with an off white head and not much lace. Banana dominates the smell with subtle spices backing it up. The beer is big….I would call this an Imperial Heffeweisen….the banana clove are included with the taste along with some ABV!!! The mouthfeel was a full body with mild carbonation. Overall it is a decent beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2011 23:44:37 | More by WoodBrew