Weihenstephaner Tradition - Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan

DoubleJ

California

4.44/5  rDev +17.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at Weihenstephan's biergarten and served in a half-liter mug. On to the beer:

Here's a dunkel which is ruby red cololred with orange hues. That head on top retains very well. The aroma of toasted malts set the table for dabs of caramel and a surprise of fudge. Even greater things are set to taste, which is not only complex, but tasty and very balanced between the notes. More toasty with some raisin and chocolate at first, but more sips bring the beer to be a little bit sweeter. Caramel comes into the picture, yet it doesn't disrupt the whole picture. Medium bodied and very smooth.

Weihenstephaner can only do good, and this is a very good dunkel. An absolute must try for dunkel lovers.

Serving type: on-tap

05-10-2013 16:43:25 | More by DoubleJ

GodOfBeer

Ontario (Canada)

3.63/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a deep chestnut brown..thick off white head

Smells of nutty malts, and something else...not sure what though...very intriguing smell

Tastes very nutty, nuts all around!!

A bit weak on the mouthfeel but a very delicious and well rounded beer, still doesnt beat their heffe however..

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2012 18:25:37 | More by GodOfBeer

Parrotshake

Australia

4.1/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Translucent brown with red bits and a big pillowy head. Malted milk and toffee all over the nose, slight lagery/German yeasty note. Not sweet, but smells like it would make a nice dessert.

All malty and delicious. Some brown bread and nuts in addition to the characteristics mentioned in the nose, and enough bitterness to counter all that malt without contributing any specific hop flavors. Clean, no rough edges. Slightly creamy feel, low to medium carbonation. Probably great with porky German fare or a roast, that sort of thing. Certainly fine by itself as well. If you can appreciate subtler old-timey beers like this, you'll probably love it as much as I do.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2012 09:51:07 | More by Parrotshake

Everydayoff

Thailand

3.78/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

500ml bottle poured into a pils glass by freshness date.

A:
Clear brown color with slight orange tinge, very thick off-white creamy head with very good retention, it leaves plenty of elegant lacing clusters all around.

S:
The smell is dark/caramelized malt, lightly toasted, coffee, creamy note, yeast and fruitiness from dark fruits. All blend well together but fruitiness seems to roam overtly on front row. By the way, malt finally reclaims its place.

T:
Well balance between caramelized malt sweetness and dark fruitiness component. Dark fruits portion also yield slight sourish note through the palate. Malt is creamy that lick in the finish along with subtle yeasty sourish note, bitterness is subtle from hop and likely roasted trait.

M:
Moderate body with rather light carbonation but proper and yields smooth as silk mouthfeel, dry finish.

O:
A fan of dark German lager should never miss this. There is a big malt and fruit trait along with all round balance character that bring this beer into high pleasurable drink and well sipping.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2012 13:22:26 | More by Everydayoff

dansmcd

Australia

3.98/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Clear, dark red-amber, 2 fingers of soapy head, rings of lace.

S - Sweet roasted barley, caramel, banana, grass.

T - Roasted barley, dried apricot, lemon, fresh bread. Smooth and clean with a mild hop finish. Subtle yet very tasty.

M - Moderate body, moderate carbonation. About right for the style.

O - This wont blow you away but is an easy drinker that most will enjoy. Highly sessionable. Very happy to drink these in any situation.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2011 11:00:02 | More by dansmcd

eric5bellies

Australia

3.73/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Drank from my Weihenstephaner Weizen glass.

A - Pours a dark deep Ruby / Mahogany colour with an Ivory coloured head that retains OK.

S - Nice roasted caramelised aromas. Malt dominates but I detect a little hop.

T - Plenty of roasted malt up front. Mid palate there is plenty of grains before a slightly sweet finish that is bitter.

M - Medium body and carbonation.

O - A very solid brew that is made for trying with a hunk of meat of some description, Some Kaiser chops perhaps.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2011 14:35:51 | More by eric5bellies

doktorhops

Australia

3.63/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

German bier?! Again?! Yeah well lets just say that beer is one thing I can agree on with the German people (their terrible "pun" driven sense of humor, no thanks!).

And with that thought I open a 500ml bottle of "tradition", yes it does come in a bottle, and poured this fine brew into a 500ml Stein.

A: Deep mahogany. Yeah that's right - I compared the appearance of this beer with wood. The 1cm slightly tanned head dissipated quickly enough that I turned my head and found a light lacing left... how very un-German this beer.

S: Toffee, toasted biscuits, very inviting indeed. Did I also detect a hint of gingerbread or am I going crazy... that was a rhetorical question by the way. The grain is the forefront of this ale-like brew, I suspect it will be a fairly malt driven affair.

T: Sourdough flavours crop up to the front palate, followed by a toffee note and ending with a fat malty finish (with a slight bitter aftertaste reminding you that there were indeed hops invited to the Dunkel party). It's full flavoured without being some obnoxiously expensive Belgian brew (don't get me wrong - I love Belgian beers), yet it's also no competition for it's Hefeweizen cousin... sorry Herr Bayerische Dunkel.

M: Smooth and creamy, an excellent combination! The carbonation is a little light but no complaints here.

D: This beer is a likable chap, though less likely to excite than it's Hefeweizen cousin it's still a bit more social than it's Hefeweissbier Dunkel brother, in other words if you had to pick between the three my recommendation would be: 1. Hefeweissbier, 2. Bayerische "Tradition" Dunkel, and 3. Hefeweissbier Dunkel... it's still very likable though.

Food Match: Baked potatoes with whatever slab of meat you get your hands on, or large flat fried mushrooms for us vegetarians.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2011 09:37:23 | More by doktorhops

lacqueredmouse

Australia

3.73/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a pleasant deep reddish brown with a full and frothy boisterous German head of off-white foam. Lacing is pock-marked and speckled down the inside of the glass. Pretty still in the glass, however, leaving it flat and heavy. Looks good though.

Nose is full of German yeast character with a slight whiff of roasted cereal. Quite bright and roasty, dark but leavened, and with a refreshing twinge of noble hop coming through giving a slight greenness. Nice.

Taste is similar. That very constructed and clear German palate. Nice malt on the front, with a good grain mesh behind it holding it up. Dry finish, with a surprisingly lingering back of light roasted goodness. Feel is clear and crisp.

Nice brew. Very clear and clean and very classically German. It must be, I've mentioned "German" in every paragraph of this review. A good exemplar of the style. Light and subtle in places, but with loads of character in others.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2010 06:50:13 | More by lacqueredmouse

FreshHawk

Illinois

3.83/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Deep copper amber color with an average to slightly below average sized head that is off-white, foamy, and a bit creamy. Decent retention with a nice lace left over.

S - A good amount of toasted grainy malts and some caramel and toffee.

T - A lot like the smell. A lot of toasted, grainy malt taste upfront make up the base. Also a good amount of caramel and toffee. Hints of some fruit, a bit of apple and some raisin. On the finish is just the slightest taste of some grassy and earthy hops along with some bread taste.

M - Somewhere between light and medium body with moderate carbonation. Crisp taste and somewhat smooth.

D - Easy to drink beer that is well balanced and has a good amount of malt flavors.

Notes: Nice easy to drink beer that is a touch light on flavor and mouthfeel. Good session type of beer, and a solid beer from a very solid brewery.

Serving type: on-tap

03-28-2010 18:54:13 | More by FreshHawk

Stavage

Australia

3.95/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a weizen glass, got a nice frothy head on top of a dark browny red body. The head retention was good for a lager and left a decent lacing.

Dark malt smells, with a mild caramel scent, perhaps more honey like than anything. A biscuit body, and there are some light hops notes too.

Smooth biscuit malt body with a honey like aftertaste. Hops is noticeable but very minimal. Theres a pleasant roasted nuttiness and a slight bitterness. The taste is watered down a little by the end of the mouthfull but overall enjoyable enough.

Medium bodied, carbonation was good, though I did get the impression this beer didn't know whether it was supposed to be crisp or chewy and achieved neither.

I quite enjoyed this. Easy enough to drink, enough complexity to enjoy

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2010 07:34:44 | More by Stavage

juju7

Australia

3.58/5  rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Dark copper/amber, a good two finger head, laced well. A fruity, malty, slightly syrupy nose with some floral hop action. Low carbonation, alittle creamy on the palate with mild bitterness. A kind of sticky malt aftertase which I don't really dig much. It's a good, well made beer and I recommend it but it's not really my thing.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2009 10:02:30 | More by juju7

ADZA

Australia

3.95/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

This beer pours a dark amber colour with average carbonation that leaves a one finger head with average lacing,the aromas are toasted caramel infused banannas and the taste is very sweet almost like caramel malty syrup straight away followed by some nice hoppy notes to balance out its taste to make it neither sweet nor bitter and very drinkable as a session beer could drink alot of these.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2009 11:22:44 | More by ADZA

CrazyDavros

Australia

3.1/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Copper/ruby pour with a lovely, albeit rapidly diminishing, head.
Grainy and toasted nutty malts present in the aroma as well as some euro hops. Amazingly similar to the pilsner (apart from the darker malts).
Same thing with the flavours - it has the same grainy malt and cardboard notes, but whereas these are quite dominant in the pilsner, they are hidden is this beer by the darker malts.
Only complaint I have with the mouthfeel is that it's on the watery side.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2009 10:25:31 | More by CrazyDavros

dgilks

Australia

4/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a nice mahogany colour with a thin light tan head. Poor head retention with not even a thin film present after about a minute.

Sweet malts with hints of roast are the main notes here. Light noble hop notes come through as well.

Nicely balanced beer with enough generic bitterness to counter the malty sweetness. Nice mineral notes more often found in some champagnes work well with the light fruitiness that is present.

A medium body and crisp, vibrant carbonation makes this beer a refreshing quaffer. Very good.

A highly drinkable brew with nice depth of flavour without being an overpowering beer. Tasty, refreshing and well worth drinking.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2009 02:55:41 | More by dgilks

laituegonflable

Australia

3.88/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a rich red-brown scorched earth colour with a nice beige head, nice and sticky with very pleasant sticky lacing. Lots of carbonation, but slow and migratory. Looks like a star show, and everything else about it is also very nice.

Nose is a sour, unripe fruit affair, although overridden by a malty, caramel sweetness. Has aromas of fig, berry and some compost funk. A light floral character with hints of tree bark, and a bitter chestnut character. Initial impulse is to dislike but overall it's an enticing smell thanks to that overriding sweetness. Interesting, anyway.

Taste is very pleasant, with a caramelised fruit sweetness underlying an earthy, organic bitterness, with a lightly roasted coffee character just hinting itself. An element of vegetable matter in there, with a slight funk, while finish has a slight nutty character to it and leaves the palate with a nice aftertaste, maybe a bit sweet and yet a very light ashiness.

Mouthfeel is a little thin but it carries itself well, certainly a lot of lagery tingle in there; the carbonation I saw doesn't disappoint.

This is a very pleasant beer, with nice organic flavours achieving a good balance between the sweet, the sour and the bitter. Not quite quaffing quality, but an extremely pleasant sipping beer, and I'd say a good one to share with mates.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2009 23:44:50 | More by laituegonflable

Jeffo

Netherlands

4.38/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Found this at De Bierkoning in Amsterdam.

Into a beer glass.

APPEARANCE: Pours a thick creamy looking 2+ finger off-white head with good retention. Color is a russet or mahogany brown with low end carbonation and is pretty clear. Head slowly fades to a thick film cap with some immediate lacing on the top of the glass. A wisp remains until the end and leaves some decent lacing.

SMELL: Caramel and toasted malt along with some nice toffee undertones. A touch of dark rye bread in the background. Decent strength as well.

TASTE: Much like the nose, some caramel and toasted malt up front, then some rye bread through the middle and finishes surprisingly spicy and yeasty. Some clove and tyme show up perhaps, as well as a touch of dark fruit, raisins and dates maybe. Quite a complex dunkel. A mild but longer lasting aftertaste is spicy with bread hints as well, making a pretty nice combo. A touch of bitterness at the very end finishes the job nicely.

PALATE: Medium-full body with medium carbonation. Creamy smooth on the palate, goes down smooth and finishes with a touch of dryness on the palate. Very nice.

OVERALL: A very complex dunkel; lots of taste surprises in this one. Very drinkable and enjoyable, one I'd certainly pick up again. A benchmark in the style for sure. Really am surprised this one isn't rated higher on this site. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2009 13:44:46 | More by Jeffo

david18

New York

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

A full half liter with lunch. Excellent dunkel, dark lager that went great with german saugage at a traditional luncherie on the square that served only beers from this brewer. As with all their styles, this is at the top of the scale for style. I will definitely look for it when I'm back in the states.

Serving type: on-tap

07-12-2009 17:00:23 | More by david18

SleepyMonk

Australia

3.25/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a bottle chilled just below room temperature into a Weihenstephaner 0.5l glass.

Pours with a think tan head and the body of the beer is a cross between a flat cola or deep red tea.

On the nose I get strong hits of roasted wheat and a good dollop of yeast

The taste is a quick sharp sensation of molasses but this quickly gives way to the yeast promised whilst the nose was in the glass. Malt is in there too but not as strong as you would imagine just prior to drinking.

The mouthfeel is very underwhelming, mild syrup sensation and elements of spice. Once again it fades away too quickly.

A good beer but no where near a great beer. If you where faced with a choice between the this and the standard Weihenstephaner Dunkel, i'd choose the latter.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2009 06:55:58 | More by SleepyMonk

TheSarge

Illinois

3.73/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

My last brew from the Weihenstephaner Taster Pack. Hopefully this beer keeps up with the rest of the best.

This is a prime example of how a dunkel should look. There is about two fingers thick of light khaki cranium, and sticks well to the glass. The body is cola/black tea in appearance. It easily shows vivid reddish hues when held up to sun light.

Immediately when I cracked the bottle open, there was a rush of bready toasted malts that filled the air. There is an herbal aroma along with a sweet cola and metallic fragrance too.

The taste is sharp and not as sweet as I had supposed. It is actually a little more herbal than anything else, with a slight acidic finish.

This is somewhat light in body and refreshing. There is a mild warming effect towards the end of each sip.

I've got to downgrade the drinkability for the almost too herbal trait to this beer. This is not something I'd go for on a summer Bavarian afternoon. Perhaps an early spring or late fall type of appeal.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2009 15:37:03 | More by TheSarge

Macca

Australia

3.78/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This pours a red tinged brown with a centimetre or two of beige head which drops to a persistent covering.

A nice rich bready/grainy nose from the malts. So nice that it doesn't have that metallic taint I keep finding lately. A bit yeasty as well.

Malts dominate the palate. Some fortified wine characteristics as well.

Fairly high carbonation makes it very smooth.

After trying most of their hefes I was very happy to give this a shot. It did not disappoint.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2008 09:47:26 | More by Macca

WHROO

Australia

2.8/5  rDev -25.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

500ml bottle - Poured into Pint glass...
Dark Brown with red hues...nice head that quickly melted to a thin blothcy film.
S: Roasty - caramel, biscuity, toast, & vegemite!!!
T: quite strong...had a big dose of Vegemite straight up (I don't like much vegemite, so the first mouthful was actually a struggle to swallow. Thank god it did get better with each mouthful). Some dark fruit, raison.
Finishes a little sour, & dry with a hint of bitter that lingers.
M: Average mouthfeel...a little medicinal if anything, not leaving the mouth too excited.
D: This wasn't too bad, but definately not too good. The whole vegemite / sour / medicinal / dry sensations left my palate screaming "eeewww"
Needed to be smoother for me.
The Appearance & Aroma were the best part for me.

Kozel Dark is supposedly meant to be the same style - no comparison...the Kozel Sh*ts all over it for smoothness & enjoyment, & only 3.8%.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2008 05:13:41 | More by WHROO

TKempe

Netherlands

3.98/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Clear and reddish brown in colour, with a thin off-white head and a few specks of lace.

Aroma is slightly roasted and fairly sweet, both in a fruity and a caramel-like way. A few spicy and salty notes work their way through as well. A nicely balanced out malty nose all in all.

The taste is a bit more sour and sharp, drier as well, with a pleasant salty after-taste and lots of sweet, prune-like flavours. Hops are humbly present. A modest and delicate, but characteristic taste. Quite nice!

Mouthfeel is bit thin with plenty of carbonation.

Kind of an easy beer, but enough diversity and depth to appreciate.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2008 17:19:38 | More by TKempe

mdagnew

United Kingdom (Northern Ireland)

3.73/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

500ml bottle bought from Redmonds, Dublin...

Poured a deep burnt amber toffee colour. Creamy head poured tight, thick and foamy with a good meringue like top which then faded to thin covering with thicker edging... barely any carbonation... some decent lacing...

Aroma - Toasted fruit loaf, strong and sweet caramel malts, some toffee, spicy dried fruits (raisins, figs and dates), quite yeasty, some leatheriness, nut brittle, some stewed plums, very light smokiness...

Taste isn't quite as good as the fine aromas... Tart and spicy fruits (red grapes, blackcurrents, figs, some apples), decent grassy hop bitterness, toasted nuts, cola notes, some saltiness, bready malts, nutmeg, treacle...

M&D - Quite sharp and dry... light / medium bodied... A good sessionable brew at only 5.2%...

Overall - A good straightforward example of a Dunkel... very quaffable and definitely worth a try...

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2008 13:58:33 | More by mdagnew

koolk

Australia

3.38/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Clean cola in colour with a small white head that persists.

Aroma is an interesting mixture of roast, sweet malt and even a touch of floral notes.

Flavours are dominated but dried fruit flavours as well as a strong yeasty aftertaste. Missing an extra dimension. A little watery on the finish.

Creamy mouthfeel with decent carbonation and good balance.

No a bad drop, nothing too exciting either. Good value for $.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2008 11:21:29 | More by koolk

ozidreads

Australia

3.8/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Appearance- served in 500mL stein, poured a dark red/brown colour, with a 3cm off-white head which dissipated very quickly.

Aroma- dominant aroma of sweet malt and mild molasses/yeasty aroma reminiscent of Vegemite. Slight hint of alcohol. Little trace of hop or strong roasted character.

Taste- starts with a smooth, sweet molasses like flavour on the front palate, with mild hints of brandy-laced dried fruit. Finishes mildy bitter/roasty.

Mouthfeel- probably the most disappointing aspect, although not bad. Rather light bodied, low carbonation. When warmed up becomes slightly syrupy.

This is my first tasting of a Bavarian dark lager, so have no similar beers to compare it to. But overall it's an easy drinking, clean lager style combined with the sweet malty aroma, and mild roast character of a darker ale.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2008 08:18:44 | More by ozidreads