Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier - Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan

Knuckles_Nuclear

Missouri

4.55/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

My new go-to favorite for spring and summer. Wonderful balance and refreshment, after my beloved quads from the late fall/winter. Glorious pale golden color with just a hint of the wheat haze. Clean and crisp from start to finish, with a bit of banana and freshly-baked bread.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 01:18:58 | More by Knuckles_Nuclear

MaximalC

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a hazy honey color with a thick cap of fluffy, white foam. Aroma smells cleanly of banana and clove, with perhaps a hint of what smells like coriander. Flavor matches the nose, with banana and clove complementing a refined wheat flavor. The wheat becomes most pronounced in the finish, while the front end remains more juicy. Yeast character lends some nice complexity and texture as well. The mouthfeel is spectacular, with lively, velvety carbonation that caresses the palate and enhances the quintessential flavors of the beer. This is the hefeweizen to which all other hefeweizens are compared. It's supremely balanced, perfectly executed, and possessed of perhaps the most enjoyable mouthfeel of any beer, regardless of style--undoubtedly world class.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 00:13:01 | More by MaximalC

themind

New Jersey

4.26/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bench mark for the style this beer is high quality. A very drinkable brew that could be served to even the most advanced beer snob and excepted with praise. Pours a nice head, has a good flavor without any aftertaste. If you like wheat beers this masterpiece awaits your palate.

Bottom Line: Style masterpiece.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 19:54:31 | More by themind

APBT91

North Carolina

4.41/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

first Hefeweizen i ever had.

the appearance is a cloudy yellow.

light aroma with bread, bubblegum and clove.

Flavor: i tasted alot bubblegum, banana, clove, with some bready notes.

nice mouthfeel.

Very refeshing and different if you have never had a Hefeweizen before, this was first hefeweizen i had tried and it got me hooked, very similar taste to Ayinger Brau weisse.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 17:25:07 | More by APBT91

WanderingFool

Massachusetts

4.24/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier pours a hazy yellow/amber into the glass with a big, frothy and rocky head on top. The foam slowly dissolves leaving behind clumps of lace.

The aroma is loaded with clove, banana, bubble gum, orange peel and wheat bread.

Each sip of this medium bodied beer is soft on the palate, somewhat watery with mild carbonation. The flavor begins sweet with lots of banana and bubblegum. Some orange citrus followed by clove and a little pepper balance out the sweetness. It finishes dry with lingering sweetness and clove.

This is a very tasty beer that's great on a hot summer day. Pour it into a hefeweizen glass if you have one. It's the only way to appreciate this brew.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 22:07:30 | More by WanderingFool

TastyAdventure

Kentucky

4.46/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.75

Perfection for the style! Any scores under 5 are due to my personal preferences, not the imperfection of the brew or brewers.

** It should be noted that I poured a small amount and sampled, decided it was excellent enough to harvest the yeast for my upcoming Hefeweizen homebrew, and decided to not swirl the last inch and pour all the yeast into my glass, as appropriate for the style.**

A - Glowing, but hazy gold yellow. giant head. frothy. chuncky.
S - Fresh banana, sweet banana taffy

T - earthy, yet still fresh yeast. A squeeze of lemon and orange juice. Low Fat banana nut bread. Delicious! Clove. White pepper. A touch of Lysol Lemon, which sounds bad, but is actually pleasant here! It does dry out a little near the end in a way that reminds my of a saison.

(None of that processed fake bubblegum sweetness that I hate)

O - The reputation is worthy.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 16:02:45 | More by TastyAdventure

IdeaSpeeder

Ontario (Canada)

4.55/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Serving Type - 500ml bottle, poured into a weizen glass

Appearance - Pours a pale, cloudy yellow colour. With a thick 2-3 fingers of head. A real beauty to look at. Head retention is good, but there is minimal lacing.

Smell - Powerful smell. Sweet and citrus smells, mostly oranges and wheat. Some banana and spice.

Taste - Wow. Orange right away. The banana and spice comes in closer to the finish. Not certain what the spices are, maybe some pepper. It's mostly oranges that I'm tasting tho. Delicious.

Mouthfeel - Very heavy carbonation, which leads to a crisp and satisfying finish. It has a medium body.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 02:30:30 | More by IdeaSpeeder

tut2528

Illinois

4.75/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

A: pours a light gold in color with 2-3 fingers worth of bright white, frothy head formation. excellent lacing

S: huge orange peel, banana bread, cloves, wheat, subtle lemon, and a light tough of pepper. beautiful balance.

T: banana bread, citrus, cloves, subtle yeast, light pepper, and an excellent creamy finish.

M: lighter side of medium bodied, leaves a nice pepper and clove taste on the palate with a subtle touch of creaminess.

O: its the best in its class/style in my opinion. terrific balance in both aroma and taste. this was the style that started it all for me and this was one of my favorites when first starting out. still is a solid go-to option for a nice hot summer day.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 01:04:33 | More by tut2528

Roman5150

Michigan

4.76/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

bottle into pint glass

appearance: cloudy orange, hazy, huge white head

smell: cloves, banana, citrus, apple, wheat

taste: heavy citrus, cloves, wheat, slight banana presence, barley, subtle coriander... the aftertaste is so smooth it almsot leaves you hanging, probably the smoothest beer i've ever had, so refreshing on a summer day. Perfectly well balanced, more flavor than other german hefe's.

mouthfeel: LOTS of carbonation

overall: Best Hefeweizen out there, period. For the style, it is absolutely perfect. In order I would say it goes Weihenstephaner, Franziskaner, then Paulaner as the best authentic german hefe's. So well balanced and drinkable, if you hand this to a non beer drinker, they will love it, very accesible.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2013 03:56:35 | More by Roman5150

STEELERFAN2390

Florida

4.96/5  rDev +12%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

this is possibly the most drinkable beer on earth. I mean what else can be said about the smell ,taste,and overall greatness off this stuff..
I get excited anytime they serve this in any restaurant in florida where I live.
the price is just right on this as well! PROST!

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2013 22:41:30 | More by STEELERFAN2390

TeamMathis

West Virginia

4.39/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Cloudy. Light orange. A thin lace of head lasts for the duration.
Smell: Slightly spicy, distant apple, lemon, wheat, pepper, and banana.
Taste: Slightly spicy, floral, distant apple, lemon, wheat, pepper, banana, and some bubblegum.
Mouthfeel: Spritzy and decent carbonation.

This is it. King of the Hefeweizens. It's a beautiful, creamy, cloudy, light orange colored delight. The head quickly goes away, but the thin lace that is left is bigger than most and a chunkiness sticks to the sides of the glass. The taste follows the smell almost exactly the same. It is so balanced. Banana and bubblegum don't overwhelm. The spicy and pepper notes lace the predominant lemon and wheat goodness. I will get this again.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2013 21:19:20 | More by TeamMathis

ElSid

California

4.54/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Freshness Date: None

A: Golden yellow and hazy topped with a tower of microbubbles which settles to an ample pillow of white foam.

S: Light, buttered bread and crackers topped with banana and hint of mango. There is a good amount of pepper and clove spiciness to keep things balanced.

T: The banana esters come through initially with a faint tropical fruit note which is more subdued compared to the nose. The bready, buttery, and biscuity malt adds a nice smoothness to the entire palate. Black pepper kernels and clove build to the finish hand-in-hand with a moderate earthy bitterness.

M: The carbonation adds a wonderful smoothness to the feel which is overall light and and lively.

O: The touchstone of Bavarian Hefeweizens and a thoroughly enjoyable and wonderfully flavorful beer. A perfect beverage for the warm seasons that are here.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 06:14:59 | More by ElSid

jimbuck

Connecticut

4.28/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

very nice mouthfeel and taste..had a nice fruit note.excellent with lite food fare..doesn't overwhelm the palate.medium mouth feel and smooth finish.very good for slow sipping,a good warm,hot summer drink..extremely refreshing.a low alcohol and bite factor,lends it to drinking for a few hours.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 20:53:21 | More by jimbuck

username

Maryland

4.28/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Great appearance. The clove flavor takes precedence over the nuances of banana. The banana flavor also leans more towards rotten than ripe, distinctly different from a US domestic craft hefeweizen. Potentially old bottle, still quite tasty despite this.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2013 23:57:50 | More by username

Either_Aether

Pennsylvania

4.89/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I'm reluctant to give out perfect scores, but this beer definitely deserves one, as it proves to be the standard for the style. I'm a huge Hefe fan and this one truly delivers.

a: Golden yellow with a fair bit of cloudiness too it.

s: Smell for this one is more subtle than I was expecting, but it is a pleasant one.

t: This is where the beer excels. Perfect balance of all the flavors, no one flavor is left out to dry. From the initial flavors to the back pallet the various flavors come to the foreground at one point or another. Love it.

m: Full. The carbonation lasted throughout the experience.

o: I honestly don't see anywhere this beer could improve and for that, I need to give it a 5. overall.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 23:14:16 | More by Either_Aether

EthenWithAnE

California

4.31/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Aroma - Complex and well balanced yeast character. Moderate banana esters with light bubblegum notes combined with medium light clove phenols. Light grainy malt aroma. No hop aroma, ok for style. No dms. No diacetyl.

Appearance - Dark straw hue. Hazy (ok for style). Thick moussy white head that firmly persists.

Flavor - Moderate grainy malt sweetness; low hop bitterness balances the malt well. No noble (earthy) hop flavor detected, ok for style. Wonderfully balanced yeast character with moderately high banana esters, moderate bubblegum esters and moderately low clove phenols. Finishes dry. No DMS or diacetyl detected.

Mouthfeel - Medium light body with moderately high carbonation giving a mild prickly sensation on the tongue. No alcohol warmth, ok for style. Sharp, not creamy. Not astringent.

Overall Impression: A wonderful bouquet of yeast character coupled with a well balanced backdrop of malt and hops. Refreshing. Perhaps a little too much carbonation creating that overly sharp/prickly feeling. Could reduce priming sugar or co2 slightly.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 03:24:10 | More by EthenWithAnE

CMUbrew

Michigan

4.14/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Review from Fall 2012

A: Golden straw yellow. Cloudy. Big pillowy white head. What you would want a hefe to look like.

S: Light spice, wheat, very slight citrus/peel.

T: Wheat malt, clove spice, some other spiciness, lemon citrus.

M: Not as full bodied as I was expecting.

O: A good beer (especially for the stye), but I don't see why this is such a beloved beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 20:39:12 | More by CMUbrew

BigCheese

Massachusetts

4.58/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

bottle is about 6 months old, half liter really excited to finally try this. Dranken on 3/22/2013

Appearance : big white head 2 inch thick foam, super sticky, pretty cloudy,great lacing. 4.5

smell: bread, banana clove esters yeastthe, quite pungent. 4.75

taste follows nose, lots of bread any yeast, very sweet some noble earthy hops in finish 4.5

mouth feel very carbonated slightly creamy yet light highly drinkable 4.25

overall: quintessential hefe really tasty and within style perfectly, might be the best I've had, definitely, authentic German. A must try. 4.75

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 15:23:23 | More by BigCheese

bbluemzbeer

California

5/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This is Weihenstephaner. I totla fell in love of this Weissbier beer

Appearance: It is a beautiful, great head retention, some good carbonation, and a pale orange color to the body.

Smelll: Sweet bread, overall not overpowering: just like this beer type ought be.

Taste: banana and vanilla flavors .

Mouthfeel: This is a extremely smooth beer and no after taste

Overall : This is my favorite style of beeer . It is clear his Brewery to be their official representation of the style. This is one of the Greats !

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 06:43:37 | More by bbluemzbeer

lunarbrew

Wisconsin

4.49/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Poured into a hefe glass. Pours hazy orange/light amber with an absurd amount of frothy head (3.5 fingers, perhaps). It looks almost like whipped cream. Best looking hefe out there.

Smells is not too big. Subtle, simple, and clean. I can pick up on some citrus, wheat, yeast, and banana. There may be some touches of hay and vanilla.

Taste is phenomenal. Wow is this a refreshing beer. Bright notes of orange zest, clove, wheat, banana, and cream--although the mouth feel may just be tricking my senses.

Highly carbonated, light-medium body, crisp, refreshing, and creamy... I don't know what else you could want from this style.

Overall, this is superb and super affordable. My favorite hefeweizen, for sure.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2013 02:44:49 | More by lunarbrew

KFBR392

Illinois

4.49/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: An outstanding head on the pour. Thick creamy head that was about a half a finger throughout after the beer settled. A merky cloudy look to the beer. Some of the most furiously active carbonation I've seen in a brew. Just simply looks outstanding.

Smell: Perfectly clean yeast explodes out of the glass. Bananas, clove, prairie grass, buttery yeast, and fruity undertones. Such an outstandingly profound aroma that really makes you remember this brew.

Taste: The balanced yeast comes in right away at the front. The yeast tingles throughout the body of the brew. The complexity of the brew is fantastic but at the same time comes together so well. A banana and overall fruity taste lingers for so long on the palette. There is a slight dryness during the aftertaste with a completely exotic fruit taste. Wonderful.

Mouthfeel: Yeast dryness. Medium bodied overall which makes this a very easy going drinking experience.

Overall: The fact that everyone calls this such a classic brew is a testament to how wonderful this brew is. A classic that is great for those with a wonderfully developed palette or those who are just breaking into the craft scene. Extremely inexpensive for where this beer comes from.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2013 05:08:05 | More by KFBR392

Bosoxfan20

Oklahoma

4.56/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A- Poured from 12oz bottle into weizen glass. Cloudy golden hue with a 1.5 finger white head that is so thick you could float a quater on. Good lacing. Tons of carb bubbles. Mighty fine.

S- Esters, yeasty, lemon, banana, bubble gum. Pretty big aroma. Spice at the end.

T- yeasty as the nose indicates. Huge clove. Malty wheat, bubble gum. Smooth and delicious. Slight citrus notes detected. We have a near perfect amount of goodness going on here. Not tart like some of this style can be, but a nice peppery finish. Beautiful balance.

M- Mid body. Smooth start that seems to get drier as this goes down. Wonderful carbonation.

O- A simply wonderful and stunning brew. Lives up to the hype. Certainly a go to beer for this style. Surprisingly inexpensive too.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2013 03:44:33 | More by Bosoxfan20

sajaffe1

Alabama

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

I heard great things about this brew, so I picked up a bottle as part of a custom 4-pack at Corks & Tops in Tuscaloosa, AL.

Not bad. Hazy appearance as expected. Strong clove and banana flavors, a bit of wheat and bubblegum. Got a nice fluffy head.

May buy again soon.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2013 00:06:41 | More by sajaffe1

barczar

Kentucky

4.03/5  rDev -9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy medium golden with apricot tones and a dense, puffy two inch ivory head that lingers indefinitely. Leaves sheets of spotty lacing.

Orange, lemon, and coriander form the initial aroma, supported well on a backbone of wheat. Tangerine and apple and banana yeast esters add complexity. Clove becomes evident as it warms.

Flavor is fairly yeasty, with a bready, slightly dry toasted malt finish that cuts things a little short. Underlying esters of bananas and bubblegum accent the citrus notes of tangerine and orange pith. Coriander and clove are somewhat subtle.

Body is moderate, with fairly high carbonation and slight alcohol warmth.

Good yeast esters and a surprisingly bready backbone. Fairly complex, but wish the flavor lingered more.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2013 00:18:09 | More by barczar

Rast

Maryland

4.2/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Bottle off the campus of UVA with some architecture grad students and my beautiful bride & unborn bambino.

Pours like a liquid orange. Appears as such, for sure. Intricate lacing on the head. Now to the real draw. I may just as well have a mouth full of caramel. Richness and depth rules the day. I profess being impressed at a beer I hesitate to swallow, o but I do. Citrus, the richest, creamiest citrus in all the land. King among wheats.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 18:01:08 | More by Rast