Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier - Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

An easy pleasant drink, light on taste yet not thin on mouthfeel. Nice aroma wheat with some vanilla. Smooth though not creamy. Nicely malted. Nice vanilla nutty spice that made this brew go so well with lunch. A summer style that went well here at beginning of winter.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2004 03:50:01 | More by northyorksammy

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

4.33/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Turbid medium gold. The pour yields a huge, pillowy, off-white head that recedes quickly to about one finger of foam. Not much lace sticks to the glass. The nose is very nice and is of clove, banana and melon.

I love the flavor since it's chock full of yeasty banana and clove. The beer tastes wheaty, with sweet and bitter complementing one another rather than clashing. The finish favors dry, with a crisp, clean mouthfeel. Drinkability is excellent; this bottle disappeared very quickly. Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier is my first hefeweizen and I found a lot to like.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2003 20:40:38 | More by BuckeyeNation

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.1/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Poured a bright pale golden amber with a big frothy white head. Very slight haze kept it from being completely clear, nice carbonation. No lace.

S - Smell was light, very grainey with lots of yeast evident. Nice hints of cereal and malts, classic pilsner/german light lager/ hefe araoma. Very nice and was a very welcoming smell.

M & T - First impression was very light, frothy feel. Lots of subtle hints of mainly grains, and euro hops mixed in. Almost a burnt cereal type back to it and a nice caramel maltness. As it warmed some hints of fruit and spice, banana in the backround. Feel was great, with awesome carbonation.

D - Overall this was really a great session beer for a hot day. Very flavorful and really just awesome tones. Highly recommneded.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2007 18:43:16 | More by mikesgroove

womencantsail

California

4.45/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: The pour is a hazy pale golden color with a fluffy white head that sits atop. There isn't much lacing, but some nice carbonation.

S: The smell is primarily clove and banana. There are also some nice bread/doughy notes.

T: The taste follows the nose. An excellent spice and fruit characteristic which I love about Bavarian Hefeweizens. There is also a nice yeasty component.

M: The carbonation is quite pleasant and tingles a bit. The body is medium.

D: This is what I think of when I hear Hefeweizen, not the stuff American breweries market as a Hefeweizen. A delicious and easy drinking beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2009 00:11:46 | More by womencantsail

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.28/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Slightly-hazed orange with a pretty nice head and good lacing.

S: Sweet grains and some spiciness paired with beautiful hefe yeast.

T: Some spiciness to balance out the sweet malt background. The spiciness seems to come from a bit of clove, and then there is some definite banana with hints of vanilla.

M: Medium body with a good amount of carbonation.

D: This is the definition of the perfect summer sessionable beer. Great thing to always have around during the warmer months.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2009 13:20:10 | More by Thorpe429

UCLABrewN84

California

4.63/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

1 pint 0.9 fl. oz. bottle into a nonic pint glass.

A - Pours a cloudy, pale honey color that starts with a big creamy head that slosly fades. There is some lacing present, but not too much.

S - Smells like sweet wheat bread and flowery/fruity spices. Very nice.

T - Slightly tangy spice, floral essence, fruity bread (banana, apricot, citrus). This beer leaves a nice fruity, biscuit like taste in your mouth after each sip.

M - This beer has an excellent level of carbonation with a very smooth almost creamy mouthfeel.

D - This is a most excellent wheat beer (one of the best I have ever had). I can see myself having these around as a staple brew this summer.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2010 03:49:43 | More by UCLABrewN84

brentk56

North Carolina

4.9/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Appearance: Hazy honey color with a bouffant head, copious amounts of lace

Smell: Bananas, bubblegum and clove

Taste: Big banana and clove flavors up front, with a developing bubblegum aspect by mid-palate; after the swallow, the flavors are accentuated and complemented by a subtle hopping that cuts on the sweetness

Mouthfeel: Rich and creamy, with prickly carbonation

Drinkability: For a hefe, it just doesn't get any better than this

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2009 00:00:25 | More by brentk56

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

4.33/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 ounce bottle - $1.79 at Total Wine & More in Kennesaw, Georgia.

Appearance: Pours out a hazy, dark-hued, golden body with a tall, airy, whitish head.

Smell: Vibrant, aromatic scent of wheat malt, ruthlessly mashed bananas liberally seasoned with vanilla sugar and clove, and even lemon peel.

Taste: Sweet, tangy taste of wholesome wheat malt. What follows is rich, full flavors of ripe bananas, vanilla cream, and fresh cracked cloves. Small, meager spritz of lemon juice. A few added shreds of Big League Chew. One slice from a Red Delicious apple. Very light Noble hop character and bitterness. Just the perfect amount of overall spiciness to the taste. Finishes dry, crisp, with one final taste of malted wheat.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Moderate carbonation. Smooth mouthfeel, yet it remains nicely effervescent.

Drinkability: Terrifically drinkable, really! I cleared through my twelve ounces with record speed as this makes for delightful early-summer refreshment.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2009 22:25:35 | More by ChainGangGuy

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -21%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle: Poured a deep amber color weisse with a big foamy head with medium retention and no lacing. Aroma of banana and cloves is quite present. Taste is a mix between some banana and cloves ester and some sweet malt. Body is full with loads of lees and minimal filtration and some good carbonation. Not exactly what I was expecting and a bit darker then expected on the appearance side. It is too bad the bottles are not dated since I believe this may have been an older bottle. I will be adding this one to the need to re-rate list.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2008 15:41:51 | More by Phyl21ca

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4.59/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Yea, yea, clove... and bananna, ...and bubblegum... we've heard all of the common attributes that make good Hefeweizens great. But what makes this one different?

A fantastic pour brings a color that rides the line between strong straw and golden. Light rust seems to fit the bill. Very froathy and moussey with head formation and retention. The appearance promises maltiness and creaminess.

Moderate aromas of estery banannas, apples, and peaches lead the way with several phenolic note following closely behind; mostly clove, white pepper, and orange zest.

The fruity, spicy notes in the aroma give a lot of valor to the taste. A strong bready flavor of shortbread, wheat, rye, and barley make for a complex and varying taste. Again, the banannas, clove, corriander, apples, pepper,....(the list can go on and on.) give a lot of varying complexity to the brew. I get a new description in every sip.

The body is a great blend of creamy and drinkability. Initial full, rich, and expanding textures expand wonderfully in the mouth, but subside just in time to allow the beverage to lighten and flow effortlessly into the finish. A great Summertime refresher with a cooling, minty finish.

Ultimately the beer shows a unique balance of bananna esters, clovey phenols, and with a bubblegum (confectionate) sweetness that never allows any one aspect to dominate; but rather come together in a harmonious blend. No other beer does this much flavor with such sensible proportions-- this is why the beer rates among the best!

Serving type: on-tap

10-17-2005 21:15:44 | More by BEERchitect

oberon

North Carolina

4.38/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

As much as I drink (at least 2-3 times a week) I noticed I have never reviewed this gem,pours a hazy orange with a hint of gold with a great pillowey head that sticks to the glass like glue.Aromas of clove and citrius I dont pick up as much banana a touch of iron as well,taste is beautiful nicely spiced with more banana in flavor than aroma finishes with a citruisy kick.The comsumant weizen best in the world in my book its great to have it on tap at my favorite local bar.

Serving type: on-tap

08-22-2004 11:24:56 | More by oberon

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

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

Cloudy, orange in color, bright white head that holds to the end of the glass and leaves some nice lace. The aroma displays a distinct "German" maltiness (obviously decoction mashed) and lots of phenols. There's some fruitiness with some banana and clove in the background, and a bit of 'plastic' as well. The body is light-medium but very creamy with a tight, crisp effervescence from natural conditioning. The flavor starts with malt backed by a light clove, displays its bolder phenols across the middle (burnt plastic), and then a quick light hop note towards the end of the palate which dissolves in softly sweet banana notes in the finish. The balance of sweetish malt, aggressive phenols, and very light hop and bitterness is sublime. The banana and clove are well restrained - subtle - but present. Extremely refreshing and enjoyable. A fine example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2002 17:41:07 | More by NeroFiddled

TMoney2591

Illinois

4.38/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served in a flared flute glass at Bauer's Brauhaus.

My final glass at the Brauhaus. It's been fun, but I've gotta get outta here sometime, right? Figured I'd go out on a note that's been advertised as a high one. It pours a hazy pale straw topped by a finger of white micro-foam. The nose comprises wheat, banana, very light, clove, black pepper, and lemon zest. The taste brings in more of the same, but with more black pepper and the addition of some light nutmeg. A nice current of orange zest comes in as well, tying everything together quite nicely. The body is a sorta hefty-leaning light, with a very light moderate carbonation, a lightly creamy feel, and a crisp finish. Overall, though this is not the best hefe I've ever had, it is damn close, and a damn fine beer all around. Good times.

Serving type: on-tap

06-06-2011 03:40:52 | More by TMoney2591

metter98

New York

4.45/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at Mugs Alehouse, Brooklyn, NY

A: The beer is cloudy yellow in color and poured into a weizen glass with a two finger high bright white head. The head has good retention properties and consistently left a thin layer of bubbles covering the surface.
S: There are aromas of bananas and bubble gum in the nose along with some hints of clove.
T: The taste has flavors of citrus and wheat; some hints of clove are present in the finish.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied on the palate and has a high amount of carbonation.
D: The beer is very easy to drink, refreshing and thirst quenching.

Serving type: on-tap

03-08-2011 03:50:20 | More by metter98

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.43/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Hazy gold/pale orange in appearance, pouring an enormous, bilious white head. Aroma is shockingly fresh, floral, citrus, lemon, orange, lively, and lovely. Light and playful upon the tongue, brief finish, light body, slight texture. No lemon required, unless you're a certified lily-gilder. Refreshing as a beer can be!

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2003 21:36:48 | More by feloniousmonk

WesWes

New York

4.43/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The beer pours a hazy gold color with a thick frothy white head. The aroma is great. It boasts of fruity wheat malt and hefe yeast scents. It has that banana aroma that is sweet and inviting. The taste is great also. It is crisp and sweet with a bold fruity malt/yeast flavor that finishes very refreshing. The mouthfeel is good. It is a medium bodied beer with good carbonation. This is a great hefe. So many hefes taste watered down and weak, but not this one. It has good flavor and great hefe aroma.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2004 02:02:40 | More by WesWes

drabmuh

Maryland

4.9/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Beer served on tap at a local bar, served as 0.5L in a Weihenstephaner wheat beer glass, love the extra touches. Beer is cloudy, yellow, and has a great big white head of tiny bubbles, carbonation aggressive and full.

Fruity / ester smell, sweet smelling but not the kind of malt sweetness you may get from a bock, just nice and sweet.

Beer is beautiful. Clean, smooth, good body, not too thick not too thin, I could drink this all day long. Beer is a little sweet, not from alcohol or malt, hard to pin down what is causing the sweetness. Beer is wet, not dry at all. Finishes cleanly. An excellent excellent beer. One of my current favorites.

Serving type: on-tap

11-13-2009 20:05:07 | More by drabmuh

Mora2000

Texas

4.43/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a yellow straw color with a white head. The aroma is classic hefeweizen, bananas and cloves. The flavor is more of the same with banana being stronger than the clove, but both are present and work well together. Medium carbonation and a thin-medium mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2010 22:18:33 | More by Mora2000

zeff80

Missouri

4.35/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Poured out a cloudy gold color with a fluffy, three-finger head. Leaves some lacing.

S - It smelled very yeasty and of wheat and clove.

T - It was very wheaty. It also had a good spice kick, plus clove and yeast.

M - Very, very crisp. It is light-bodied.

D - A great hefe, one of the best.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2007 03:09:00 | More by zeff80

MasterSki

Illinois

4.28/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Batch 3211 - ended up with a bottle of this because my wife wanted to make the Sean Paxton injera bread recipe. Apparently 3211 means May 13th 2011? Served in a weizen glass.

A - Voluminous creamy white foam that event settles to a thick cap and a few fingers of lace. Hazy golden peach body.

S - Wheat, weizen yeast, bananas, cloves, faint bubblegum, stone fruits. More understated in the clove department than I remembered. Pretty much reference quality for the style.

T - Taste has a bit more clove, unmalted wheat, some pale malt sweetness, yeast and bread, and a bit of banana in the periphery.

M - Grainy medium body, pleasant carbonation, lightly sticky finish, clean aftertaste. Pretty refreshing stuff.

D - It's a classic, reference-quality hefeweizen. I think I'd score it a bit higher if we got fresher stock, but unfortunately that's not the easiest thing to do around here. Still, a great beer for extended session, beer gardens, etc.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2011 01:49:35 | More by MasterSki

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

4.88/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured from a 16.9oz bottle into a weizen glass.

A: The beer is a light amber color with a large white head that fades at a decent rate and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is full of wheat and banana, along with spice, light malts and some hops.

T: The taste is sweet and bready with strong flavors of wheat, banana & spices. It’s simple and straight-forward, but done very well. The malt character is light but hearty and there’s a mild hops presence. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Very crisp and very smooth, light-to-medium body, medium carbonation, very clean finish.

D: Very tasty, goes down extremely easily, not very filling, decent kick, excellent representation of style, this beer has everything that you look for in a Hefe Weizen and it doesn’t need anything above that. I could drink this beer all night long and enjoy every bit of it.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2007 01:48:56 | More by TheManiacalOne

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.15/5  rDev -28.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This Hefe pours out as a cloudy yellowish gold, the head was fluffy and white. There was a subtle banana aroma with hints of spice in the mix. The flavor of the beer was slightly sweet and had a little bit of a clove taste in the aftertaste. The mouthfeel was smooth and slick, there was a light carbonation. Overall this brew isn't too bad, it's worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2011 02:55:15 | More by Knapp85

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.45/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours hazy straw/pink? with a 5 fingers+ head, Not much head retention or lacing

S: Huge banana & wheat malt notes

t: Bananas, bandaids, wheat malt & cloves up front. Fruittyness follows as it warms. Finsihes like a piece of juicy-fruitgum (quenching & fruitty)

MF: Full bodied, semi-effervescent. A little too much going on flavor-wise to get full marks balance-wise

Drinks okay, but not a huge fan of the style, but if the weather is warm. I could throw this down no problem, but I'd be happier with a nice helles or pils. Very much representative of the style.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2006 04:17:08 | More by russpowell

Gueuzedude

Arizona

4.33/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This was one of those beers that I had heard a lot about, and one of which I have been using this yeast forever in my own wheat beers. The Weizen was a nice fruity crisp beer, with a nice balance of the Banana/Clove flavor against a refreshingly wholesome yeastiness. Definitely worth searching out and procuring while I was in Germany, and best of all, I can now get it at my local bottle shop.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2003 22:14:01 | More by Gueuzedude

emerge077

Illinois

4.3/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Did I buy a case of this last year?
Yes I did. And it disappeared in 2 weeks.

Residual clove in the aftertaste that is a big asset. Nice aroma of clove and bubblegum, encourages one to drink. Smooth carbonation and supreme sessionability, especially on tap. The taste is full-on wheat, with spicy clove and yeast esters bringing up the rear. Check out this stellar Hefe, on tap it is even more tempting....

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2007 05:36:51 | More by emerge077