Weihenstephaner Kristallweissbier - Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan

Tucquan

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this on 2012-11-15 in Danville, KY

A - Crystal-clear light yellow with a pillowy 3-finger white head that sticks around. Tons of bubbles from the bottom of the glass. Mild lacing.

S - Some clove, light banana and fresh wheat bread.

T - Plenty of banana, clove, citrus tart, yeast, lightly malted wheat grain, touch of pepper but not real spicy.

M - Light-medium body and medium-high carbonation. Touch of creaminess amidst the crisp bubbles.

O - Refreshing. Not overly complex. Simple, well-balanced, doesn't demand a lot out of you but satisfies. Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2012 22:49:21 | More by Tucquan

jazzyjeff13

United Kingdom (England)

3.98/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A 500ml bottle with a BB of Nov 2012. Picked up a while back from a supermarket. It will be interesting to see how this compares to the Weihenstephaner hefeweissen.

Poured into my York Beer fest pint glass (tall & narrow). A clear golden hue with extreme carbonation. Produces a huge head of creamy white foam with superb retention; this lasts for ages before slowly subsiding to a thick surface layer. A warm, fruity aroma with notes of banana, clove, bubblegum, spice and a hint of yeast. Somewhat sweet and pretty dry. Lovely.

Tastes of fruity yeast esters with a dry finish. Notes of banana, clove, bubblegum, spice, a hint of stewed hops and a twinge of yeast. Underpinned by mild grainy malt, while a very faint cardboard staleness lurks in the background. Dry, with no bitterness to speak of. Mouthfeel is smooth and tingly with good carbonation. Nice body - thick and almost creamy. Somewhat astringent, with an aftertaste of fruity esters and spice.

Very good - the essence of a classic weissbier is captured perfectly in the flavour and aroma. It looks great, while the smell and taste meet expectations. Only the mouthfeel falls short of the mark: it just doesn't quite have the body that the unfiltered version of this beer possesses. Ultimately it's depth of character that is reduced in this kristall; the hefeweissen just has something extra. However, it remains beautifully crafted and highly drinkable. Well worth sampling.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2012 00:04:46 | More by jazzyjeff13

AmitC

Indiana

4.2/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

4th and second last beer out of the 5 pack.

Poured into the traditional weissbier glass. What a beauty. Pale golden color. Huge, huge head more than 4 fingers thick. White color. Fluffy. Foam like. Stays for 5 minutes or so and then dissipates into a thin disappearing layer. Extremely clear and transparent. Clearer than a crystal. Excellent lacing.

Smell is a little subdued. Wheat, cloves and banana. Just the regular stuff.

Taste is very much the nose, with dominant banana and wheat flavors. Less spicy than hefeweissbier. Less complex.

Mouth feel: Medium light to slightly fuller feel. Effervescent and refreshing. Little tart due to carbonation, which is not seen but felt.

German purity at its best. Lack of yeasts, takes something away from the taste and smell, but for its style, it is near perfect.

Style rating : 4.25-4.5 overall. Personal preference: 3.25.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2012 23:19:36 | More by AmitC

RonaldTheriot

Louisiana

4.5/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Weihenstephaner Kristall Weissbier has an extremely thick, rocky, dense, white head and a clear, yellow-golden, bubbly appearance, with heavy lacing left on the glass. The aroma is predominately of coriander, with some background white bread. Taste is of coriander spice, white bread, sugar, and there is just the faintest bitterness. Mouthfeel is light to medium, and Weihenstephaner Kristall Weissbier finishes somewhat crisp, mostly dry, refreshing, and easily drinkable. Overall, this is a most excellent beer.

RJT

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2012 14:33:35 | More by RonaldTheriot

doktorhops

Australia

3.63/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Quite possibly the last of the Weihenstephaner's left to cross off my list: Kristallweissbier! The reason it has taken so long to give it a try is because I've never really fathomed a Kristalweizen - for me you take away from a beer (any beer) when you filter it, which is why many of the brews that I love and want to marry one day are bottle conditioned, aka with the yeast still floating around adding interesting flavours. In any case it wouldn't do an upstanding brewer like Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan justice if I didn't review as many of their beers as I humanly could, and here we are.

Poured from a 500ml bottle into a Weizen glass.

A: Atypical Kristalweizen clear golden body with a bold one inch white froth head that slowly dissipates down to around half an inch.

S: Has classic Weizen aromas of banana and cloves, there is some musty yeast thrown in as well. Also noted is a more grainy fragrance, like in a Euro Lager, and that yeast comes through very musty (only mentioned this a second time as it distracts the other aromas quite a bit).

T: The Weizen flavours are less pronounced in this than expected (if it was on a scale from 1 to 5 and your typical Weizen sat between 4-5 this beer would be a 1). It actually has more of a Helles taste leaning towards a sourdough yeast funk, grain sweetness with a slight bitter finish. There is some weird sulphur tang in the finish as well. An odd brew here.

M: Not as creamy as a straight Weiss, with a medium body and an almost flat carbonation, though it has warmed a little.

D: Overall I wouldn't rate the style highly, even less so with this brew, if the mighty Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan can't make a decent Kristalweizen then what hope do the rest have. That being said I'm not entirely familiar with the style (outside of ordering it by mistake whilst travelling through Germany) I have never had a compulsion to buy and drink them. So who knows, what I think may be a flaw in this brew is a par excellence for another drinker.

Food match: Paring with some sort of a Helles-Weizen hybrid could be a living Hell (puns; Germans love puns!), but I think it is safe to say a plate of Weisswurst, Sauerkraut, Spaetzle, Bratkartoffeln and a healthy dollop of Senf would go quite well with this.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2012 09:31:38 | More by doktorhops

Jamesthebrit

Michigan

4.08/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Opened this one to deglaze my bacon pan... Had like 3/4 the bottle left to drink. A double win.

A: Huge white head. Beer itself is pale wheat color.

S: A subtle wheatiness. Not many other smells but that isn't a bad thing.

T: For what it is the taste is really nice. Its a very light beer but the wheat note is the star. There aren't any offputting notes and it's a pretty nice beer to drink. A little fruity sweetness maybe in the finish.

M: For such a light and carbonated beer this really sits perfect (probably helps that it's pretty warm at this point). It sits with a light medium body but there is great flavor development and the bubbles have no harshness.

Overall a very nice lighter beer. It's an easy drinker and way better than other light beer I've ever had. Not something I would have another of due to the light nature of it but the execution is killer.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2012 15:53:03 | More by Jamesthebrit

tectactoe

Michigan

4.03/5  rDev 0%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured into a Duvel tulip glass. Pours a golden yellow with exceptional clarity and a constant stream of bubbles rising from the etched bottom. The head was a nice, foamy white that retained excellently and left a decent amount of lacing behind. The nose hit with a familiar clove and banana scent, reminiscent of the hefeweisen style. The taste was also full of clove with a hint of banana, along with a sweet, yeasty, biscuity flavor that followed. The alcohol comes out at the end of the sip and sits in your mouth, however it doesn't burn (low ABV, here), it's just noticeable. Slight bubblegum-like sweetness goes hand in hand with the malts as well. Unlike many hefes, however, I feel the taste is "thin" and somewhat lacking, with an aftertaste that is just a bit too watery. The body is fairly thin and very crisp with a heavy does of carbonation (once again, common to this style).

Very nice hefeweisen. Easy to drink, sweet, and overall tasty. Slightly lacking in flavor compared to other hefes out there (including more by Weihenstephaner), but good nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2012 00:42:00 | More by tectactoe

socon67

New York

3.93/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Golden color with a white foam that retains well.

S - More of a floral scent than the hefeweisen. Still has the smell of cloves, and the banana smell is more faint.

T - Crisp clean taste. Very sharp taste of noble hops and grain. Very raw flavoring.

M - Very sessionable. Just a nicely rich german beer that is light on the palate.

O - Not a style I'd go after again, but this was enjoyable. I'm still preferential to the Hefe.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2012 21:29:45 | More by socon67

mjurney

Texas

4.15/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle, One Pint, 0.9 fl. Oz.

Clear, golden color. Few bubble rising. Thick bright white head.

Lots of banana in the nose, some cloves, a little citrus, bready wheat.

Banana up front along with sweet bready malts. Cloves comes thought the taste, I get some hint of apples, raw cookie dough, slight touch of lemony towards the finish. Body is almost creamy, very soft carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2012 00:02:43 | More by mjurney

Fatehunter

Oregon

4.33/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a tall glass. Three fingers of head. Clear, golden color with lots of bubbles.
Smells like apples and wheat.
It also tastes like apples, and banana with a slight bitterness.
Crisp texture, moderate carbonation and medium body. Clean finish.
Delicious.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2012 19:25:08 | More by Fatehunter

mintjellie

Ontario (Canada)

3.9/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Gushing carbonation on opening. Pale straw colour. Large, finely-textured white head is retentive and leaves a patchy lace. Wheat cracker aroma with hints of lemon and banana. Flavours of sweet white bread, clove, and banana. Light-bodied and heavily carbonated. Carbonation, though abundant, is soft and very finely textured. I prefer the richer mouthfeel and stronger flavours in the regular weiss, but this still succeeds on its own merits.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2012 01:09:44 | More by mintjellie

Stalbie

3.83/5  rDev -5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Serving type: Bottle

A: Golden straw colour with plenty of fizz and a nice big white head. Little lacing

S: Sweet malts with some wheat and a hint of nuts. Hints of banana, pepper and bubblegum

T: Creamy, bready malts are sweet and balances well with the hops. There is slight bitterness from the hops, but the spicy pepper, cloves come through straight away, and finishes with a fruity whack of banana and bubblegum. Well balanced

M: Medium bodied, carbonation is good. Refreshing

O: A great beer that I would definitely try again

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2012 19:00:31 | More by Stalbie

Kromes

Georgia

4.15/5  rDev +3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a Pilsener glass. Like the name says, crystal clear. A pale straw/yellow color with a tornado of carbonation. The carbonation looks like wisps of smoke coming up from the tapered bottom of the glass. A huge hand width of shaving cream white head on top that stands on the beer due to the neverending carbonation. That's a good lookin' beer. The aroma coming off of the beer is very similar to the Hefeweizen. Some wheat, banana and bubble gum. Bubble gum/banana flavors, the taste is similar to a Hefe with a little bit more honey malt and grassy hop flavor. Feel is very light and spicy from the carbonation. There is a big difference in the feel. The smoothness of an unfiltered wheat beer is not there. This makes the beer kind of thin. Definitely a tasty, well-crafted beer. I'll be having more of this during the many German Beer fests in the coming months. Prost!

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2012 21:49:23 | More by Kromes

mtast098n

New York

3.58/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a bright golden color with a large frothy head, plentiful carbonation

S: Bready, a bit tart, lemony, grassy

T: Bready, more so than in the smell, mild sweetness, granny smith apple, a bit spicy. Well carbonated, light-bodied, the apparent sweetness gives way to a little bit of bitterness/spicyness in the finish and the aftertaste lasts for only a few seconds.

A good job of filtering the beer to make it look nice while keeping the important flavors in the beer. While I would not make it a habit to drink this beer because I prefer traditional hefeweizens, this is a nice beer in its own right and is a good alternative to a hefeweizen if someone prefers a crisper-tasting and cleaner-looking beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2012 23:16:11 | More by mtast098n

acevenom

Louisiana

4.4/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours clear golden with a large white head and plentiful rising tiny bubbles from the bottom of the glass. The head dissipates slowly. The beer smells banana and clove forward, though not as intensely as it is for their hefeweizen. It smells cleaner and the wheat malt presence is bready in the nose. the taste follows the nose. The wheat and barley malts bring a bready taste. The clove provides spicy balance and the banana flavor is also present. Both are milder than in the hefeweizen, allowing the malt profile to shine. This is expected for the style. The body is light with strong carbonation. The finish is smooth. The drinkability is very high. This is an excellent, refreshing beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2012 17:01:03 | More by acevenom

Rijtjeshuis

Ontario (Canada)

4.18/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Look (4/5) – Pours a very light straw colour. Head is decent: rose well of a standard pour; soapy texture; very white; and, falls a bit quickly to a cap without any real lacing. Clarity is brilliant. There’s some really nice visible carbonation.

Smell (4/5) – Some decent wheat graininess provides a nice background. The standard weizen yeast flavours of banana and cloves jump out at me right away. The balance between them is ideal; I like a bit more clove than banana. There’s also a note in there that I would describe as a bit sulphur-like, it’s not hugely strong and blends very nicely with the flavours. No hops and no alcohol notes are noticeable.

Taste (4.5/5) – Similar to the nose. The grain bill boasts some nice wheat graininess as well as a bit of very light melanoidins (I’d guess at a Munich pilsner malt with maybe there was some light Vienna/Munich malt included in the grist here). The flavours of banana and cloves are dominant, but they’re milder and lighter than you get in a hefe. No hop flavour, hop bitterness is medium-light. The sulphur-like notes were not very strong on the palate.

Feel (3.5/5) – Medium-light body (the malty sweetness of it gave it a slightly more substantial flavour) and high carbonation. Pretty standard fair for the style, but good.

I’m really much more familiar with hefeweizens than I am with krystalweizens, but this was a great example. Whereas a hefe is somewhat more substantial in both flavour and body due to the suspended yeast, I found that this one was a lot lighter and went down much smoother. This is a great summer brew is served cool enough. I still prefer the hefe that these guys make.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2012 00:22:11 | More by Rijtjeshuis

Samp01

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

500ml bottle. Pours a crystal clear pale yellow with a large lasting fluffy white head. Aroma and Taste of wheat, banana, some citrus and grassy notes, with some mild bitterness. Palate is a light to medium body, a crisp clean mouthfeel with good carbonation. Finish is a combination of wheat, sweet citrus and banana flavor, a bit of tart notes with some bitterness on the end for balance. Overall a very good, crisp and refreshing brew. Nicely done

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2012 15:13:26 | More by Samp01

slitherySOB

Ontario (Canada)

3.98/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This beer pours with a four finger head that lasts and leaves lacing on the glass. Pale yellow in colour and very bubbly. Smells of cloves, bananas, wheat, citrus, and sugar. Tastes just as it smells. Moderate banana, cloves, citrus, wheat and a touch of ginger. Mouthfeel is a tad watery, dry and a bit champagne like. A nice session ale.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2012 03:20:28 | More by slitherySOB

fields336

North Carolina

4.13/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

16.9 oz bottle, SA PP glass

A: An aggressive pour yielded a huge 4 finger head. Light straw in color, tons of bubbles and a thick head that stays for days

S: clove, banana, grass, bread, a little musty/funk, wheat, citrus.

T: clove, huge banana notes, sweet lemon, pear, banana bread finish

M: really nice feel, its not thick, but not thin, and the texture of it is a nice complement to the sweet finish.

O: Another great summer beer

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2012 03:29:40 | More by fields336

soulfly1492

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Aroma: Strong, crisp sweet banana and spicy clove. Lots of white sugar. Wheat and pilsner malt. Big and bold aroma.

Appearance: Lots of carbonation, hard to control the pour. Huge bleach-white head. Great retention and moderate lacing. Pale yellow in color, lots of rising bubbles.

Taste: Moderate artificial banana and spicy clove. Mild ginger. Little yeast. Light aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: Light body. A bit watery and champagne-like from the sharp carbonation bite. Very dry finish.

Overall: Bold aroma, lighter taste. A bit overcarbonated, which ends up stinging the tongue and covering the taste a bit.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2012 23:35:29 | More by soulfly1492

4DAloveofSTOUT

Illinois

4.18/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

reviewed from notes taken 6/21/12.

500ml bottle poured into weizen glass.

Appearance: clear and brilliant golden yellow bodied beer with a huge white head. Lots of lacing clings to the glass as the head slowely drops.

Smell: Sweet smelling bready and yeasty notes, bananas, lemons, and just hint of clove.

Taste: Just like the nose. Its starts of with bananas, and bready wheat malts. Hint of lemons and cloves. Good taste!

Mouthfeel: light bodied beer with moderately high carbonation. This beer is really drinkable while having alot of nice flavors! Carbonation makes this beer crisp, clean, and refreshing while still remaining a delicate beer. The carbonation is fantastic helping to carries the flavors of the beer!

Overall: I am new to Kristalwiezen beer style and this is a really enjoyable brew! Had this beer with lunch at a german restaurant the beer was pared with a sausage sampler platter. Fantastic pairing; for a moment I felt like I was in Germany.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2012 01:44:46 | More by 4DAloveofSTOUT

thehyperduck

Ontario (Canada)

4.15/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

500 mL bottle from the LCBO; best before Feb 15 2013. I have never reviewed an authentic kristalweizen before, as I generally prefer unfiltered wheat beers (which are plenty tasty, and easier to find anyways). Given the brewer though, I have pretty high hopes for this stuff.

This beer pours a translucent golden straw-yellow colour, and is adorned with a two finger crown of silky, dense, resilient white head. It sticks around a good long while, and coats the glass with a ring of sticky lacing as it (very gradually) recedes. Great aroma that does not seem to have been detrimentally affected by the filtration. Its strong yeasty presence, bready wheat malt backbone, banana, lemon zest and light clove spice are highly reminiscent of their standard hefe, and equally enticing. Kind of a spicy banana bread feel.

And yes, it tastes as good as that sounds. Fairly yeasty with lots of fruity notes - banana by far the most dominant, but with definite hints of citrus and mild brown pear sweetness. The wheat malt shines brightly through these complementary flavours; its sweet, bready goodness likely benefiting from the much cleaner mouthfeel of this (compared to the hefe). Mildly reminiscent of bubble gum. The subdued peppery clove spiciness hides in the shadows until finally coming forward in the finish, mingling with some pale malt sweetness and yeast. Relatively clean finish without much linger. On the light side of medium-bodied, with prickly carbonation that helps cut through the light chew (which becomes even lighter after the head is spent). Ridiculously drinkable, and probably a good session option too.

I don't really have anything else to compare this to, having never tried any other filtered wheat ales (besides a few American-style pale ones, which probably soured me on the whole 'filtered wheat beer' thing), but to my admittedly inexperienced palate this is a superb beer all around.

Final Grade: 4.15, an excellent A-. Weihenstephaner Kristallweissbier combines the delicious, complex flavour profile of their flagship hefeweizen with the clean, crisp drinkability of a German pale lager - a fabulous combination. If push came to shove I'd probably prefer Weihenstephaner's regular hefe during much of the year - but in the heat of summer, this stuff's fresh, crisp mouthfeel must earn it some strong consideration. Definitely worth a try - if not a must-have.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2012 04:14:20 | More by thehyperduck

BostonHops

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

16.9oz bottle served in a weizen glass.

pours a bell-clear clear golden yellow tone while yielding a massive 3"+ frothy white head. moderate retention, leaves behind some lacing in patches. nose is very similar to the weihenstephaner hefeweizen, just a more subdued version - which is just as expected. soft notes of banana, malt, and a bit of clove. understated for sure.

taste is nice. banana, clove, grainy malt. light bodied mouthfeel with lively carbonation.

overall i'm enjoying the hell out of this beer. maybe it's because i haven't had one in a few days and so my perception is distorted, maybe it's because i was just in the mood for a lighter beer, or maybe it's simply because this is simply a great brew. (or some combination thereof.) but there's a certain 'the whole being more than the sum of its parts' quality to it. drinks very easily. perfect for those occasions where you're in the mood for something lighter, crisper, more refreshing... and yet still very flavorful.

(originally reviewed: 09-16-2011)

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2012 20:32:41 | More by BostonHops

decimator

Ontario (Canada)

3.58/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

500ml bottle poured into a Weizen glass. ABV marked at 5.4%.

A - Poured a light clear golden yellow with a huge bubbly head. Head reduced to a steady foamy layer. Plenty of active carbonation. Decent lacing.

S - Bananas, bread, some spiciness, hint of citrus.

T - Malts upfront, tangy fruitiness in the middle, mild herbal bitterness in the finish.

M - Medium body, slick, medium carbonation, Crisp finish.

O - The aroma & flavour is more muted than the Hefeweizen. I love wheat beers but filtering it seems to take away some of it's unique characteristics. Despite that, this one still has plenty of flavour and is certainly quite drinkable on a hot summer's day.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2012 20:06:33 | More by decimator

CanuckRover

Ontario (Canada)

4.08/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Full disclosure: I don't get Kristalweizen. I don't understand the point of it. A clean refreshing summer take on... the most refreshing style of beer out there? I avoid them. I do not, however, avoid Weihenstephan products so that put me in a bit of a pickle.

Pours a clear bright cold. Very lively, loads of carbonation.

Aroma of light fruits, mainly pear. Lacks the spice of a hefe.

Pear carries through to the taste. Very light on banana and clove, heavy on apple and pear. Slight yeastiness in the finish.

Marked high, because it's the best of the style I've had, but still not a fan.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2012 23:28:26 | More by CanuckRover