Weihenstephaner Kristallweissbier - Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan

JRed

New Jersey

4.38/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Clear golden yellow in body with gigantic frothy white head that stays. Aroma of vanilla, banana, clove, floral notes, some honey. Tastes of vanilla, floral notes, slight honey and a light bitterness. Mild banana in the aftertaste. Big carbonation, bubbly mouthfeel, light bodied. Wonderful, really.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2012 23:14:49 | More by JRed

obywan59

Virginia

4/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

This Kristalweizen pours a crystal clear pale yellow to golden color with a towering, foaming white head that takes it's time in settling, growing more and more chunky as it descends, and leaving plenty of sticky, clinging lace.

The aroma is of banana, huge cloves, and tart citrus.

The taste is light on the banana and citrus, and heavy on the cloves and alcohol.

Moderat in feel, but almost flat. No carbonation to speak of.

The first time I tried this beer, it was spectacular. I sampled it with my dinner at the Matterhorn Restaurant at Wohlfart Haus (a dinner theater) in Wytheville, VA. It was an awesome accompaniment to my Rhineland Wursts; grilled Knockwurst & Bratwurst atop sauerkraut, grilled peppers & onions. Unfortunately, they were out of German potato salad, but they substituted some very good sweet potato fries.

This beer was good, but a far cry from what I remembered. Judging by the date code of 4151, it was past it's prime. The first number, "4" indicates day of month in conjunction with the second two numbers, "15" which indicate the week of the year, and the last number "1" indicates the year, so the born on date is April 14, 2011. Weihenstephaners are said to have a shelf life of 12 months.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2012 02:57:53 | More by obywan59

TheHammer

Ontario (Canada)

4.65/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Clear pale close to sickly yellow colour but it makes up for it with ample carbonation and two fingers of solid head that produced ample lace and retained decently, but needed a little more push to make 5.

Smell: I've experienced unfiltered, full on hefe's that have a weaker nose then this, so top marks here. Banana up front with cloves, wheat malt and orange peel in the background. Didn't need a lot of warming to come out either. Not overpowering and something that entices you to drink.

Taste: Starts with mild wheat malt with a slight banana backing that slowly takes over as spicier cloves and fruity yeast come forward as a mild dusting of herbal hops finishes us off, although sometimes those hops fall a bit lame and offer a slight seltzer tone which stops it short of a perfect score.

Mouthfeel: Clean and crisp with excellent carbonation, superb transitioning, a nice light wheat, banana and clove aftertaste that doesn't get out of control. There's nothing bad that I can say.

Drinkability: Refreshing in extreme, way too easy to put down although surprisingly heavier then you'd think in your stomach. Part of that I think is the high carbonation, but part of it is just that's it's not as light that the crispness would have you believe. Still, very few complaints here.

Final Thoughts: Weihenstephaner markets itself as the world's oldest continuously operating brewery, which may in fact be true. Regardless of that though, it is easily one of the best brewery's around. This stuff is an incredible beer and practically the perfect example of the Kristalweizen. This is another exceptional beer brewed by the undisputed kings of Wheat beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2012 01:35:50 | More by TheHammer

rfbenavi80

Missouri

4.35/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle poured into a Weizen glass.
Bottle date coded 4341 on back, not sure what it means.
An aggressive pour.

A- Pours an extremely clear golden yellow color with a sizable amount of thick, frothy, foamy, white head that lingers a while and doesn't leave much of any lacing on the glass. It's fascinating how clear it is.

S- Lot of banana mixed with some spicy cloves. Pretty much the same as a Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier, but slightly more subdued. Yeasty.

T- Again, very close to the Hefe. Tastes a little "watered down" though. Crisp, and refreshing. The wheat smoothness makes it an easy drinker.

M- Light bodied. Medium carbonation.

O- I am surprised by how close the Hefeweissbier and the Kristallweizen are. The Kristallweizen seems more light and crisp than the Hefe, although both are solid beers. Another one well done from Weihenstephaner.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2012 05:52:43 | More by rfbenavi80

JohnnyBarman

Ontario (Canada)

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

Poured into a hefeweizen glass.

Light golden in colour, kristal clear, and with a billowing fluffy head that quickly receded into a patchy ring. Some lacing, a bit more when agitated a little.

Nose is banana, mild clove, wheat malt, herbal and spicy hops, a few other weizen goodies.

An enjoyable brew, light and refreshing. All the usual suspects of a hefeweizen, but softer and crisper. The hops have a herbal quality to them. Neither too sweet nor too spicy.

Soft feel, mild carbonation, thinner bodied than the hefe version. Ludicrously easy to drink.

I still prefer the classic hefeweizen, but this was an enjoyable summer brew. I've never understood kristalweizens, but now I can certainly understand the appeal. Will be back for some of these during the hottest days of the summer.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2012 01:29:44 | More by JohnnyBarman

cyrenaica

Ontario (Canada)

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

500ml bottle
5.4% ABV

I tried this beer on May 30, 2012 after purchasing from the King and Spadina LCBO outlet in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The beer poured a translucent light gold colour with a generous bubbly snow white head that quickly dissipated. The aroma was mild wheat, some hops, and some spiciness. The mouthfeel was medium bodied and medium carbonation. The flavour was sweet wheat malt, some spiciness and some fruit tones in the mix.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2012 01:36:25 | More by cyrenaica

TheSixthRing

California

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

Appearance - Pours a clear, golden yellow with a white finger width head, decent retention. Results in sparse lacing.

Smell - Pungent banana, backed by wheat and a faint clove spiciness.

Taste - Waves of banana and wheat, backed by notes of clove spice which intensify toward the finish before breaking away into a fresh wheat aftertaste.

Mouthfeel - Light to medium body. Crisp, aggressive bite.

Overall - Similar to it's hefewiezen cousin, but with a few distinct differences. Gone are the yeasty bubblegum flavors, and it opens the door for the wheat to shine through more clearly. The finish is more crisp and clean. That said, I prefer the former. This is a great beer, but I'd rather have the hefe or the dunkel.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2012 04:27:30 | More by TheSixthRing

jrenihan

Ontario (Canada)

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

BB Feb 15, 2013

Beer is clear golden. Clearly filtered as it has none of the cloudiness of a standard hefe. Large white head on top. Moderate retention. Some lacing.

Smell is reminiscent of Weihenstephaner's hefeweizen, but not as good. Banana and clove are strong. Bubblegum.

Taste is similar. to the nose- banana and clove are dominant. Crisp wheat. A bit of a dry cereal flavour. Very clean.

Light bodied, high carbonation. I realize that is how these beers are meant to be, but the carbonation is irritating to me.

Overall, nice, but to me it is just a muted version of the Hefewiezen, which is excellent. Really can't see why I would ever pick this one over the standard. Perhaps this is just to say that kristalweizens are not my bag?

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2012 01:06:27 | More by jrenihan

korguy123

Ontario (Canada)

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

Bottle into Imperial Pint glass. Best Before Feb 15th, 2013

A- Completely translucent yellow pour with a two finger snow white, soapy head and decent lacing.

S- Typical banana and clove aroma with a nice sweet biscuit. As the style guide states "Overall character will be more clean and softer on the palate, and the common banana and phenols will be more subtle." and that is dead on. Everything in this beer is soft smelling and light.

T- Sweet banana, sweet cookies, nice cloves. Subtle grass. Well put together.

M- Light bodied, great carbonation, very refreshing.

O- Sometimes when I buy a new beer I never check the style guide to read up on it. I would have never expected something as simple as filtration can make such a difference. This brewery has been around the longest for a reason.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2012 20:44:42 | More by korguy123

KTCamm

New Jersey

4.38/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass.

Immense foamy pour. A pale yellow emerges, but the head remains. Strong wheaty smell. The corriander is there. Taste is extremely clean with a light wheat. Some citrus. Flavorful, and incredibly drinkable smooth and crisp.

A gold standard for the style.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2012 10:57:08 | More by KTCamm

andrenaline

Ontario (Canada)

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

Part of the latest LCBO seasonal spread...

A - Crystal clear pale golden color, reminiscent of a light lager, two fingers of light fluffy head, solid retention ad sporadic lacing.

S - Loaded with cloves and bananas, wheat and citrus undertones with some cotton candy and apple juice.

T - Lighter than implied off the nose, fruity cloves and hints of banana off the top, nice breaded wheat flavour lingers alongside a hint of orange citrus.

M - Medium bodied, smooth and wet.

O - A tasty ale with loads of flavour, but not to be interpreted as overwhelming. Nice summer ale, quite fruity and sweet and well worth grabbing.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2012 01:55:52 | More by andrenaline

peensteen

Ontario (Canada)

4.05/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Very pale light blonde colour, 2 fingers of dense rocky head, quite a bit of lace left on the glass. Smell is of banana and spice, a pretty generous helping of malt, some bubblegum and yeast, clove and quite fruity as a whole. Taste is spicy with biscuity/cracker like malt, banana and cloves, some yeastiness with more banana in the aftertaste. Medium carb, light-med feel, decent enough but room for improvement as far as mouthfeel goes. Overall I was pretty impressed with how flavourful this was as my expectations were not super high for some reason, would gladly have this again.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2012 13:54:42 | More by peensteen

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

4.8/5  rDev +19.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

500 ml bottle poured into a weizen glass.
5.4% ABV, Store dark and keep cool 46° - 52°F, 8201 on the back, "Brewed under the purity law of 1516"

A - LOOK OUT! We got a gusher! Kristall pours -whaddya know?- crystal clear pale yellow straw with abounding carbonation (shit, it almost looks like a Miller Lite!) feeding a four-finger, snow-white head. The dense bubbles even sparkled like snow. Fantastic retention was only slightly hindered by the tip of my nose barely touching the overly fluffy top. No lace left over from the head until I took a sip, at which point thick clumpy lace remained caked to the glass.

S - Despite the beer's clarity, the nose is full of weissbier aromas; big banana Runt yeast esters, dry, soft wheat, pale malts, and the crisp clove spiciness with a light citrus pinch to it. Dare I say, "orgasmic"?

T - The flavor begins very wheat and pale malt driven. Dry and crisp with a light honey-like sweetness complimenting the flavors, it progresses quickly to a yeasty flavor that's bold but not overpowering. Clove spiciness and bold banana Runts blend with clay and white pepper earthiness.

M - Though there is heavy carbonation, it's a smooth drinking beer with a fair level of crispness to the finish. Looks can be deceiving; this one is medium-light bodied despite it's shimmering straw yellow color. Filtration has removed some of that softness the wheat imparts into the mouthfeel, but I'll be damned if this beer doesn't remain smooth as hell.

O - Another Weihenstephaner winner, Kristallweissbier removes the "unsightliness" of the yeast sediment and wheat proteins but keeps the core essence of the beer intact. Plenty of yeast characteristics have been infused so deeply into the beer they can't be taken away; earthy spice and boat-loads of bananas. While the wheat still plays a roll, the pale malt is more pronounced in this crystal clear wheat. Fantastic to the last drop, just make sure it doesn't erupt all over your table!

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2012 22:36:49 | More by BeerFMAndy

Digimaika2

Ontario (Canada)

4.05/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Very clear straw-yellow colour with two-fingers of bubbly foam head. Retention and lacing are both quite good.

S: Grassy-wheat aroma, subtle spices including cloves, banana, and a lingering honey sweetness. Very crisp and refreshing.

T: Grasses, subtle banana, spice, and honey. Detecting an earthy mineral-like taste. Finishes with a very agreeable bitter dryness. Picking up a certain sour element like unripe apricots that also is quite tasty.

M: Light bodied with a high carbonation that both seem appropriate. Crisp and clean textured with quite a spritzy mouthfeel. I have been very impressed with the mouthfeel of all Weihenstephaner offerings that I've tried to date, and this is no exception.

D: Enjoying this quite a bit, and would certainly recommend. Appropriate as a spring-time indulgence with such a clean and crisp taste coupled with a refreshing spritzer-like quality.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2012 04:49:17 | More by Digimaika2

BEERMILER12

Maine

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

A: Pours a clear straw yellow color with a massive head that settles down to a thin coating of lace within a minute

S: Wheat, fruity yeast, light banana and clove. Some other spices as well, though they are light

T: Follows the nose, with the main aspect being the banana. The wheat and yeast also make a presence, with everything else being in the background. Slight bubblegum as well

M: Light bodied with moderate-high carbonation. Expected with the lack of bottle conditioning and also lack of sediment in the bottle

O: Weihenstephaner just doesn't disappoint. Price point, quality, and craftsmanship just can't be beat, which is saying a lot for an imported beer (price-wise of course; quality and craftsmanship are expected from a brewery this old). Certainly worth a try if you've never had it before

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2012 04:44:51 | More by BEERMILER12

jmdrpi

Pennsylvania

3.03/5  rDev -24.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

500mL bottle, a code o "4042" on the back label, not sure the meaning.

appears clear golden color, huge 2 inch bone-white head, that fades down to thin covering.

aroma is still the familiar hefeweizen aroma - wheat, and herbal yeast. taste is a bit "cleaner". lower banana and clove notes. thin body, fizzy carbonation.

overall - I like it better that most hefe's, but I still wouldn't seek it out again.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2012 03:04:31 | More by jmdrpi

JuicesFlowing

Kansas

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

Poured into a New Belgium globe. The beer is a crystal clear golden hue with a constant stream of bubbles rising to the top (from the New Belgium glass). A huge, frothy, sea-foam head sits on top. This thing looks like a bubble bath. Awesome. Random but good sticky lacing. The beer smells slightly skunky, actually. But once you sift through that, bananas and wheat come through. The beer tastes a bit sour with fruity aspirations. The banana and floral notes kick in, as well as a lemongrass taste. The mouthfeel is light bodied, and the beer goes down smooth.

Overall, ups and downs with this one. The appearance is outstanding, and the beer is clean and crisp. It was fun to try and this would be great on a sunny, Saturday afternoon on the deck with some bratwurst.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2012 02:38:41 | More by JuicesFlowing

Beermazter310

Nevada

4.48/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5

A hazy orangey color smell of bananas and cloves....tastes great. mouthfeel crisp and well carbonated...more crisp than the regular hefeweiss due to filtering...this is becoming my favorite brewery....this is an awesome beer. all their beers are great and have a similar taste. glad i tried it, it is a bit pricey though, but worth it.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2012 06:30:05 | More by Beermazter310

soju6

Missouri

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

A: Pours a clear light golden color with a large head that fades slowly. Has nominal lacing.

S: Aroma is a mixture of banana, spices, fresh grain and a bit of malt sweetness.

T: Taste is a blend of banana, clove, spices, fresh grain and some malt sweetness. Nice bitterness and a dry finish.

F: Light body, lots of carbonation, smooth with a nice clean feel.

O: Good example of the style. Well worth checking out.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2012 11:25:08 | More by soju6

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

3.65/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

500ml Bottle - from Bevmo La Quinta CA for 3$

Appearance - Clear yellow colour with a large size fizzy/frothy white coloured head. There is an above average amount of carbonation and there is some faint lacing. The head lasted for over 5 minutes..

Smell - Lemon, grains, yeast, coriander/cloves

Taste & Mouth - There is an average amount of carbonation and I can taste lemons, corn, and grains/bread. There is also some very light yeast/spice. It ends with a corny/grainy aftertaste with a light spiciness and a hint of banana.

Overall - Very light and the flavours are fairly subdued. I expected a little more from this one, but I haven't had a lot of beers within this style.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2012 01:14:09 | More by spinrsx

StaveHooks

Oklahoma

4.1/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

16.9oz served into a Weizen glass.

A - Pours 3 fingers of white moundy suds and slowly sinks into a small collar. Brilliantly clear body with active streaming bubbles.

S - Spicy yeast, green banana, clove, white bread, sweet pale malt.

T - Clean flavors of banana bread, clove, yeast, wheat, green pear, and a dash of lemon. Floral hops combined with the carbonation adds a very crisp finish.

M - Moderate prickly carbonation, light to medium body, very clean feel.

Very clean flavors with excellent carbonation. The nose is mellow compared to the flavor. This would hit the spot on a hot day.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2012 02:20:08 | More by StaveHooks

AlCaponeJunior

Texas

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

Served in a tall pilsner glass.

Monster head on this one, yellow and crystal clear with tons of rising bubbles, good lacing.

Tons of yeast in both nose and taste, sweet and clovey too. Very flavorful, this is my new favorite Kristalweizen!

Very clean on the finish with a bit of residual yeasty flavor, very light body, great full carbonation.

Definitely a great example of the style, will absolutely have this one again and again.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2012 13:29:15 | More by AlCaponeJunior

MattSweatshirt

Texas

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

Big fluffy two finger white head. See through Kristall clear golden color body. Very active carbonation.
Bananas and clove pop out more than anything, but there are hints of lemon, melon, and wheat
Lots of the banana and clove in the flavor with some added sweetness in the finish.
Great medium bodied mouthfeel on this one. The carbonation melds wonderfully.
Weihenstephnaer can craft a beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2012 03:02:34 | More by MattSweatshirt

pokesbeerdude

Colorado

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

16.9oz bottle from Supermarket Liquors in Ft. Collins, CO, $3. Into a weizen-esque glass.

A: Crystal clear gold in color with a massive, dense white head, like half the glass worth of head. Excellent retention, almost so much so that I can't pour the rest of the damn beer in the glass. Massive gobs of lacing are left behind.

S: A fair amount of wheat malt, slightly lemon like in profile with a bit of an earthy hop bite. A bit of a German weizen yeast profile but it is a definite second fiddle to the wheat malts. Not bad.

T: Much like the nose leads on, a rich wheat malt profile with a slight bit of lemon like tartness. A touch of earthy hops and a faint hint of bitterness. Just the right amount of clove and banana in here to set it straight as a weizen. Really tasty.

M: Slick in the mouth, carbonation isn't nearly as abrasive as I had anticipated, in fact it is very light and rolls along the tongue. Finish is bone dry and spot on. Really nice.

O: I still enjoy the hefeweizen more, but this is no slouch. Really an enjoyable pint. Definitely will drink this again come summer time.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 00:57:23 | More by pokesbeerdude

Hoppsbabo

United Kingdom (England)

3.45/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

S: Typical wiesbier fermenting banana smell.

A: Pours a huge white head. Perfectly clear straw coloured body, three or four sleepy strings of bubbles.

T: Typical banana/clove wiessbier combination but more bitter than usual and lighter bodied and lager like. Refreshing. Great head retention. Big dollops of foam cling to the glass. Clean bitter aftertaste.

O: Typical wiessbier flavour but more lager like. A very sound but unremarkable beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2012 17:07:16 | More by Hoppsbabo