Weihenstephaner Kristallweissbier - Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan

carp420

Georgia

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

Kristallweissbier-> duvel tulip

pours amber with a two inch head that doesn't last long but caps it well and laces somewhat

smells of banana, floral, cloves, wheat and yeast. more malty as it warms

taste is superb, much like the smell, wheaty and light, faint taste of banana and malt,

mouthfeel is crisp, somewhat dry but very refreshing, carbonation is great

drinkability is huge, just got out of the pool and this one hits the spot for sure, another killer beer from Weihenstephaner, haven't had a bad one yet and always can't wait for the next.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2009 23:06:09 | More by carp420

mikes2923

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Probably my least favorite brew from Weihenstephan (that I've been able to find here in the States anyway), but that's not really a slight against it as much as it is a compliment to the rest. About what you would expect out of a Kristall Weizen, very light in color, with a nice clean wheat taste that is light on the palate but with a slight bite to it. Keep in mind when I use the term "light" I don't mean it in the "american light" sense, this beer definitely has a very solid and good taste to it and would be a perfect selection iof you're not in the mood for anything too strong or heavy.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2003 11:09:25 | More by mikes2923

billysj

California

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

Poured into a Weihenstephaner glass that came with a 5 pack bottle. The head is a nice tall white with a carbonated clear body.

The smell is a strong banana and the taste is sweet with a hint of banana. The mouthfeel is smooth.

I will definitely drink this one again.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2006 04:43:38 | More by billysj

benteach

Missouri

4.5/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Very clear pour with a very thick head which remained during the entire bottle. Very good carbonation.

Faint aromas of fruit.

Very clear flavors of banana and citrus. Grainy but very smooth. The carbonation really adds to the moutfeel. The bubbles last well after tasting and much to the overall drink.

Very good Weissbier, can't wait to try other from this brewery.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2009 22:25:15 | More by benteach

ticklechicken

Korea (South)

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

A - I could swear I hadn't bumped the bottle, but when I opened it I got an explosion of foam that just wouldn't stop - this might have affected the rest of the drink. It poured into a large rocky head that took its time dissipating, and left bubbly lacing. The body is a clear golden yellow, with a little visible carbonation.
S - sweet bananas and grain
T - mild malt and grains with a banana aftertaste
M - somewhat watery and left me with a sticky feeling in the mouth
D - very easy drinking and an all round enjoyable beer that rightfully stands alongside other great Weihenstephaner beers. If they were more affordable, I might never touch another brewer's produce.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2011 11:37:15 | More by ticklechicken

wschumac

New York

4.6/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured from bottle into .5 l Paulaner Weissbier glass. unsure about how the filtered weissbier would taste, this is my first.

A - Clear nice golden amber color. Poured with 4 finger head but did not last too long.

S - Typical weiss smell aroma a bit lighter not as fruity but definitely citrus and yeasty.

T - Excellent weissbier taste. Not too overpowering and very refreshing. sweet malts and not too overpowering.

M - smooth and very light mouthfeel. Not heavy at all.

D - excellent choice for summer day

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2008 23:37:39 | More by wschumac

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

jal30

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

This is a really good Kristalweizen, as you might expect from one of the world's best breweries. That being said, it only confirms my distaste for the style, because even when done at its best, it just isn't for me. A tamer and less interesting version of their hefeweizen, which is a beer to die for. Similar cloves and bananas in the taste and smell to the hefe, but not nearly as pronounced. Quite refreshing. You could drink this one all day, but you'll probably get bored after one or two. A brilliant version of a style that I just don't care for at all.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2010 01:11:56 | More by jal30

dadonabike

Massachusetts

4.3/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I rushed the pour a little and ended up w/ 4 fingers of fluffy white head. It quickly settled to one finger w/ great structure and leaves very little lacing. As the name implies it pours incredibly clear. Light yellow in color and non stop tiny bubbles.

The yeast is the most noticeable smell; sweet biscuity yeast. The smell is similar to Allagash white, but a little richer.

This is like clear light liquid bread w/ a pleasant maltiness and a background spiciness. If you are in the mood for a white this is a great example. It is chewy and rich while being a light drinkable beer.

This is a very drinkable beer. This was my first beer from Brauerei Weihenstephan; I enjoyed it a lot, I will be trying this again as well as their others.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2008 02:38:12 | More by dadonabike

CopeTech

California

4.68/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

What a nice beer, An excellent wheat beer, very light and fruity. Gentle banana and othe rwheat esters. Slightly over-carbonated, but that's to be expected from the bottle.
Crystal clear, with a nice white foam. Easy on the mouth a crisp and refreshing gentle giant.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2013 03:35:25 | More by CopeTech

TheRowan

Vermont

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

A: Light, clear, golden yellow. Carbonated but not a large head. What little head there was it went away after 1-2 min.'s.
S: Sweet, grainy, smelled like a barn that did not have any animals living in it, like a hayloft or a sweet corn field.
T: The first thing i tasted was how clean the beer tasted. So clean it tasted a bit soapy. Very well balanced tastes throughout. CLassic taste, typical of Weihenstephaner's
M: Light, crisp, and thin. Watery but made my mouth feel dry afterwords.
D: Very good. Solid! I would do it again and with spring in the air i can see my self with a big bucket of these guys on the beach in the months to come. The big bottle style was nice and it was very coast affective at under 3$ per.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2009 16:28:13 | More by TheRowan

bmike86

Iowa

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

I picked up a half liter bottle of Weihenstephaner Kristallweissbier from Hyvee Liquors in Pella, IA.

Appearance --- clear light golden yellow color, carbonation bubbles flowing steadily. Two finger white head that withers down, lace left trailing down the glass

Smell --- subtle scents of bread, floral, banana

Taste --- like a lighter hefeweizen

Mouth feel --- smooth and crisp, light to medium body with a solid carbonation to it

Overall --- I enjoyed this offering, it is a nice change of pace offering from Weihenstephaner. I would definitely recommend trying, to say the least. This beer has definitely earned its way into my rotation. With that said, I still prefer their not filtered weizens.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2012 18:01:22 | More by bmike86

MikeWilson

Colorado

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

Opened the 500ml bottle and a third of it immediately gushed out of the top and onto the table before I could even grab the glass.

In the glass the beer looks lighter than even a Budweiser and is crystal clear, as it should be. The aroma is a fantastic mix of bananas and cloves and other spices. It's not over the top - I had to stick my nose in the glass to really enjoy it. Taste is all weizen: Some banana, mostly clove, phenols, some alcohol. There is a bit of yeastiness in the follow through, surprising since this is a filtered beer. Sweet and mouth-watering. I can even detect some ever-so-subtle hopiness. Some bite from the carbonation.

I really enjoyed this beer. And it brought back memories of the gallons of Weihenstephaner I drank in Deutschland last year during Oktoberfest.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2008 04:54:08 | More by MikeWilson

cliffnorm

New York

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

Pours clear, golden to honey with tons of bubble and a white fluffy head

Smell: huge banana notes, some cloves, estery NICE!

Taste: Banana peel, slight vanilla notes, wheat malt and a very clean finish. (tastes like the holloween wax lips)

MF; Effervescent and well balanced

Very drinakble Clovey and bananas, a good summer-time quincher. Fans of the hefe genre will love it! hit-o belgie style!

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2007 01:40:23 | More by cliffnorm

galante27

Pennsylvania

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

This is a filtered version of their normal weissbier(which is one of the best). If you like their unfiltered vesion you are sure to enjoy the Kristall too. Its crisp and flavorful, but in the filtering process it loses a bit of its character. Something to try but if you are a weissbier drinker you will def enjoy the unfiltered a bit more.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2009 22:42:01 | More by galante27

sugarbrew

Michigan

4.22/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A- Clear and yellow, almost resembling a pale lager. Vigorous carbonation beneath a thick, pillowy white head.

S- Malty and sweet, with strong banana and a hint of yeast. Very clean.

T- Extraordinarily powerful, crisp cloves, with subdued banana and some very subtle noble hoppiness. Light, fruity esters and a lingering, floral finish.

M- Outstanding carbonation and a light body- exactly what defines the style. The biggest difference from their regular weiss is that this is thinner and more carbonated, in some ways reminiscent of a lager. Sometimes, a light body can perfectly complement a beer's flavor profile. This is one of those times.

D- Lighter and crisper than its hazier brother, this is a highly sessionable beer. Warm weather and/or sausage and sauerkraut are recommended.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2010 05:28:52 | More by sugarbrew

Aquavit

Thailand

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

Appearance: Clear crystal gold with foamy head that lace along the side of a glass, Proper amount of bubble that arise from the glass butt.
Smell: Citrus like odor with charactor of wheat and spice (may be clove) Hop aroma is gone and a little fruity aroma is tainted
Taste: Light to medium body, after I drink this beer the alcoholic ador is strike my palate with a few more sparkling compare to those Hefe-weizen in the same brand. Slightly bitterness and minimal salty plus acidic flavor at the end. Aftertaste is like a baquet.
Drinkability: This beer can be enjoyed all night long. Easy to drink and feel familiar with but in my opinion the first alcoholic odor is too strong for me.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2008 08:23:17 | More by Aquavit

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

BostonBiosafety

New Hampshire

4.72/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This is an amazing beer that has a refined taste that few beers can match. This is a benchmark for the style...which I guess it should be since they pretty much invented it.

I like to let it sit a bit to allow some of the carbonation to pass. The overall mouth feel coupled with the aroma equates to one of my all time favorite beers. It is almost close to perfection.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2011 00:44:22 | More by BostonBiosafety

lilbuddha

Maryland

4.88/5  rDev +21.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Note: this is my favorite "go to" beer. I've drank literally hundreds of these.

A - Beautiful and easily identifiable. Clean. Head is thick and lasts.

S - A bit weak, my first impression was that this might not have any flavor to it.

T - Ah here it is. For such a clean look, its got this nice little bite carried on the carbonation, kinda drying aftertaste. This is delicious cold, but I really prefer all the Stephaners just barely cool, and on occasion warm. These really just get better as you get about 1/3 through the glass its lost its chill.

M - Carbonation carries the flavor, smooth

D - For some time i drank these in place of light beer and would get quite inebriated... its just too easy to down these, and I've got a somewhat easily bothered stomach.

Going to update this the next time I have one warm.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2009 01:14:46 | More by lilbuddha

mvcramer

Massachusetts

3.7/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

With so few authentic kristallweizens out there, this one was a refreshing summer beverage. It pours a very light golden color, almost looks like a light offering from an American mass domestic, but the pour produces a beautiful frothy white head. The head lasted for quite a while on top of a mildly fizzy beer. The aroma delivered the pleasant and expected estery and fruity notes, predominantly banana. Taste of wheat, but a nice crispness to it and finishes clean. It’s rare to have a tasty beer that really quenches your thirst AND provides a balanced flavor as well. Nice with lemon chicken dish.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2007 03:19:54 | More by mvcramer

GermanHero

Vermont

4.68/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

The first beer I bought when I turned of age! Couldn't have asked for a better choice!

Smelt good, light but nothing too strong.

Tasted like the beer that was brewed in the little German village I stayed in when I went! Brought me back!

The feel is good, it fills your mouth but not the the point of over filled.

Clean and solid finish!

Defiantly drink again. Always in season and never a bad pairing

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2010 19:15:12 | More by GermanHero

Fenrir088

New Mexico

4.78/5  rDev +18.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A - Pours a Crystal clear pale gold, has a beautiful creamy white head that dissipates moderately quickly, the carbonation looks great.

S - Bubblegum is the dominant aroma with banana following close behind. clove and spice aromas are a little subdued bringing a sweet biscuit like malt smell just behind the foreground There is also a very faint floral hop smell somewhere in the background.

T - Not as intense as the smell, crisp and surprisingly clean malt flavours with a pleasantly fruity taste that lingers.There is also a slight citrus like acidity that is quite nice. a small amount of hop bitterness that balances perfectly with the sweet wheaty malt. overall it has a very light body, but definitely not lacking in flavour.

M - exceptionally smooth and silky with a nice bite from the carbonation.

D - I could drink this stuff from dusk till dawn no problem.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2010 19:44:11 | More by Fenrir088

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

lubcha

New Jersey

4.83/5  rDev +19.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

serving type - snifter (not by choice but it was very enjoyable this way)

appearance - very clear golden color with not so much head

smell - it smelled like banana, and not the candy banana flavor...like REAL banana

taste - very good, a little of the banana carried over into the taste as well, not bitter possibly a little alcohol taste but it was very enjoyable

mouthfeel - i didn't feel like i had to swallow it immediately

drinkability - i could see myself drinking this very frequently
i have been very partial to Hacker-Pshorr recently but this is definitely a new winner. German wheat beers strike again!!

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2008 02:08:11 | More by lubcha