Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier Dunkel - Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan

jdhilt

New Hampshire

3.38/5  rDev -20.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a three-finger white head that vanishes quickly leaving no lace. Good carbonation and medium bodied. Hazy light amber color, no yeast settling out. Nose is mostly yeast and some malt. Flavor is dominated by the yeast, some wheat, sweet yeasty finish. Not nearly as good as when I had it 7 years ago. $3.25 for a 500ml bottle from Colonial Spirits Acton, Ma.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2010 22:17:16 | More by jdhilt

papat444

Quebec (Canada)

3.38/5  rDev -20.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a 1 pint 0.9oz. bottle (code 5371 which means it was bottled the 37th week of 2011)

Appearance: Looks dark orange when held to the light but is in reality more of a brown tone. Cloudy with a whipped head.

Smell: Banana, cloves, hints of citrus and bread.

Taste: Spices, bit of pepper, citrus. Some bread but doesn't feel full. The malt is nice though giving hints of nuts and dry chocolate.

Mouthfeel: Lively with nice carbonation and quite smooth. The only thing is it feels watered down a bit.

Overall: It's alright but i wasn't totally impressed. Too bad because i like the kristalweizen.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2012 12:22:48 | More by papat444

hero27

Iowa

3.4/5  rDev -20.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I've gotta say, it looked sharp in the glass. Dark, amber color. Lacing is gorgeous and the head retention is relatively low but very thick and creamy.
Slight smell of banana & hefty aroma of cloves & spice..some orange peel as a kicker..
Flavor is caramel toffee malt, vanilla, roasted nuts, and a great spicy yeast aspect.
Medium-bodied with a crisp, refreshing mouthfeel.
A good Dunkel from Weihenstephaner (but I gotta be honest, I still can't pronounce their name).

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2004 20:55:05 | More by hero27

ultralarry2006

Illinois

3.4/5  rDev -20.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a 500 ml bottle. Left a big h-w head, eventually settling to surface skim, not much lacing. Body was a cloudy apple cider brown.

Smell - bananas, plums, apples, and diacetyl.

Taste - same as the smell. Some bananas, mostly plums, and some apples, washed through with subtle creamy wheat. Diacetyl is a major taste also washing throughout, but especially strong on the finish.

Mouthfeel - full, creamy.

Drinkability - this is decent, not great. I'd rather have something different after one of these.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2006 20:15:24 | More by ultralarry2006

jettjon

Florida

3.4/5  rDev -20.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

From the 500ml bottle with no freshness date, into a pint glass a red-brown clear with moderate to low carbonation in the pour. Two-finger pale tan head fades slowly to a cap and scattered lacing. Decent looking. Nose is malty and hoppy, and average overall. Tastes crisply malty with subtle coriander spice; light by and large and not bitter at all. Mouth is semi-viscous, middle-bodied with moderate carbonation, smooth and nicely pleasing. Drinkability is decent; it’s thirst-quenching, light and refreshing in the way that most macro beers wish they were (and claim to be). Sessionable, sure, though not remarkable.

Overall: A good “dark hefe,” definitely worth a try. This would be a good one to introduce to your friends who “like hefes but not dark beers.” Yet another step on the path to great beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2007 00:57:20 | More by jettjon

Westsidethreat

California

3.43/5  rDev -19.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: Into the Weihenstephan glass it goes. Huge springy khaki head dominates the glass, I'll need to let it fall before I continue the pour. Body is a playful brown sugar colored syrup with a touch of haze to it.

S: Bready yeast, over ripe banana, caramel corn and rubber.

T: Begins lightly malty with mild cinnamon dough. Tingly yeast mixes with banana peels and mineral water. Hints of red apple, ripe kiwi, raisins and molasses add a good backbone. Finishes with brown sugar, lightly fruity...somewhat cloying.

M: Medium body, somewhat hard and fluffy at times.

D: Weihenstephaner continues for me as one of the more over rated breweries out on the market. This beer was good but nothing special by a long shot.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2007 05:47:50 | More by Westsidethreat

Lothore

California

3.43/5  rDev -19.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

A- Pours an unfiltered dark caramel color with a massive, creamy head. The head retains for quite a while and leaves lacing as it falls.

S- Smell is a very sweet, strong banana scent with hints of wheat and darker fruits.

T- Taste seems a bit anticlimatic in that it isn't nearly as flavorful as the nose lets on. Slight banana sweetness.

M- Something about the mouthfeel on this brew really rubs me the wrong way. A bit undercarbonated and leaves a sticky sweet coating on the inside of my mouth.

D- This beer seems like it would be pretty drinkable in that it is not too offensive but its not nearly as flavorful as I was expecting. None the less it seems to be a good thirst quencher

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2007 00:02:30 | More by Lothore

Proteus93

Virginia

3.43/5  rDev -19.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I purchased this to try some of the variety of the other Weihenstephaner brews, seeing as I quite enjoy the Hefeweissen and Original.

A: A deep honey colour, somewhat of a cloudy golden with a fast rising head that presumably came as a result of pouring a little too quickly. Creamy head, quick to dissipate, down to a half finger after only about a minute with a fair bit of lacing.

S: Fresh, crisp, sweet. Sweet clover, just a touch of citrus - while what is there is a clean and pleasant aroma, it is mild enough that I found myself a touch disappointed in it.

T: Not as sweet as I may have expected and I did not notice as much of the banana taste as I was expecting either, until well after a sip. A little nutty that persists all the way down, touches of citrus.

M: Perhaps a little heavy on the carbonation. Makes savouring each taste a little challenging, perhaps a little nicer on a hotter day when a bit of zing on a parched palate could be appreciated more

D: Again, the carbonation was a little strong. A touch of bloat, which I would not expect following only 2 drinks. Goes down seemingly light, but bottoms out a little on the heavy side.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2008 03:00:24 | More by Proteus93

Reinheitsgebot71

Ontario (Canada)

3.43/5  rDev -19.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Well it's a rainy day and I'm listening to wolves in the throne room so what better then a nice dark wheat beer to quench my thirst and suit the mood of the day.
Being a fan of their regular wheat beer I was quite looking forward to Weihenstephaner's dunkle offering. The pour was intriguing, the usual large, aerated, slightly off white head floated atop a very murky brown brew reminiscent of swamp water due to the unfiltered particles creating the opaque characteristics of such.

All the usual suspects were there in terms of smell banana, chewing gum, clove, and what always reminds me of fresh spring air nothing out of the ordinary here. Unfortunately no sight (or smell rather) of any malt character in the nose, which came as a bit of a surprise to me.

Time to taste and unfortunately the first sip did not produce much. It may have been my fault for having it a bit too cold but the initial taste was very subdued, no maltiness or spiciness really. Further on I perceived hints of the spices and malt I expected, whole wheat toast, raisins, black pepper, nutmeg and lemon zest. All of these were very subdued and sadly not as robust as I would have liked. The only other flavour I picked up was that of alcohol, which became more apparent towards the latter half said imbibed drink. Our dear friends hops made a almost nonexistent appearance as would be expected of the style, only hiding in the dark shadows for support.

Inside the oral cavity a things were very light bodied and smooth with the liquid becoming extremely foamy upon ingestion, nothing different or unusual here just the status quo.

Overall I'm a little let down, while it is a very refreshing wheat beer I didn't really get the hit of toasty darker malts I was looking for. Maybe I'll give it another shot but right now this dark Deutschlander will be on the backburner as far as wheat beers go.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2009 22:30:13 | More by Reinheitsgebot71

sstackho

Ontario (Canada)

3.45/5  rDev -19%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

500mL bottle purchased from Bauer Wines in Boston. Pours a murky, muddy brown with good head. The head does fade and there is little lacing. The aroma isn't overly strong, but then again I don't seem to be smelling all that much these days. The flavour is sadly weak. There's some OK wheatiness, but it fades quicker than I would like, and there isn't much in the way of the banana flavours that I like in a good weizen. That being said, this may be one of my first dunkelweizens, so perhaps those are different.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2007 01:34:20 | More by sstackho

PEBKAC

New York

3.45/5  rDev -19%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Ugly, souvenir Vegas hef glass. Sleet still running down my shoulders. It was either order out & wait an hour in this weather, or week old chicken soup. I decided on a beer & a nap instead.

Slow to settle, the tan head begins congealing. The body is a murky honey brown. Not the most appetizing thing to look at in a 23oz glass. Looks like car wash runoff. Suds & mud.

Scent was sweet like banana bread, but not potent, like one would completely enjoy. Spice cake without the spices. Soil & a tin of assorted nuts. Pleasant bit of peppery yeast on the back.

First gulp was a long one. Starts off sharp, like bitter bruised grapes, but fades quickly into the doughy middle. Mildly sweet toast, no butter. Yeast & dirt throw it around for a bit, letting some light clove in. Finish remains yeasty, but with additional earthy bitterness.

Carbonation remains strong throughout, where as I sometimes notice straight hefs start to get flat half way through. Body feels gelatinous & thick, like cold soup.

Traded some esters for some warmer flavors.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2011 23:49:25 | More by PEBKAC

ybnorml

Rhode Island

3.48/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A cloudy bownish beer. Has a big foamy off white head and some lace. The aroma had a light sour aspect to it with a hint of clove in the background. The flavor also had bit of a sour character with a pleasant hint clove. Pleasant mouth feel with a resfeshing nice drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2004 01:54:43 | More by ybnorml

tweeder263

Pennsylvania

3.48/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I was aggresive with my pour and ended up with about 7 inches of head in a standard pint glass.Surprisingly doesnt look too carbonated. Cloudy amber brew head is slightly off white.Has a wheaty estery smell.Taste ofmalt and wheat not much else,low hopped if at all.Mouthfeel isnt too bad. Drinkability not too bad a lot milder then i thought it would be.Not a bad brew.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2005 02:13:25 | More by tweeder263

dbalsock

Vermont

3.48/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance: Poured thick and frothy (like rootbeer) into a weizen glass. The head is vanilla, and the body is brown with an orange/red tint, yet also murky from the yeast. There is no lacing, but the head retention is fantastic.

Smell: I've picked out bananas, raspberries, strawberries and morning dew in this brew, but I'm sure there are other fruits present too. It's an airy aroma and not intense, but quite pleasant.

Taste: I like the slightly bready taste with the malt backbone. I think this is quite well balanced, and again, fresh dew/fresh meadows comes to mind. It's not very sweet, and not very bitter, but the aftertaste accentuates both of these qualities.

Mouthfeel: This is smooth with almost no bitterness. As I said above, it's airy, but not really smokey, and quite light bodied.

Drinkability: It's definitely worth a try once, but I think there's better in the style and I probably won't try this again.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2006 05:31:09 | More by dbalsock

Scooter77

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a hazy brown/copper color with a huge rocky head. Head retention is great, it lasts until the last drop. The aroma is full of malted goodness mixed with a hint of cocoa and toffee. The taste is an exceptional medley of malt, hops, vanilla, and bananas. This is a great medium bodied beer from the folks at Weihenstephaner.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2003 06:35:21 | More by Scooter77

david18

New York

3.5/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Not as good as the dunkel or the hefeweissbeer, this is nonetheless another great beer from weihenstephaner. Shared this one after the dunkel, had a good combination of both beers with a refreshing quality that will knock you out as much a the stonger dunkel. Would recommend this if you can find it in the states. And, once again, if in berlin, you should find this restaurant.

Serving type: on-tap

07-12-2009 20:09:49 | More by david18

cyrenaica

Ontario (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

500ml bottle
5.3% ABV
I tried this beer on November 5, 2009 at "Smokeless Joe's" in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The beer poured a dark brown colour with golden highlights and 1" head that lasted. The aroma was wheat malt, cloves, and some yeast. The mouthfeel was medium-bodied and medium carbonation. The flavour was wheat malt, cloves, some ginger-like flavours and a bitter finish.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2010 00:34:40 | More by cyrenaica

tykees88

Indiana

3.5/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

A- Pours a nice dark overripened banana brown. Great rocky frothy head. Fantastic lacing.

S- Smells a little like banana bread, clove and hops.

T- Little bit of a letdown. Not much of a malty backbone. It's just a big wheat beer flavor, followed by a bready banana. I just don't think it goes well with this beer. The flavors are a little off putting.

M- It's a little lighter bodied than one would think. Not so chewy. I like that, gimme the flavor of franziskaner and the body of this and lookout.

O-It's just good. I think I am underwhelmed slightly just because I expect alot better from them.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2011 13:42:44 | More by tykees88

jackndan

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Hefie dark: Not really one of my favorite styles, but this remains a very fine beer. It pours a cloudy brown, with a huge head that is as tall as it is smooth. This beer has sort of a lemony aroma. The taste is very nice, a very malty hefe style, with the traditional yeast flavors being muted and very much in the background. A good version of the style.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2003 16:54:41 | More by jackndan

jaluria

Connecticut

3.53/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured a murky, yellow-brown color with a frothy, thick head that was colored white. Huge bubbles seemed trapped in the head. Rings of lacing were left behind in my weizen glass. Aromas of wheat, fresh bread, grains, bananas, and cloves. The taste was very much like that of a hefe with the addition of caramel and bread/grain flavors. The fruit flavors were present throughout the session and added depth, in my opinion. Not nearly as sweet as other beers I've had within this style, but still sweeter than bitter. Chewy texture with nice carbonation. Quite drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2006 15:11:15 | More by jaluria

shaggy151

California

3.53/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This beers pours a cloudy medium brown color with a very thick creamy head. Has a very fresh slighty sweet malt smell. Tastes like the smell with a hint of banana. Mouthfeel is light and smooth. This was my first dunkel weizen and was very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2007 02:58:10 | More by shaggy151

stcules

Italy

3.53/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Light brown color, with a beautiful beige foam, compact and abundant.
Light and delicate smell, malt, caramel, a bit of biscuit.
At the taste is delicate, again, with malt, biscuit, caramel, a hint of light burnt. Not too sweet, pleasant.
Maybe a light fruity note of elder?
Same notes in the aftertaste, with a finish tending to liquorice and roots.
Average body.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2008 18:43:32 | More by stcules

ahq514

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served in a weizen glass. Poured from a 16.9 oz bottle.

Pours a nice cloudy amber color with a thick head that dissipates quickly to a good solid head that stays throughout.

Smells like many hefeweizens do, banana, clove, wheat, but this one has a bit more caramel smell to it. Not an overly strong aroma.

Tastes almost exactly like the smell. Wheaty, slight banana, some clove, a little more caramel malty taste than the regular hefeweizen. There are also some real subtle hints of fruit in the background.

Mouthfeel is on par for a hefeweizen, it is slightly more medium bodied than most hefeweizens. A little bit more carbonated as well, which I'm not sure I was a huge fan of.

Overall, it was a tasty beer. Nice and refreshing, but a little too carbonated for me. Would definitely drink again though.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2011 03:20:45 | More by ahq514

RedDiamond

Oregon

3.55/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

There’s something about this brew that speaks well of its character despite a modest play on the palate. It has a crisp, bright, citrus-infused aroma and pours to a lightly clouded oaken color with a tall ivory head. The body is a bit thin, but with a pleasantly spicy flavor that I’m sure would compliment – and not compete with – any good meal. I suspect a small wedge of lemon might provide some appropriate enhancement.

This is not a premium brew, but it is very easy to drink. I would call it likeable but not profound. The aroma exceeds the taste as the brewery’s lengthy and exalted history exceeds its modern product line.

I chose to rate this beer using the customary senses. Still, if I could employ a six sense, I might grant this one a higher score. It drinks like a refreshing tonic and may have appeal to some who are well content with modest tastes in a German beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2004 20:35:55 | More by RedDiamond

cratez

Ontario (Canada)

3.55/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

500ml bottle from the LCBO, poured into a weizen glass. For me, this beer does not compare to the brewery's excellent hefeweissbier.

Pours a murky cinnamon brown with chunks of yeast and sediment in the body and a generous, foamy beige head. Like many great European brews, it looks like a beer float. Smell is banana and rye breads with some clove and yeast. Taste is banana, clove, caramel and wheat malts, the faintest hint of vanilla extract, dried figs, and a grainy, husk-like flavour with more wheat in the aftertaste. Despite some decent complexity, the taste is too restrained for my liking. It feels like the beer is missing something. Mouthfeel is pure silk with a luscious, medium body and moderate carbonation.

From a technical perspective, this is a solid dunkelweizen, as the appearance and mouthfeel are world class. But the aromas and flavours leave much to be desired. With a bit more boldness in those areas, this would be a kick-ass brew.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2009 18:34:55 | More by cratez