Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier Dunkel - Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan

cindiwindi1025

Michigan

4.78/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A: Light brown, cloudy with a nice retentive lacing

S: Smells like beer

T: Sweet...clove, light concord grape, banana, cream, spicy hops, lavender

M: Creamy yet refreshing. Not much in the way of effervesence or carbonation, just a nice spicey tingle left on the tongue after it's effortlessly gone down the hatch.

D: Very, very drinkable. Could drink quite a few of these easily. The price makes this a really good deal...I'll be getting more of this one for sure.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2008 02:50:41 | More by cindiwindi1025

qazelisc

Connecticut

4.78/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours with a fluffy beige head that doesn't hang around too long Light brown color, cloudy yeast, and not much lacing.

Amazing aroma of banana, clove, bread/yeast and caramel dominates. Also some nutmeg/allspice, apple and lemon zest. Would love to keep smelling but can't resist the urge to sip.

Taste follows the nose. This stuff is delicious. There's a slight musty, woody yeast aftertaste that adds dimension to the awesome flavor upfront.

Medium bodied and smooth with nice amount of carbonation and spice that tingles and excites the tongue.

Yup, another incredible beer from Weihenstephan, who make many of my favorite beers. Goes down easy and is so well balanced. Just about flawless.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2010 23:09:08 | More by qazelisc

Welsman

Pennsylvania

4.78/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Oh sweet Jebus, this beer is fabulous.
Exceptional in every way.
Pours a medium brown, the head is obscene,
so thick and creamy.
Tastes of bananas and cloves,
(blah blah blah), SO good on tap in the proper hefe glass,
(Brauhaus Schmitz, philly), lets all give in
to Delish-isness.
This brewery has to be the finest in the world, i know its the oldest, since 1050.

Serving type: on-tap

11-23-2010 20:08:10 | More by Welsman

CwrwAmByth

United Kingdom (Wales)

4.78/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured from a 500ml bottle into a Samuel Smith pint glass.

Appears a very appealing darker colour of the normal Weihenstephaner Hefeweizen, with good head retention.

Fairly malty smell and a balanced malty taste, along with the same fizziness I have come to associate with the Hefeweizen. Very well balanced between the spicy/herbal nature of the Hefeweizen and the malts added, reducing the overall power of the spices, and balancing out the beer overall.

A very good brew overall, one which I would definitely buy again. My favourite Weihenstephaner.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2011 19:32:03 | More by CwrwAmByth

Jamesthebrit

Michigan

4.78/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Hazy dark orange.

Smell: Wheat, orange. Very pleasant with no harsh smells whatsoever.

Taste: Wheat, slightly orange. Very smooth given the hazy appearance. Initially very fruity with a lingering wheat flavor.

Mouthfeel: Light, perfect amount of carbonation. Smooth. Quite wheaty.

Overall: There isn't really anything bad about this beer and most everything is good. Immensely flavorful yet very easy to drink. For sure my favorite beer to date. Brings something to the table that other beers don't.

Serving type: on-tap

01-31-2012 19:57:07 | More by Jamesthebrit

Jason

Massachusetts

4.75/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Presentation: 12 oz sleek euro brown bottle with the boasting words “Oldest Brewery in the World” on the label, freshness date is on the back label.

Appearance: Deep tarnish copper with a red hue, some haze from the addition of the yeast into the glass. After a proper pouring a thick meringue like head forms and stay for the duration.

Smell: Malty nose, light brown malt or toasted. Suggestions of green apple, yeast and pie spice also in the aroma.

Taste: Moderate body that is well structured and able to hold the soft malty palate, very crisp carbonation that is at a perfect level. As soon as the carbonation hits there is a spicy snap of clove and a twang from the fermented wheat. Nice even malt flavour with a bit of toasted and dry malt character. Neutral though a bit nutty yeast on the tongue. Minimal bitterness from the hops, barely noticeable. Vague fruitiness of over dried raisins and plantains though esters are controlled. All in all the finish is quite clean and is comparatively a dry beer.

Notes: By far one of the greatest dark wheat beers available in the US market to date, very soft on the palate … no harshness at all. Malt flavour is near perfection with all the other flavours kept as a backdrop to let the malt be dominant.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2002 10:33:52 | More by Jason

IrishRedRock

Pennsylvania

4.75/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Das ist gut, ya! After so often sampling their superb hefe, I thought, what the hell am I doing not drinking everything else this brewery creates? Plus I've been in the mood for weeks for dark wheat beers (hello Ludwig's), so this is money drinking. Pours a deep copper color, a very burnished and burnt gold, not nearly as dark as I had thought, but looks beautiful in a weizen glass, with a thick frothy head atop. Aroma: kickass. Yeast, cocoa beans, wheat and bubblegum. Damn that's appealing.

Malt flavor is prevalent, with the slight bitterness of the hops just kissing the palate in the finish. In between there's a flavor of doughy biscuits, slightly salty yet sweet; the bubblegum and lemon citrus flavors floating on top of the wheat malt. Mouthfeel is undeniably perfect. Smooth, not cloying in the least and the carbonation is spot on - not overdone or bubbly like many wheat beers can be. I could drink this all day and night. An exceptional brew, and I've noticed this is becoming one of my all-time favorite styles.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2006 02:32:48 | More by IrishRedRock

scootny

New York

4.75/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A 500 ml bottle int my Sisson's weiss glass. A dense creamy head from a regular pour yields a four finger head. It stays for what seems like an hour but really only five minutes. It slowly dwindles down to a half inch cap that stays the duration. The glass is a cloudy light chestnut brown and carbonation activity is light. Pretty

The smell is light chocolate, banana,clove and mild fruit like apple or pear. There is a light clove that develops as it warms.

Broad malt palate. Light roasted malt in the back and chocolate and banana. Mild tartness of green apple and more wheat malt. Finish is dry, slightly roasty with more yeasty banana. Superb.

Medium mouthfeel and excellent carbonation to tingle the tounge.

Supremely drinkable. A standard for Dunkleweiss, nothing better for cooler days and night. Delicious and easy to knock back as many as you want. It is a bit more filling than a hefe due to the more substantial body but who cares!

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2008 00:49:21 | More by scootny

Patrick999

Florida

4.75/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

The family cat died today, 16 years, basically half my life. He was my companion and great friend through many a day. In his honor, I raise this glass of fine ale.

A - Poured into a weizen glass. Massive head, cloudy brown. Head settled, but that cap stuck around all glass long. Excellent looking beer.

S - Now that is impressive aroma. Toasted wheat and the expected clove/banana hits.

T - Big wheat backbone, along with plenty of soft ground pepper and just a hint of sweet banana.

F - Yeast addition makes this feel divine. Spot on, nice and chewy but still refreshing and mouth-coating.

D - I wish I had another. And another. This is my new Dunkelweizen standard.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2008 23:52:19 | More by Patrick999

TommyW

Massachusetts

4.75/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A- Pours a cloudy, brown with tinges of redish-orange. Fluffy, off-white head with great retention. Leaves a beautiful lacing.

S- Smell of apple, toasted malt, and raisins. Also a slighty nutty aroma.

T- Very nice balance of toasted malt and sweetness coming from apple and raisin. There is a very nice toasted bread and nutty flavor coming in laster. No noticable bitterness from hops. Pretty clean finish.

M- Carbonation is perfect. Very nice balance of not too heavy or too light.

D- The mouthfeel and taste make this beer very drinkable. Very easy to have a few.

Overall, I'm usually not a big fan of dark weissbiers, but this one is just exceptional. A must try!

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2008 17:16:23 | More by TommyW

NCBeernut

North Carolina

4.75/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Hefty white pillowy head with plenty of stick atop a murky dark amber body with plenty of brown hue to it. Reeks of delicious ripe banana with subtle malt sweetness. Complexity of the taste is standout. A subtle peppery and very faint clove spiciness owes it to the yeast's work on the wheat. Bready malt sweetness covers the tongue. Banana settles down considerably after its work in the aroma, but still plays a solid part in the taste. Slightly drying finish. Man, words just don't really do it justice. Chewy mouthfeel with a great level of carbonation - not exactly viscous but it just coats your mouth in a similar way. A truly great beer from "the world's oldest brewery."

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2009 01:50:57 | More by NCBeernut

sbe1

New York

4.75/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Hands down the best dark Hefeweissbier.

Appearance: Soft cloudy brown, with a billowy off-white head that lasts awhile, not much lacing on the glass.

Smell: Sweet toasted malt, caramel, hint of pepper, clove, yeast.

Taste: Crisp hop and spice with sweet pumpkin, roasted malt, light hint of fruit and alcohol at the finish.

Mouthfeel: Refeshing carbonation, moderate to light mouthfeel, clean and crisp.

Drinkability: excellent session beer. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2009 05:34:34 | More by sbe1

pzrhsau

District of Columbia

4.75/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: A nice hazy burnt red color with good hints of brown. The beer pours cloudy with a superior creamy head that lasts for a long time. Its almost like a meringue.
Smell: Very nice wheat malt flavor coupled with some aromas of bananas and other fruits.
Taste: First, I get a nice flavor off of the malt complimented by the yeast. The flavor is very complex and fruity with a nice spicy finish.
Mouthfeel and Drinkability: Nice subtle carbonation. It's a very hearty and refreshing beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2009 21:48:49 | More by pzrhsau

jovy1097

Louisiana

4.75/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Poured from 16 oz bottle into nonic pint.

Appearance: Cloudy, brown, apple cider color. Three finger head that quickly settled down to a filmy finish.

Smell: The fruity, yeasty smell of weissbier comes through. The spice presence is very prominent. You can smell something like apple butter here.

Taste: Banana! I can really taste the banana in this one. Got a small bit of vanilla and a wonderful cloves presence. The malt really comes through in the middle of the quaff. Leaves a lingering clove presence on the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: Quite foamy at first, then followed by a good medium body. Tons of carbonation.

Drinkability: Being a dunkelweissen, this one has a little more substance than hefeweissens. I like it better for cold weather than the hefes. As tasty a beer as I have ever quaffed.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2010 20:55:23 | More by jovy1097

mcdevster

Minnesota

4.75/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 3 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

appearance..
dark.. pond water, thick, not too pretty..
smell: very nice, very similar to regular weihenstephaner.. some clove/banana.. touch of maltiness..
taste: delicious.. beautiful build up of flavor nice finish.. it is a full experience that no other hefeweizen i have tried lives up to (except regular weihenstephaner..)
mouthfeel/drinkability: typical wheat beer.. easy going down.. be careful, however, they almost go down too easily.. nice body, refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2010 03:10:27 | More by mcdevster

obrendano

Maryland

4.75/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

an absolute treat. a little Christmas present to myself after my last day of crazy busy season at my job

A - insane head everywhere, thick and creamy straight out of the bottle. gorgeous shade of brownish amber. could stare at this for hours

S - the smell of amazingness. banana bread with even more toasty wheat over top of it

T - among the best I've ever tasted. rich toast flavor, even more cloves than most other hefe-'s I've tried, some vanilla singing backup. absolutely impressive

M - creamy and full, sticks to your mouth from lip to throat

D - when I get the chance I'm buying a month's worth of this stuff. Merry Christmas to me!

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2010 20:20:26 | More by obrendano

ticklechicken

Korea (South)

4.75/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A - cloudy medium brown with yellow edges, creamy thick head
S - sweet fruity cherry scent
T - light malt and fruit taste, with a sweet aftertaste
M - a little thick with low carbonation
D - This is a very enjoyable beer with well-balanced flavours with a well-measured mildness that gives you no choice but to drink more. Is there nothing that Weihenstephaner can do wrong?

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2011 15:11:47 | More by ticklechicken

BlackBelt5112203

South Carolina

4.75/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Special thanks to my girlfriend’s parents for bringing me back a Weihenstephaner gift pack straight from Bavaria. They’ll never see this, but I just wanted to mention them!

500 mL bottle poured into a Weihenstephaner weizen glass at fridge temperature.

L – Hazy deep amber color with a big 5-finger cream-colored frothy, billowing head. Excellent retention but not much lacing unfortunately.

S – All the usual Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier players are here with bready and grainy malted wheat, banana, and cloves. The new addition is the toasty, caramel aroma from the Vienna/Munich malts. Really nice.

T – Follows the nose nicely. It is sweet all the way through with bready and grainy wheat coming in first, then bubblegum and banana, and then the toasted and caramel malt flavors. There’s a nice spicy yeast finish with peppery and clove notes.

F – Medium-bodied with great carbonation, a crisp but creamy mouthfeel, and a spicy and dry finish. Spicy yeast lingers for a great amount of time.

O – This beer is no different than the rest of their offerings – Weihenstephan is the king of German wheat beers. The beers from this brewery define their respective styles. Not much more needs to be said.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2012 02:57:14 | More by BlackBelt5112203

guityler83

Wisconsin

4.74/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

A: A hazy penny copper color on the thin part of the glass melds to dark brown leather on the thick part. Lots of pillowy big bubbles with an aggressive pour.

S: Cloves and bananna esters peek through the wheat bread armoma.

T: Bananna, toast, no hop flavor detected. Slightly sweet, but so sessionable you can't help but take big gulps.

M: moderate carb with a smooth body. nice crisp clean finish. A tingly sensation on the toungue possibly from the residual yeast, nice!

O: This is by FAR my favorite wheat beer... and its the first time I've had it. I'll be seeking out more Dunkelweizen's in the near future!

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 00:57:46 | More by guityler83

acelin

Kansas

4.73/5  rDev +11%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a large bottle into a Weihenstephaner wheat beer glass.

Gorgeous head, beautiful medium nut brown color with golden edges, huge lacing all down the glass.

Smell of cloves, banana, nutmeg, wheat malt, and sugar.

A taste for the ages, beautiful banana flavors, with dark caramel, nuttiness, sugar, wheat, baked baguettes, absolutely delicious.

Mouthfeel is thick, but super sessionable.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 17:10:44 | More by acelin

Tupperwolf

Washington

4.72/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

After some work to get the yeast in solution and properly poured, I'm rewarded with a primo looking dunkel weizen. I love these beers because they have all the flavor character, plus some, of a hefeweizen, and have far more visual impact. A little lighter than some I've seen, with a bit more of an oak glow to it, with an out of control but quick-dissipating head that's usual for a weizen.

Lots of banana phenols in the nose - you can really smell the yeast, and it's damn near Belgian in fluffy, bouncy banana-peach fruitiness.

Yup, lots more near-Belgian yeasty banana-bread fluff and bite - I can't honestly say that I taste marshmallow, but I get distinct swirls of buttery caramel. This is a hefeweizen times two. It's got all the delicious flavors, but they're more distinct, more impactful - just better all around.

The mouthfeel on this one is awesome, it isn't very carbonated at all - the mouthfeel is slightly swishy, mostly buttery, and finishes with a sticky, tasty caramel-banana-hops that lingers on and on.

I've always had a hard time getting hold of Weihenstephaner for whatever reason, and thought that what I had been drinking was as good as it can get, but I was wrong - this brewery really does make the best hefeweissbiers in the world.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2006 02:56:54 | More by Tupperwolf

czfreeman

Michigan

4.72/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Why not review the classic? I will be attending TU Munchen and studying for my Braumeister's degree at Brauerei-Weihenstephan,so heres to school!

This Dunkleweizen pours out a dark-amber hued tan, absolutley gorgeous,billowy head blooms from the top of the weiss glass. Notes of colves, some banana, citrus, yeasts,hallertau hops. Flavor is absolutley refreshingly delicious-cloves,citrus,banana on the finish some bready yeasts in there as well. Crisp mouthfeel makes for crazy good drinkablity. Having this beer oder Radler(with a splash of lemonade) is how it was presented to me in Germany, where they drink this at 10 Am. read on the health benefits of these brews, and these people are really on to something!

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2008 16:22:36 | More by czfreeman

gfreed

Massachusetts

4.72/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a hefeweizen glass, showing a pleasant iced-tea color with a huge dirty-white head that very leisurely skated down the sides, riding the beer to the bottom. This had an outstanding and understated aroma of prunes and cherries in addition to muted bananas and nutmeg. Mildly fizzy going in, lots of malt at the back end that lingered a long time. Definitely a bit denser than a plain hefeweizen, but not heavy. An absolute pleasure to drink.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2008 00:51:59 | More by gfreed

bfields4

Colorado

4.72/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours a perfect tight head that retains itself nicely creating a puffy cloud of goodness. The body is a hazy dark copper hue.

The smell brings me back to Munich with a wiff of peaches roasted malts, and light spices.

Wheaty banana to orangery tastes are accompanied by nice clove and spice seasonings. Malt also complements the rest nicely. IMO the most tasty of Weinhenstephaner's offerings.

The carbonation and light body remind me why the liter beers in Munich went down so quickly. Weinhenstephaner is a perfect example of German breweries. There's a reason why this is the world's oldest brewery. They know how to make a beautiful tasty beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2009 03:42:26 | More by bfields4

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

4.72/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

16.9 oz bottle served in a weizen glass.

Murky amber color with a fluffy beige head that hung around for the entire glass. Effervescent bubbles continuously rose from the bottom of the glass.
The smell is mainly malt with some bready yeast aroma and spices.
The taste is full of malt with some bread(yeast), spiced flavors and a gentle bit of hop bitterness. The malt wins out here and it is quite delicious.
Medium bodied with excellent carbonation.
Very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2009 20:32:37 | More by JoeyBeerBelly