Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier Dunkel - Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan

beergeek279

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served in the 500 mL bottle. The color was amber, with a great white head. The smell was a nice caramel malt, with a slight wheat smell. The taste was caramel sweetness mixed with the tanginess and banana/clove taste of the wheat. Mouthfeel was well-carbed. Drinkability-wise, could have a few.

A fantastic wheat beer from Weihenstephan. The mix of the malt and wheat makes for a simply fantastic experience, and this is a beer I'll certainly have again.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2004 18:05:02 | More by beergeek279

Bierguy5

Ohio

3.98/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured a cloudy amber or slightly darker shade. Nice creamy, fluffy head of white. Smells faintly of that typical weizen beer, bannanas and cloves. Tastes of slightly carmel malt with the hint of bannana. Not too thin. Very drinkable indeed. I will certainly need to investigate this style more. Refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2004 03:29:59 | More by Bierguy5

genaro

Massachusetts

3.68/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This hefeweissbier was a dark cloudy amber color capped with a good head. The lace was fairly decent. The aroma was complex- very metallic and spicey (clovey) with hints of banana apearing as it warmed. The taste was complex as well -spicey (clove) and citrusy with some caramel and sweetness. Mouthfeel was sharp and bitter. The finish was dry and clovey. I've never really cared for wheat beers, but I keep tasting them and this was the first German one that I've appreciated.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2004 14:48:53 | More by genaro

johnrobe

Tennessee

4.35/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This is one of the better dark Hefe's I've tried. It pours a cloudy orange-brown with a wispy white head. The aroma is very pleasant with some estery, yeasty twang, some bubblegum and a lot of cloves. The banana smell is very light and typically light banana / heavy cloves means a wheat brew was fermented on the cooler end of the yeast's range. The taste is a nice blend of light bubblegum and clove with a bit of caramel and bready malt. The malt is fuller and more pronounced in this hefe than in a lot of others I've tried putting this on the heavier end of the spectrum for hefe's, even dunkel hefe's. Not malty by O-fest or Bock standards, just malty for a hefe. Crisp, bubbly mouthfeel...prototypical for a hefe.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2004 07:49:30 | More by johnrobe

HardTarget

Texas

4.03/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Aroma: Mostly fruit, strong apple and caramelized banana
Appearance: Hazy brown with an ocean of microscopic bubbles that lasted and laced
Flavor: Bananas, apples, dates, but with the Reinheitsgebot, I know this is all just Master Brewer trickery! Mmmm… trickery. Great balance, can’t taste any hop, but a crisp clean lasting finish. Can’t taste any malt, but a rich sweetness holds the fruit together.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium body with a carbonation prickle.
Overall Impression: Crisp apple is the primary flavor. It’s dark in color, light in body, refreshingly spry in taste. It has a long tart lasting aftertaste that I enjoyed. Not as nice as the straight Weihenstephaner HefeWeissbier in my opinion, but a quality beer that should be sampled. Seek and find!

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2004 05:22:43 | More by HardTarget

BierManVA

Virginia

4.47/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A very nice example of a dunkel weiss from a world class brewery.

Excellent pour with good carbonation. The aromas are of wheat and spice and ripe (sweat) fruit. Taste is deliciously spicy with wheat, clove and pepper tones. Chewy and refreshing.

It's difficult to find any distractors for this bier.

"Quality"

John

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2004 23:02:47 | More by BierManVA

CRJMellor

Arkansas

4.13/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a caramel of toffe color, enormous head develops that dies quietly leaving gobs of terrific white lace on the glass.
Aromas of dark malt, banana bread, cloves, yeast and hint of green apple are present.
Tastes of sweet caramle, light raisins, bread/yeast and hint of hop bitterness prevail.
Mouthfeel is very good, dry yet refreshing on the palate, sweet yet spciy and balanced.

Beer is not quite as good as the normal Hefe but excellent nonetheless

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2004 15:24:08 | More by CRJMellor

clvand0

Kentucky

2.33/5  rDev -45.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

This beer pours a brown color with a nice, thick head and it leaves some lacing on the glass. The aroma is that of malts, with some fruit and caramel as well. The flavor wasn't very enjoyable, in my opinion. There was something slightly skunky about it - which I've found rare in darker beers. The flavor was a mixture of the malts and the caramel, but I didn't find much of the fruit that was in the aroma. Again, not a terrible beer, but I didn't care much for it.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2004 19:17:31 | More by clvand0

Indybeer

Indiana

4.6/5  rDev +8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

1 pint bottle. Poured a hazy, dirty brown witha massive head that really stuck around and lots of nice lacing on the glass. Aroma typical of Weihenstephaner yeast. Cloves, bananas, spice. Taste is more of the same notes, throughly enjoyable. This beer reminds me why Hefe's are my favorite beers. I could drink this and never get tired of it. Smooth and yeasty!

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2004 02:15:47 | More by Indybeer

RoyalT

Ohio

4.58/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance – Very cloudy and “dirty brown” in color with a tight foaming head that sprang from the glass in an instant. The head showed good retention and was lightly tanned, making this very nice to look at.

Smell – Oh, Lordy, have I finally found a true imported Dunkel Weissbier? The strong yeast aroma is a long-awaited pleasure to my olfactory bulb. This one takes me back to the Stammtisch at the Goldener Anker.

The yeast aroma is slightly toasted and beautiful. There’s the traditional banana notes along with some spicing (maybe clove or cinnamon?), but all the second-tier players are in the background. The yeast steals the show here, as it should.

Taste – This has an excellent and traditional flavor. The toasted yeast from the nose comes out well at the taste and continues to improve as the bier warms (I should have poured this “warmisch”). The typical banana notes are muted but noticeable along with some light spicing.

Mouthfeel – This is where many miss the mark, but here we have an excellent, authentic example. The carbonation is not light, fizzy, and cheap as it is in a lot of wanna-be pretenders. Here it is soft yet full and completely unobtrusive to the flavor. This bier is medium-bodied and right on target.

Drinkability – I grabbed this big, yeasty bottle as a snack instead of a bag of chips. It is just as filling, much healthier, and tasted a hell of a lot better. I’ll nurse this through the afternoon, letting it warm to room temperature before starting on the New Year’s festivities.

Update – I rated this 2003 vintage on New Year’s Day ’04. I thought, now that a year has passed, I’ll re-review it with an ’04 vintage to see how it has withstood the test of time.

This is just a lovely example of the style by any measure. Brewed in the “oldest brewery in the world” just outside of Munich, this Bavarian import brings all the authentic Dunkel Weizen flavors right to your living room. The aroma is so dead-on for the style that they ought to have a picture of it on the BJCP style guide page. It is easily the most authentic Dunkles that I’ve had here in the US, and rivals most that I enjoyed in Germany.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2004 00:00:00 | More by RoyalT

WVbeergeek

Ohio

4.47/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Chestnut brown ruby effervescent offwhite chunky head leaves huge collar of lacing nice appearance big yeasty dregs pour out of my bottle it's nice. Aroma: I'm getting an array of fruit tones, green apples, raisins, and soft banana tones with a slight citrus hint to it all leaves me with spices and clove with some Hallertau in the finish giving it an herbal quality. Taste: Soft chocolate hints blended with banana clove yeast notes and other spices once again the plethora of fruit shines light upon my palate nice. Mouthfeel: Spritzy and bubbly but not overcarbonated medium to light in body this is a magnificant dunkel hefe. Drinkability: Unparalled for the style simply put just enjoy it's worth it.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2003 07:41:34 | More by WVbeergeek

koolk

Australia

4.5/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Murky hazy brown going on black going on brown!

Wonderfully complex nose of spice spice and more spice. Heavy clove, cinnamon, anise and friends bombard the senses with some malt, fruit and caramal notes following on through.

Palate is superbly long and full. Creamy texture gives way to spicey notes of malt, cloves, 'nana and othe fruits. So delicious!

The Hefewezien by these guys rules as one of my favorite beers. The dark follows strongly and is highly recommended!

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2003 12:07:42 | More by koolk

BeerManDan

California

5/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Wow, blew my socks off from first sip to last glup! This fantastic hefeWeissbier was a dark, thick and creamy with loads of spices and wheat. Spices like, cloves, nutmeg and list goes on. The finish had a pleasant after taste that was absolutly outstanding in my mind. This Dark Hefeweissbier I would rate on the same scale as my favorite doppelbock, "Adventinus".

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2003 07:11:04 | More by BeerManDan

crookedhalo

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Hazy, orangey bronze color with a nice thicket of beige-colored head in the weizen glass. Aromas of dark malt (especially wheat malt, luscious), some cloviness and yeastiness and throw in a bit of mustiness like a drawer that hasn't been opened in a couple years and is layered with a bit of dust over it's sitting. Very clean smelling. Taste is a little refined, too. A bit malty sweet, yet retaining a classic dunkelweiss style. Smooth and flavorful. Drinkability's good, a 5.3% ABV doesn't hurt that one at all. Effervescent and smooth, perhaps an underappreciated brewery with a rich heritage that brews quality beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2003 05:56:33 | More by crookedhalo

Boilermaker88

California

4.85/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Found this at a small German-themed restaurant/bar in Glendale, AZ. My brother-in-law and I ducked in there while our wives were doing the post-Thanksgiving shipping ritual. This dark wheat beer was presented in a 23oz Weihenstephaner weissbier glass. The beer was a beauty for the eye: cloudy, almost muddy, brown with a ton of little streams of carbonation rushing to the underside of a massive, pillowy, 2" thick off-white head that left gobs of webby lace down the sides of the glass.
The smell was a rich and inviting blend of bready malt, clove, and banana. I was constantly sticking my nose into the glass to enjoy the aromas. The taste was classic German weissbier: banana and cloves abounding atop a solid yeasty malt backbone. The addition of some mild caramel notes enhanced the flavors. The banana taste was strong but not overpowering or causing the overall taste to seem imbalanced. The feel was light-bodied, clean and crisp. Very refreshing.
Drinkability was off the chart. I quickly polished off the first glass and ordered up a second which I savored at a less greedy rate. I just couldn’t help it with the first glass - it was just so damn good. This dunkel wiess is a stellar offering from Brauerei Weihenstephan, to go with their superb hefeweizen.

Serving type: on-tap

12-01-2003 17:45:21 | More by Boilermaker88

diablo14

Australia

4.03/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

yet another pearler from this brewery. i wasnt sure whether id enjoy this hefe, but as soon as i poured it, smelled and had a sip, i knew id be back for more.

loved the appearance, a dark amber color that was very cloudy, topped with a generous creamy ecru colored head. i can tell you that there is no problem whatsoever with head retention on this beer at all. awsome nose of malt, some caramel, bananas, and a little vanilla bean that was as sweet as any ive smelled but not in the sickly way im used to with many other sweeter beers. the flavor was magnificent. like caremelized bananas. malt, bananas, vanilla, caramel, some cinnamon and cloves with the appearance of yeast right at the end as the hops start to chime in. nice level of bitterness that keeps the sweetness of this beer in check, but with a presence of its own. full bodied, quite thick in the mouth tho did have a good level of bubble action which meant it wasnt too syrupy. prolly couldnt drink this all night, but i could drink it as my nightcap on a regular basis.

considering the prices you can get weihenstephaners here in aus, you really cannot do any better for the dollars. this beer, and several of their others can proudly claim, and with plenty of justification, to be among the worlds best beers. if they laid that concept on me id agree wholeheartedly. a must buy.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2003 11:03:21 | More by diablo14

goindownsouth

South Carolina

4.8/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Wow...what can I say. Another stellar brew by Brauerei Weihenstephan. This bier pours out of the bottle a deep rich brown, with a legitimate head, that eventually leaves a great lave on the glass. This brew has a great almost sweet, but roasted depth and complexity. I knew I would love it from the very get go, and I was not disappointed. A classic.

Zum wohl!

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2003 02:49:26 | More by goindownsouth

JohnnyDuvel

Florida

4.5/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Dee- licious! I thought I had already reviewed this one. A local store owner gave me a nice Weihenstephan glass, so I bought a dunkel for the occasion. What a tasty beer. Reminds me a lot of Aventinus, without the extra kick. Banana flavor stands out, some clove spice - but not too much. Pours a huge, foamy head with good retention. Nice full mouthfeel. Refreshing and crisp. This will be a regular for me. Great brewery, great beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2003 05:19:30 | More by JohnnyDuvel

TinusTime

Virginia

4/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours the colour of cola- with a nice fluffy tan head that lingers around like shaving cream. The scent if redolant with weak cocoa and banana bread smells. The taste is as it smells with the addition of the nice spicy clove like finish found in hefe's. Mouthfeel is pleasant and smooth. A very drinkable beer on a nice mild summers day. Would go really good with some sauerbraten with red cabbage and potatoes

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2003 20:59:43 | More by TinusTime

ADR

Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Cocoa-colored deep brown appearance, hazy, and a puffy tan head of good lasting power. Nice and simple, but complete, lace. Malty aroma, slight chocolate and an attractive ester balance. Very nice mouthfeel, creamy and pudding-like with a sweet chocolate malt impression with just a hinty of fleshy fruit. The aroma that "damps" some Dunkelweiss brews is more complimentary here. Yeast appears slose to the finish, giving added texture and more fruit. Not a favorite style, but among the best in style in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2003 18:42:30 | More by ADR

moulefrite

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This was my first ever of the style. And, as this is probably my favorite regular Hefe, I could not wait to try this. I was intrigued from the start with the beers typical fluffy white head that was accompanied by a nice nut brown color. The lacing was ample and remained throughout. The aromatics favored the malty side, more so that the regular. The mouthfeel was both creamy and cleansing-which is what I like about the regular hefe! In the mouth I found this beer very similar to the regular hefe, yet with a punch of heath bar toffee. Some banana and clove chimed in as well, yet more subdued than the regular. On the finish a rich maltiness prevails. The beer is nicely refreshing and offers rich malty, grainy, bready flavors on the finish. A spectacular selection to try on tap at an Octoberfest with your favorite sausage or German snack of choosing.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2003 01:24:15 | More by moulefrite

EagleTalon

Arkansas

4/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours to a frothy, gassy, explosive head that leaps out of the glass and all over the table. Cloudy brown-amber color. Aroma is comprised of alcohol, phenolic yeast and sharp wheat malt. Flavor is crisp, tart and yeasty with noticable clove and banana intermingled with warm alcohol. Finishes dry and refreshing. A very good dunkel-weissbier.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2003 19:24:49 | More by EagleTalon

UncleJimbo

Massachusetts

3.98/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This dunkel weissbier poured a cloudy, brown color with creamy, light tan foam. The smell was mild and malty with a slight sweetness and faint fruitiness. The taste was slightly sweet and malty with notes of wheat and yeast. Very little fruity ester flavors. The mouthfeel was very smooth and creamy with medium body and low carbonation. Very low hop presence. A nicely enjoyable weiss bier.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2003 07:55:06 | More by UncleJimbo

nomad

Kansas

4.65/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

With a furious action on the pour, amazing to watch, it poured a light chestnut color with impossible amounts of carbonation flying up inside. Created a pocky and cavernous, cream/khaki-colored head, huge and swiss cheese-like. Quite a beer to behold, as all Weihenstephan's are.

Smelled of bananas foster, as big banana scents mix with alcohol and roasty sugar/syrup notes. Also had a strange cleaning fluid smell that many dunkels have. Taste was sweet, of bananas and yogurt (in that both are sweet and slightly lactic sour), a spot roasty in the middle, and creamy at the end. The sour flavor cleared my palette, keeping my tongue fresh, which was nice. Tasted very fresh, active, and complex. Highly drinkable, a perfect mouthfeel, outstanding given it’s a style that I don’t care for.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2003 16:58:06 | More by nomad

ZAP

Minnesota

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

An outstanding dunkel...the best I have had thus far......pours a deep orangeish amber....with a nice white head...nose is fresh, sweet apples, banana, and a light caramel note....body is medium...very charged up in the mouth...this is a beer that justs "feels" like a great beer as you drink it....extremely tasty but very, very drinkable.....the taste has a restrained sweetness that is just fantastic....This has to border on Weizen doppelbock land....the taste profile is caramel sweetness...accentuated by soft layered flavors of banana, and cloves.....

This is an awesome beer....maybe the best wheat beer I have ever tried to date..I will seek this out and buy many more...

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2003 04:29:00 | More by ZAP